Bubble growth in visco-elastic magma: implications to magma fragmentation and bubble nucleation

We present a visco-elastic bubble growth model, accounting for viscous and elastic deformations and for volatile mass transfer between bubbles and melt. We define the borders between previous bubble growth models accounting for incompressible viscous melt, and our new model accounting also for elastic deformation; this is done by a set of end-member analytical solutions and numerical simulations. Elastic deformation is most prominent for magma of small vesicularity, where the growth regime depends on the shear modulus. For high shear modulus, bubble growth is slow and follows an exponential law in a viscous growth regime, while for low shear modulus bubbles quickly follow a square-root diffusive solution. Our model provides all the elastic components (stresses, strains and strain rates) required for defining criteria for failure and magma fragmentation. We suggest two failure criteria, a stress related one based on the internal friction and the Mohr-Coulomb failure theory, and a strain related one based on fibre elongation experiments. We argue that both criteria are equivalent if we consider their shear modulus dependency and its effect on magma rheology. Last, we apply our model to the process of bubble nucleation. In the incompressible case, following nucleation, growth is slow and leads to long incubation times during which bubbles may be dissolved back into the melt. The elastic response in magmas with low shear modulus results in a short incubation time, increasing the probability of survival. The above effects emphasize the significance of visco-elasticity for the dynamic processes occurring in magmas during volcanic activity.     

Melt-filled hybrid fractures in the oceanic mantle: Melt enhanced deformation during along-axis flow beneath a propagating spreading ridge axis

Mid-ocean ridges represent important locations for understanding the interactions between deformation and melt production, transport, and emplacement. Melt transport through the mantle beneath mid-ocean ridges is closely associated with deformation. Currently recognized transport and emplacement processes at ridges include: 1) dikes and sills filling stress-controlled fractures, 2) porous flow in a divergent flow field, 3) self-organizing porous dunite channels, and 4) shear zones. Our recent observations from the sub-oceanic mantle beneath a propagating ridge axis in the Oman ophiolite show that gabbronorite and olivine gabbro dikes fill hybrid fractures that show both shear and extensional components of strain. The magnitudes of shear strain recorded by the dikes are significant and comparable to the longitudinal extensions across the dikes. We suggest that the hybrid dikes form from the interactions between shear deformation and pressurized melt in regions of along-axis flow at mid-ocean ridges. The displacement across the dikes is kinematically compatible with high temperature flow recorded by plastic fabrics in host peridotites. Field observations and mechanical considerations indicate that the dikes record conditions of higher stress and lower temperature than those recorded by the plastic flow fabrics. The features of hybrid dikes suggest formation during progressive deformation as conditions changed from penetrative plastic flow to strain localization along melt-filled fractures. The combined dataset indicates that the dikes are formed during along-axis flow away from regions of diapiric upwelling at propagating ridge segments. Hybrid dikes provide a potentially powerful kinematic indicator and strain recorder and define a previously unrecognized mechanism of melt migration. Our calculations show that hybrid dikes require less melt pressure to form than purely tensile dikes and thus may provide a mechanism to tap melt reservoirs that are under-pressurized with respect to lithostatic pressure.     

Experimental Studies of Shear Deformation of Mantle Materials: Towards Structural Geology of the Mantle

—A brief outline is given on experimental studies carried out in the Minnesota Mineral and Rock Physics Laboratory of microstructural evolution and rheology of mantle mineral aggregates or their analogues, using a simple shear deformation geometry. A simple shear deformation geometry allows us to unambiguously identify controlling factors of microstructural evolution and to obtain large strains at high pressures and temperatures, and thus provides a unique opportunity to investigate the "structural geology of the mantle." We have developed a simple shear deformation technique for use at high pressures and temperatures (pressure up to 16 GPa and temperature up to 2000 K) in both gas-medium and solid-medium apparati. This technique has been applied to the following mineral systems (i) olivine aggregates, (ii) olivine basaltic melt, (iii) CaTiO₃ perovskite aggregates. The results have provided important data with which to understand the dynamics of the earth’s mantle, including the geometry of mantle convection, mechanisms of melt distribution and migration beneath mid-ocean ridges, and the mechanisms of shear localization. Limitations of laboratory studies and future directions are also discussed.     

