Microstructural evidence of impact-induced crystalplastic deformation and postshock annealing of quartz

During impact, rocks at the surface and accessible depths encounter extreme conditions. The hydrostatic component of the shock wave-associatedstress, the so-called shock pressure, canreach several tens of GPa in the central part of the structure. The shock crust and its comprehensive experimental calibration. Two distinct types of quartz microstructure in charnockitic target rocks and quartz veins of the Charlevoix impact structure are compared and contrasted in order to distinguish shock-induced microstructures that indicate a high hydrostatic stress component of the shock wave-associated stress from those that indicate a high deviatoric component, as well as associated microstructures that were generated during post-shock relaxation...conferenc

Rheology Dependent on the Distance to the Propagating Thrust Tip—(Ultra‐)Mylonites and Pseudotachylytes of the Silvretta Basal Thrust

To evaluate how the presence of pseudotachylytes affects the strength of crustal rocks, deformed pseudotachylytes and their relationship with pristine pseudotachylytes at the base of the Silvretta nappe are analyzed. Pseudotachylytes formed associated with high-stress crystal plasticity (σd > 400 MPa), as indicated by twinned amphiboles in gneisses. Mylonitic quartz clasts enclosed within deformed pseudotachylytes and mylonitic vein-quartz, hosting folded pseudotachylyte injection veins, reflect creep at lower stresses (ca. 100 MPa) after seismic rupturing. Deformed pseudotachylytes can be crosscut by pristine pseudotachylytes, indicating a second, independent stage of coseismic rupturing after creep. The evidence of dynamic dislocation creep of quartz and the presence of stilpnomelane and epidote associated with all fault rocks indicate similar ambient greenschist facies conditions during all deformation stages. Whereas the intermediate stage of creep is interpreted to represent deformation at large distance to the propagating thrust tip, the pristine pseudotachylytes represent the last stage of rupturing eventually leading to nappe decoupling from its basement. Gneiss clasts in an ultramylonitic matrix (i.e., deformed pseudotachylyte) reveal that pseudotachylytes have a lower strength during creep in relation to the hosting gneisses. In contrast, during coseismic high-stress crystal plasticity, the coarse gneisses accumulate a higher amount of strain. This strength-relationship explains that only those rocks rupture, which have not been previously deformed before. The study demonstrates the importance of different strengths of crustal rocks at specific stress- and strain-rate conditions in dependence on the distance to the propagating fault tip

New constraints from U–Pb dating of detrital zircons on the palaeogeographic origin of metasediments in the Talea Ori, central Crete

High-pressure low-temperature metamorphic sediments of the Phyllite–Quartzite unit sensu stricto and the Talea Ori group are investigated in the field, microstructurally and by U–Pb dating of detrital zircons to shed light on their palaeogeographic origin. Zircon age spectra with ages >450 Ma of the Phyllite–Quartzite unit sensu stricto indicate a palaeogeographic origin at the northern margin of East Gondwana. In contrast, the lower stratigraphic, siliciclastic formations of the Talea Ori group show a high number of well-rounded Cambrian to Early Carboniferous aged zircons and a Neoproterozoic zircon age spectrum with East Gondwana affinity. Based on the comparison of zircon age data, a possible distal sediment source is the Sakarya Zone at the southern active margin of Eurasia. To reconcile the zircon data with the geological observations we propose different alternative models, or a combination of these, including sediment transport from the Sakarya Zone and/or a westerly source towards the northern margin of Gondwana as well as terrane-displacement of the Sakarya Zone. Also, a palaeogeographic origin of the Talea Ori group at the southern active margin of Eurasia cannot be excluded. This alternative, however, would not be consistent with the usually assumed association of the Talea Ori group with the Plattenkalk unit characterized by a palaeogeographic origin at the northern margin of Gondwana

Quartz microstructures in nature and experiment — evidence of rapid plastic deformation and subsequent annealing

