High temperature deformation of rocks and minerals

Abstract

The goal of research on the high temperature deformation of rocks and minerals is to determine the stress and strain history of the crust and mantle—to interpret the structures observed in naturally deformed rocks, to interpret geophysical measurements, and to allow accurate modelling. This research thus includes experimental and theoretical studies, as well as studies of naturally deformed rocks. In the four years since the review by Carter [1975] the importance of this field has been emphasized by a number of special conferences, including a Royal Society Discussion on Creep of Engineering Materials and of the Earth [1977; Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. London, series A, v. 288, 1–236] and a C.N.R.S. International Colloquium on Deformation Mechanisms in Minerals and Rocks [1979; Bull. Fr. Soc. Min. Crist., v. 102]. This field was reviewed by Carter [1976] and treated extensively in a book by Nicolas and Poirier [1976], but there have been a number of significant advances in our understanding in the past few years.

Coupled onshore erosion and offshore sediment loading as causes of lower crust flow on the margins of South China Sea

“…Such profiles might be expected given the assumed common abundance of quartz in the crust in the case of an active continental margin with typical andesitic and granitic lithologies dominating (Rudnick and Fountain 1995). Because quartz is able to flow in a ductile fashion when hotter than around 300 °C (Tullis 1979) it might be anticipated that below around 10-15 km the continental crust could deform in a ductile fashion. The models shown in Fig.…”

Analysis of pyrrhotite properties accompanying recrystallization of metamorphosed nickel sulfide ore from Kambalda, Western Australia

“…McLean 1957) and earth scientists (e.g., Wilson 1975;White 1976;Bouchez 1978) have shown that strain resulting from the application of anisotropic stresses produces grain flattening and foliation in polycrystalline materials. On the other hand, Kamb (1959) and Tullis (1979) have suggested that syntectonic recrystallization may produce similar fabrics. If this is correct, either or both of these mechanisms acting together could have produced the F type pyrrhotites at Kambalda.…”

Thermal equilibration of the Earth following a giant impact

“…The time-scale given in Table 1 was calculated using a kinematic viscosity of 5 x 10" m2 s-', obtained by reducing the present-day mantle viscosity of about 10"m2s- ' (e.g., Cathles 1975;Peltier 1982) at a homologous temperature of 0.7 to its value at a homologous temperature of 1.0 using the Arrhenius form of the temperature dependence of the viscosity as in (13). This is also about the minimum solid state viscosity of rock (Tullis 1980). The value of the activation parameter C,/TL of 32.5 for solid state flow was derived from an activation energy of about 500 kJ mole-', typical of mantle rock (e.g., Kohlstedt, Goetze & Durham 1976;Tullis 1980), and a melting temperature TL of 1800 K. Activation energies for melt flow mostly between 1 and 3 times typical activation energies for solid state flow have been reported by Kushiro (1980Kushiro ( , 1986.…”

“…This is also about the minimum solid state viscosity of rock (Tullis 1980). The value of the activation parameter C,/TL of 32.5 for solid state flow was derived from an activation energy of about 500 kJ mole-', typical of mantle rock (e.g., Kohlstedt, Goetze & Durham 1976;Tullis 1980), and a melting temperature TL of 1800 K. Activation energies for melt flow mostly between 1 and 3 times typical activation energies for solid state flow have been reported by Kushiro (1980Kushiro ( , 1986.…”