大高宽比隔震结构地震反应的实用分析方法

本文提出了高层隔震结构等大高宽比隔震结构体系地震反应分析的单质点、2质点和3质点剪切型简化计算模型,同时还提出了高宽比影响系数的概念和计算式。这种纯剪切的简化计算模型成功地模拟了剪切加转动多质点计算模型的动力特性,通过高宽比影响系数对剪切型计算模型得到的剪力系数进行非线性放大,使数十质点的隔震结构体系都能够简化成单质点、2质点和3质点体系进行地震反应分析。文末对22层高宽比为5．01的某22层隔震结构进行了算例分析,简化计算理论的计算结果和时程分析法计算结果一致性良好。     

Formation and Suppression of Strike–Slip Fault Systems

Strike–slip faults are a defining feature of plate tectonics, yet many aspects of their development and evolution remain unresolved. For intact materials and/or regions, a standard sequence of shear development is predicted from physical models and field studies, commencing with the formation of Riedel shears and culminating with the development of a throughgoing fault. However, for materials and/or regions that contain crustal heterogeneities (normal and/or thrust faults, joints, etc.) that predate shear deformation, kinematic evolution of strike–slip faulting is poorly constrained. We present a new plane-stress finite-strain physical analog model developed to investigate primary deformation zone evolution in simple shear, pure strike–slip fault systems in which faults or joints are present before shear initiation. Experimental results suggest that preexisting mechanical discontinuities (faults and/or joints) have a marked effect on the geometry of such systems, causing deflection, lateral distribution, and suppression of shears. A lower limit is placed on shear offset necessary to produce a throughgoing fault in systems containing preexisting structures. Fault zone development observed in these experiments provides new insight for kinematic interpretation of structural data from strike–slip fault zones on Earth, Venus, and other terrestrial bodies.     

循环荷载作用下粗粒料与掺砾粘土接触面单剪试验研究

土石坝内部存在较多的接触面,在静、动力荷载作用下,接触面的力学特性对坝体的稳定性具有显著的影响。基于动态单剪仪,开展了粗粒料与掺砾粘土接触面循环单剪试验。试验结果表明,初始剪应力加载方向对相对位移有较大影响：相对位移总是在沿初始剪应力加载方向一侧较大;在一个剪切循环内,正、反向加载时,若剪应力较小,发生剪缩变形,若剪应力较大,则发生剪胀变形;卸载时试样发生剪缩变形;整个剪切循环过程中,试样总体上处于剪缩状态;循环单剪过程中,接触面抗剪强度提高;接触面抗剪强度随着法向应力的增大而增大,呈线性关系。     

Deformation of foamed rhyolites under internal and external stresses: an experimental investigation

The style of magma eruption depends strongly on the character of melt degassing and foaming. Depending on the kinetics of these processes the result can be either explosive or effusive volcanism. In this study the kinetics of foaming due to the internal stresses of gas expansion of two types of obsidian have been investigated in time series experiments (2 min-24 h) followed by quenching the samples. The volumetric gas-melt ratio has been estimated through the density measurements of foamed samples.The variation of gas volume (per unit or rhyolite melt volume) with time may be described by superposition of two exponentials responsible for gas generation and gas release processes respectively. An observed difference in foaming style in this study is interpreted as the result of variations in initial contents of microlites that serve as bubble nucleation centers during devolatilization of the melts. Quantitatively the values of the gas generation rate constants (k _g) are more than an order of magnitude higher in microlite-rich obsidian than in microlite-free obsidian. Possible origins of differences in the degassing style of natural magmas are discussed in the light of bubble nucleation kinetics in melts during foaming. In a complementary set of experiments the mechanical response of vesicular melt to external shear stress has been determined in a concentric cylinder viscometer. The response of vesicular melt to the pulse of shear deformation depends on the volume fraction of bubbles. The obtained response function can be qualitatively described by a Burgers body model. The experimental shear stress response function for bubble-bearing melt has an overshoot due to the strain-dependent rheology of a twophase liquid with viscously deformable inclusions.     