Quartz microstructures produced in short-term deformation and annealing experiments are compared with those in naturally deformed vein quartz in cores from the Long Valley Exploratory Well (Long Valley Caldera, California). The experiments are designed to simulate i) co-seismic deformation of quartz in the uppermost plastosphere and ii) annealing during post-seismic stress relaxation. The experiments are performed in a modified Griggs type solid medium apparatus. Natural polycrystalline quartz samples (grain size on the order of millimetres) are deformed at a temperature of 400°C, a confining pressure of 2GPa, and strain rates of ca. 10−4 s−1. The differential stress reaches 2–4GPa and the irreversible axial shortening is typically a few percent. In some experiments the samples have subsequently been annealed for ca. 14–15 h at elevated temperatures of 800–1000°C and low stresses (quasi-hydrostatic or nonhydrostatic conditions)...conferenc

Twinned calcite as an indicator of high differential stresses and low shock pressure conditions during impact cratering

Shock-related calcite twins are characterized in calcite-bearing metagranite cataclasites within crystalline megablocks of the Ries impact structure, Germany, as well as in cores from the FBN1973 research drilling. The calcite likely originates from pre-impact veins within the Variscan metagranites and gneisses, while the cataclasis is due to the Miocene impact. Quartz in the metagranite components does not contain planar deformation features, indicating low shock pressures (1/μm) of twins with widths <100 nm. Different types of twins (e-, f-, and r-twins) crosscutting each other can occur in one grain. Interaction of r- and f-twins results in a-type domains characterized by a misorientation relative to the host with a misorientation angle of 35°–40° and a misorientation axis parallel to an a-axis. Such a-type domains have not been recorded from deformed rocks in nature before. The high twin density and activation of different twin systems in one grain require high differential stresses (on the order of 1 GPa). Twinning of calcite at high differential stresses is consistent with deformation during impact cratering at relatively low shock pressure conditions. The twinned calcite microstructure can serve as a valuable low shock barometer

an example from the Sesia Zone, Western Alps

Anhand des Modellfalls der Sesia Zone in den West-Alpen werden mikrostrukturelle Kriterien für syn- und postseismische Deformation in der oberen Plastosphäre in Folge eines großen Erdbebens in der überlagernden Schizosphäre ausgearbeitet. Die Orientierungsverteilung von mechanisch verzwillingten Jadeiten liefert Hinweise auf Spitzten-Spannungen >0,5 GPa. Die Vielfalt unterschiedlicher Quarz-Mikrostrukturen spiegelt progressive Deformation bei relaxierenden Spannungen in einem Temperaturbereich von 300-350 ʿC wider. Ein dazu konsistentes Bild liefert die kataklastische Deformation von Granat. Verheilte Mikrorisse in Quarz, verfüllte Risse in Granat sowie mesoskopische, diskordante Quarz-Gänge mit rekristallisierter Füllung geben Hinweise auf einen fluktuierenden Porenfluiddruck. Dieses Beispiel aus der Sesia Zone veranschaulicht die Bedeutung nicht-stationärer Deformation in der oberen Plastosphäre, entgegen konventionellen Vorstellungen von dominierend stationärem Fließen.thesi

Deformation at low and high stress-loading rates

In an extensional shear zone in the Talea Ori, Crete, quartz veins occur in high-pressure low-temperature metamorphic sediments at sites of dilation along shear band boundaries, kink band boundaries and boudin necks. Bent elongate grains grown epitactically from the host rock with abundant fluid inclusion trails parallel to the vein wall indicate vein formation by crack-seal increments during dissolution-precipitation creep of the host rock. The presence of sutured high-angle grain boundaries and subgrains shows that temperatures were sufficiently high for recovery and strain-induced grain boundary migration, i.e. higher than 300–350 °C, close to peak metamorphic conditions. The generally low amount of strain accumulated by dislocation creep in quartz of the host rock and most veins indicates low bulk stress conditions of a few tens of MPa on a long term. The time scale of stress-loading to cause cyclic cracking and sealing is assumed to be lower than the Maxwell relaxation time of the metasediments undergoing dissolution-precipitation creep at high strain rates (10−10 s−1 to 10−9 s−1), which is on the order of hundred years. In contrast, some veins discordant or concordant to the foliation show heterogeneous quartz microstructures with micro-shear zones, sub-basal deformation lamellae, short-wavelength undulatory extinction and recrystallized grains restricted to high strain zones. These microstructures indicate dislocation glide-controlled crystal-plastic deformation (low-temperature plasticity) at transient high stresses of a few hundred MPa with subsequent recovery and strain-induced grain boundary migration at relaxing stresses and temperatures of at least 300–350 °C. High differential stresses in rocks at greenschist-facies conditions that relieve stress by creep on the long term, requires fast stress-loading rates, presumably by seismic activity in the overlying upper crust. The time scale for stress loading is controlled by the duration of the slip event along a fault, i.e. a few seconds to minutes. This study demonstrates that microstructures can distinguish between deformation at internal low stress-loading rates (to tens of MPa on a time scale of hundred years) and high (coseismic) stress-loading rates to a few hundred MPa on a time scale of minutes. Keywords: High-stress crystal plasticity, Crack-seal, Seismic cycle, Stress-loading rates, Talea Ori, Cret

