A B S TR A CT Empirical data on quartz subgrain patterns from various metamorphic rocks show that, at least up to 10 kbar in the stability field of low-quartz, prismatic subgrain boundaries are dominant whereas basal subgrain boundaries are not developed. In the high-quartz stability field, both prismatic and basal subgrain boundaries occur and form typical rectangular ('chessboard') patterns. The likely reason behind the different occurrence of these subgrain patterns is that in high-quartz prismatic glide becomes as easy as, or probably even easier than, basal glide. The two types of subgrain patterns can be clearly distinguished by optical microscopy. Consequently, the occurrence of chessboard subgrain patterns in quartz represents a practicable geothermobarometer. The possibilities of its application are far reaching and include the specification of deformation conditions at high-grade metamorphism, the recognition of syntectonic intrusions and the distinction between pluton emplacement at lower and at higher crustal levels.

Volcanic dome-building episodes commonly exhibit acceleration in both effusive discharge rate and seismicity before explosive eruptions. This should enable the application of material failure forecasting methods to eruption forecasting. To date, such methods have been based exclusively on the seismicity of the country rock. It is clear, however, that the rheology and deformation rate of the lava ultimately dictate eruption style. The highly crystalline lavas involved in these eruptions are pseudoplastic fluids that exhibit a strong component of shear thinning as their deformation accelerates across the ductile to brittle transition. Thus, understanding the nature of the ductile-brittle transition in dome lavas may well hold the key to an accurate description of dome growth and stability. Here we present the results of rheological experiments with continuous microseismic monitoring, which reveal that dome lavas are seismogenic and that the character of the seismicity changes markedly across the ductile-brittle transition until complete brittle failure occurs at high strain rates. We conclude that magma seismicity, combined with failure forecasting methods, could potentially be applied successfully to dome-building eruptions for volcanic forecasting.

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[1] TEM and SEM/FIB sequential imaging of quartz grain boundaries from contact and regional metamorphic rocks show that most of the grain boundaries are open on the nanometer scale. Three types of voids occur. (i) Roughly 40-500 nm wide open zones parallel to the grain boundaries. They are suggested to be caused by general volume reduction as a result of anisotropic cooling contraction at temperatures decreasing below ca. 300 C, the threshold temperature of diffusion in quartz and of decompression expansion at pressures decreasing below several hundred MPa. (ii) Cavities of variable shape and up to micrometer size along the open grain boundaries and (iii) cone-shaped, nanometer-sized depressions at sites where dislocation lines meet the open grain boundaries. The latter two types are generated by dissolution-precipitation processes. Open grain boundaries, cavities, and depressions form a connected network of porosity, which allows fluid circulation and may affect physical properties of the rocks. The same process is suggested to occur along grain and phase boundaries in other rocks as exemplified in this study, and it should be expected along intracrystalline cracks or cleavage planes.

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