Coupled shear‐bending formulation for seismic analysis of stacked wood shear wall systems

A summary of the development of a new coupled shear‐bending model for analysis of stacked wood shear walls and multi‐story wood‐frame buildings is presented in this paper. The model focuses on dynamic response of light‐frame wood structures under seismic excitation. The formulation is intended to provide a more versatile option than present pure shear models in that the new model is capable of accurately capturing the overall lateral response of each story diaphragm and separates the inter‐story shear deformation and the deformation associated with rotation of the diaphragm due to rod elongation, which is an analogue to the bending deformation in an Euler–Bernoulli beam model. Modeling the coupling of bending and shear deformation is shown to provide more accurate representation of stacked shear wall system behavior than a pure shear model, particularly for the upper stories in the assembly. The formulation is coupled with the newly developed evolutionary parameter hysteretic model for wood shear walls. Existing data from a shake table test of an isolated three‐story wood shear wall were used to verify the accuracy of the model prediction. The numerical results agreed very well with shake table test measurements. The influence of a continuous rod hold‐down system on the dynamic behavior of the three‐story stacked wood shear wall was also successfully simulated. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Polar Mohr diagram method and its application in calculating the shear displacements of general shear zones with volume loss--With the Sangshuyuanzi ductile shear zone as an example

The main problem,in determining the shear displacement of a general shear zone with volume change using the available formula,is that it is hard to know the initial angle between the planes (or lines) in the plane of shear.A planar deformation analysis of this kind of ductile shear zone is carried out with the polar Mohr diagram.If the volume change is induced by homogeneous contraction in the Z direction of the shear zone,there are sufficient conditions for constructing a polar Mohr diagram regardless of sequence of the simple shear and volume change.Therefore,the angle between a line and the shear direction before and after the deformation can be measured.Making use of these lines the shear strain and the volume change can be calculated and the shear displacement can be determined.     

Polar Mohr diagram method and its application in calculating the shear displacements of general shear zones with volume loss

The main problem, in determining the shear displacement of a general shear zone with volume change using the available formula, is that it is hard to know the initial angle between the planes (or lines) in the plane of shear. A planar deformation analysis of this kind of ductile shear zone is carried out with the polar Mohr diagram. If the volume change is induced by homogeneous contraction in the Z direction of the shear zone, there are sufficient conditions for constructing a polar Mohr diagram regardless of sequence of the simple shear and volume change. Therefore, the angle between a line and the shear direction before and after the deformation can be measured. Making use of these lines the shear strain and the volume change can be calculated and the shear displacement can be determined.     

复杂应力条件下饱和松砂单调与循环剪切特性的比较研究

本文利用大连理工大学新引进与开发的“土工静力-动力液压-三轴扭转多功能剪切仪”,针对福建标准砂,在不排水条件下同时进行了单调剪切试验与循环剪切试验,进而对其进行了对比分析。通过比较表明,应力-应变关系的应变软化和硬化特性与流滑变形和循环流动特性密切相关,当循环剪切应力水平高于单调剪切过程中应变软化阶段最小强度时将会发生流滑变形。无论在单调剪切中,还是在循环剪切中,稳定状态时的有效偏应力比随着大主应力方向与竖向之间夹角的增大而减小,在中主应力系数相同的条件下,循环剪切中呈现显著剪胀时的有效偏应力比和最终稳定状态时的有效偏应力比峰值分别与单调剪切中达到相变状态时的有效偏应力比和最终稳定有效偏应力比基本上一致。然而不排水条件下单调与循环剪切过程中孔隙水压力的增长特性却并不相同,循环剪切中的最大孔隙水压力随着初始主应力方向角的增大而减小,单调剪切中的最大孔隙水压力却随着主应力方向角的增大而增大。     

Erosion characteristics and horizontal variability for small erosion depths in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta,California, USA