Microstructural criteria for synseismic loading and postseismic creep in the uppermost plastosphere

Anhand des Modellfalls der Sesia Zone in den West-Alpen werden mikrostrukturelle Kriterien für syn- und postseismische Deformation in der oberen Plastosphäre in Folge eines großen Erdbebens in der überlagernden Schizosphäre ausgearbeitet. Die Orientierungsverteilung von mechanisch verzwillingten Jadeiten liefert Hinweise auf Spitzten-Spannungen >0,5 GPa. Die Vielfalt unterschiedlicher Quarz-Mikrostrukturen spiegelt progressive Deformation bei relaxierenden Spannungen in einem Temperaturbereich von 300-350°C wider. Ein dazu konsistentes Bild liefert die kataklastische Deformation von Granat. Verheilte Mikrorisse in Quarz, verfüllte Risse in Granat sowie mesoskopische, diskordante Quarz-Gänge mit rekristallisierter Füllung geben Hinweise auf einen fluktuierenden Porenfluiddruck. Dieses Beispiel aus der Sesia Zone veranschaulicht die Bedeutung nicht-stationärer Deformation in der oberen Plastosphäre, entgegen konventionellen Vorstellungen von dominierend stationärem Fließen

Rheology Dependent on the Distance to the Propagating Thrust Tip—(Ultra‐)Mylonites and Pseudotachylytes of the Silvretta Basal Thrust

AbstractTo evaluate how the presence of pseudotachylytes affects the strength of crustal rocks, deformed pseudotachylytes and their relationship with pristine pseudotachylytes at the base of the Silvretta nappe are analyzed. Pseudotachylytes formed associated with high‐stress crystal plasticity (σd &gt; 400 MPa), as indicated by twinned amphiboles in gneisses. Mylonitic quartz clasts enclosed within deformed pseudotachylytes and mylonitic vein‐quartz, hosting folded pseudotachylyte injection veins, reflect creep at lower stresses (ca. 100 MPa) after seismic rupturing. Deformed pseudotachylytes can be crosscut by pristine pseudotachylytes, indicating a second, independent stage of coseismic rupturing after creep. The evidence of dynamic dislocation creep of quartz and the presence of stilpnomelane and epidote associated with all fault rocks indicate similar ambient greenschist facies conditions during all deformation stages. Whereas the intermediate stage of creep is interpreted to represent deformation at large distance to the propagating thrust tip, the pristine pseudotachylytes represent the last stage of rupturing eventually leading to nappe decoupling from its basement. Gneiss clasts in an ultramylonitic matrix (i.e., deformed pseudotachylyte) reveal that pseudotachylytes have a lower strength during creep in relation to the hosting gneisses. In contrast, during coseismic high‐stress crystal plasticity, the coarse gneisses accumulate a higher amount of strain. This strength‐relationship explains that only those rocks rupture, which have not been previously deformed before. The study demonstrates the importance of different strengths of crustal rocks at specific stress‐ and strain‐rate conditions in dependence on the distance to the propagating fault tip.Key Points: Ultramylonites (deformed pseudotachylytes) and mylonites represent creep at large distance to the propagating thrust tip Pristine pseudotachylytes represent final deformation at the tip of the propagating thrust fault associated with nappe decoupling Pseudotachylytes are weak during aseismic creep and strong during coseismic high‐stress plasticity Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659https://doi.org/10.17632/xhh2ktks9g.4https://nano.oxinst.com/products/aztec/https://www.horiba.com/aut/scientific/products/detail/action/show/Product/labspec-6-spectroscopy-suite-software-1843