Erodibility of cohesive sediment in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (Delta) was investigated with an erosion microcosm. Erosion depths in the Delta and in the microcosm were estimated to be about one floc diameter over a range of shear stresses and times comparable to half of a typical tidal cycle. Using the conventional assumption of horizontally homogeneous bed sediment, data from 27 of 34 microcosm experiments indicate that the erosion rate coefficient increased as eroded mass increased, contrary to theory. We believe that small erosion depths, erosion rate coefficient deviation from theory, and visual observation of horizontally varying biota and texture at the sediment surface indicate that erosion cannot solely be a function of depth but must also vary horizontally. We test this hypothesis by developing a simple numerical model that includes horizontal heterogeneity, use it to develop an artificial time series of suspended-sediment concentration (SSC) in an erosion microcosm, then analyze that time series assuming horizontal homogeneity. A shear vane was used to estimate that the horizontal standard deviation of critical shear stress was about 30% of the mean value at a site in the Delta. The numerical model of the erosion microcosm included a normal distribution of initial critical shear stress, a linear increase in critical shear stress with eroded mass, an exponential decrease of erosion rate coefficient with eroded mass, and a stepped increase in applied shear stress. The maximum SSC for each step increased gradually, thus confounding identification of a single well-defined critical shear stress as encountered with the empirical data. Analysis of the artificial SSC time series with the assumption of a homogeneous bed reproduced the original profile of critical shear stress, but the erosion rate coefficient increased with eroded mass, similar to the empirical data. Thus, the numerical experiment confirms the small-depth erosion hypothesis. A linear model of critical shear stress and eroded mass is proposed to simulate small-depth erosion, assuming that the applied and critical shear stresses quickly reach equilibrium.     

重载货车作用下基床表层应力状态及破坏影响因素分析

重载货车作用下线路破坏问题与基床表层应力状态密切相关。通过建立货车-线路动力分析模型,分析货车通过时基床表层应力状态变化规律,研究道床厚度、轴重、速度、基床表层模量等因素对基床表层破坏的影响规律。结果表明:基床表层在车辆作用下遵循从纯剪到三轴剪切再回到纯剪状态的变化规律,主应力轴连续旋转180°;道床厚度低于0.5m、速度超过70km/h、基床表层模量低于160 MPa、轴重超过27t都有可能造成基床表层塑性变形;当应力路径超过破坏线情况下,路基弹性假设将不再适用。     

CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC PREFERRED ORIENTATION(CPO) OF ANISOTROPIC MINERALS IN THE LITHOSPHERE AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO THE STUDY OFLITHOSPHERE DYNAMICS

Seismic anisotropy has been widely used to constrain deformation and mantle flow within the upper mantle of the Earth's interior, and is mainly affected by crystallographic preferred orientation(CPO)of anisotropic mineral in lithosphere. Anisotropy of peridotites caused by deformation is the main source of seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle. Olivine is the most abundant and easily deformed mineral to form CPO in peridotite, thus the CPO of olivine controls seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle. Based on simple shear experiments and studies of natural peridotites deformation, several CPO types of olivine have been identified, including A, B, C, D, E and AG-type. Studies on the deformation of olivine have shown that the CPO of olivine is mainly related to stress, water content, temperature, pressure, partial melting and melt/fluid percolation. Most of the seismic anisotropy has been explained by the A-type olivine CPO in the upper mantle, which is commonly found in upper-mantle peridotites and produced by the simple shear in dry conditions. Previous studies showed that anisotropy was attributed to the CPO of mica and amphibole in the middle-lower crust. The comparison between mantle anisotropy calculated from mineral CPO and regional anisotropy deduced from geophysical methods is therefore particularly useful for interpreting the deformation mechanisms and geodynamic processes which affect the upper mantle in different tectonic units such as subduction system, continental rift and continental collision zone in the world. The paper summarizes the characteristics of CPO and anisotropy of major anisotropic minerals in the upper mantle. Taking the lithosphere mantle xenoliths in the southeastern Tibetan plateau as an example, we perform detailed studies on the microstructures and seismic anisotropy to better understand the deformation mechanisms and upper mantle anisotropy in this region. Results show that the CPO of olivine in peridotite xenoliths in southeastern Tibetan plateau are A-type and AG-type. The mechanisms proposed for the formation of AG-type are different from that for the A-type. Therefore, the occurrence of AG-type olivine CPO pattern suggests that this CPO may record a change in deformation mechanism and tectonic environment of the lithosphere in southeastern Tibetan plateau. Provided that the strong SKS(shear wave splitting)observed in southeastern Tibetan plateau results from lithosphere mantle, the lithosphere mantle in this region is expected to be at least 130km thick and characterized by vertical foliation. Considering that the thickness of lithosphere in southeastern Tibetan plateau is much less than 130km and the lithosphere mantle cannot explain the anisotropy measured by SKS, other anisotropy sources should be considered, such as anisotropy in the asthenosphere and the oriented melt pockets(MPO)in the upper mantle. Therefore, detailed study of CPO of anisotropic mineral is essential for constraining geophysical measurements and analyzing the dynamic process of the lithosphere reasonably.     

小应变硬化土模型参数的确定与敏感性分析

地下工程施工引起的土体扰动区可分为剧烈扰动区、扰动区、微扰动区和未扰动区。为全面反映土体在扰动下的应力路径和力学响应,必须考虑全应变范围的土体特性,尤其是小应变范围内的力学响应,因此对小应变硬化土本构模型关键参数(初始剪切模量和剪应变阀值)的确定方法进行介绍。开展上海典型软土的三轴固结排水剪切试验和固结试验研究,给出确定上海软土小应变硬化土模型(HSSmall)参数的方法,建议采用原位测试的方法确定土体的初始弹性模量。基于土单元数值模拟进行初始弹性模量和剪应变阀值的参数敏感性分析。随着初始弹性模量的增大,初始压缩曲线与卸载-再压缩曲线的斜率均增大。由于对应的回弹模量不变,初始弹性模量与回弹模量的差值增大,应变与偏应力试验曲线的回滞环宽度也随之增大。随着剪应变阀值的增大,初始压缩曲线和再压缩曲线的近似直线段增长,在同样剪应力情况下,土体的应变值减小,土体保持初始弹性模量刚度的区间增大。     

Bubble growth in highly viscous melts: theory, experiments, and autoexplosivity of dome lavas

We examine the physics of growth of water bubbles in highly viscous melts. During the initial stages, diffusive mass transfer of water into the bubble keeps the internal pressure in the bubbles close to the initial pressure at nucleation. Growth is controlled by melt viscosity and supersaturation pressure and radial growth under constant pressure is approximately exponential. At later stages, internal pressure falls, radial growth decelerates and follows the square-root of time. At this stage it is controlled by diffusion. The time of transition between the two stages is controlled by the decompression, melt viscosity and the Peclet number of the system. The model closely fit experimental data of bubble growth in viscous melts with low water content. Close fit is also obtained for new experiments at high supersaturation, high Peclet numbers, and high, variable viscosity. Near surface, degassed, silicic melts are viscous enough, so that viscosity-controlled growth may last for very long times. Using the model, we demonstrate that bubbles which nucleate shortly before fragmentation cannot grow fast enough to be important during fragmentation. We suggest that tiny bubbles observed in melt pockets between large bubbles in pumice represent a second nucleation event shortly before or after fragmentation. The presence of such bubbles is an indicator of the conditions at fragmentation. The water content of lavas extruded at lava domes is a key factor in their evolution. Melts of low water content (<0.2 wt%) are too viscid and bubbles nucleated in them will not grow to an appreciable size. Bubbles may grow in melts with 0.4 wt% water. The internal pressure in such bubbles may be preserved for days and the energy stored in the bubbles may be important during the disintegration of dome rocks and the formation of pyroclastic flows.     

A semi-empirical velocity-porosity-clay model for petrophysical interpretation of P- and S-velocities

We design a velocity–porosity model for sand-shale environments with the emphasis on its application to petrophysical interpretation of compressional and shear velocities. In order to achieve this objective, we extend the velocity–porosity model proposed by Krief et al., to account for the effect of clay content in sandstones, using the published laboratory experiments on rocks and well log data in a wide range of porosities and clay contents. The model of Krief et al. works well for clean compacted rocks. It assumes that compressional and shear velocities in a porous fluid-saturated rock obey Gassmann formulae with the Biot compliance coefficient. In order to use this model for clay-rich rocks, we assume that the bulk and shear moduli of the grain material, and the dependence of the compliance on porosity, are functions of the clay content. Statistical analysis of published laboratory data shows that the moduli of the matrix grain material are best defined by low Hashin–Shtrikman bounds. The parameters of the model include the bulk and shear moduli of the sand and clay mineral components as well as coefficients which define the dependence of the bulk and shear compliance on porosity and clay content. The constants of the model are determined by a multivariate non-linear regression fit for P- and S-velocities as functions of porosity and clay content using the data acquired in the area of interest. In order to demonstrate the potential application of the proposed model to petrophysical interpretation, we design an inversion procedure, which allows us to estimate porosity, saturation and/or clay content from compressional and shear velocities. Testing of the model on laboratory data and a set of well logs from Carnarvon Basin, Australia, shows good agreement between predictions and measurements. This simple velocity-porosity-clay semi-empirical model could be used for more reliable petrophysical interpretation of compressional and shear velocities obtained from well logs or surface seismic data.     

Relationships between deformation and mixing processes in lava flows: a case study from Salina (Aeolian Islands,Tyrrhenian Sea)

 The massive unit of a lava flow from Porri volcano (Salina, Aeolian Islands) displays many unusual structures related to the physical interaction between two different magmas. The magma A represents approximately 80% of the exposed lava surface; it has a crystal content of 51 vol.% and a dacitic glass composition (SiO₂=63–64 wt.%). The magma B has a basaltic-andesite glass composition (SiO₂=54–55 wt.%) and a crystal content of approximately 18 vol.%. It occurs as pillow-like enclaves, banding, boudin-like and rolling structures which are hosted in magma A. Structural analysis suggests that banding and boudin-like structures are the result of the deformation of enclaves at different shear strain. The linear correlation between strain and stratigraphic height of the measured elements indicates a single mode of deformation. We deduce that the component B deformed according to a simple shear model. Glass analyses of the A–B boundary indicate that A and B liquids mix together at high shear strain, whereas only mingling occurs at low shear strain. This suggests that the amount of deformation (i.e. forced convection) plays an important role in the formation of hybrid magmas. High shear strain may induce stretching, shearing and rolling of fluids which promote both forced convection and dynamical diffusion processes. These processes allow mixing of magmas with large differences in their physical properties. Received: 15 July 1995 / Accepted: 30 May 1996     

Seismic Rheological Model and Reflection Coefficients of the Brittle–Ductile Transition

It is well established that the upper—cooler—part of the crust is brittle, while deeper zones present ductile behaviour. In some cases, this brittle–ductile transition is a single seismic reflector with an associated reflection coefficient. We first develop a stress–strain relation including the effects of crust anisotropy, seismic attenuation and ductility in which deformation takes place by shear plastic flow. Viscoelastic anisotropy is based on the eigenstrain model and the Zener and Burgers mechanical models are used to model the effects of seismic attenuation, velocity dispersion, and steady-state creep flow, respectively. The stiffness components of the brittle and ductile media depend on stress and temperature through the shear viscosity, which is obtained by the Arrhenius equation and the octahedral stress criterion. The P- and S-wave velocities decrease as depth and temperature increase due to the geothermal gradient, an effect which is more pronounced for shear waves. We then obtain the reflection and transmission coefficients of a single brittle–ductile interface and of a ductile thin layer. The PP scattering coefficient has a Brewster angle (a sign change) in both cases, and there is substantial PS conversion at intermediate angles. The PP coefficient is sensitive to the layer thickness, unlike the SS coefficient. Thick layers have a well-defined Brewster angle and show higher reflection amplitudes. Finally, we compute synthetic seismograms in a homogeneous medium as a function of temperature.     

Kinematic significance of mingling-rolling structures in lava flows: a case study from Porri Volcano (Salina, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

 A basaltic andesite lava flow from Porri Volcano (Salina, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is composed of two different magmas. Magma A (51 vol.% of crystals) has a dacitic glass composition, and magma B (18 vol.% of crystals), a basaltic glass composition. Magma B is hosted in A and consists of sub-spherical enclaves and boudin-like, banding and rolling structures (RS). Four types of RS have been recognized: σ–type;δ–type; complex σ-δ–types and transitional structures between sub-spherical enclaves and rolling structures. An analysis of the RS has been performed in order to reconstruct the flow kinematics and the mechanism of flow emplacement. Rolling structures have been selected in three sites located at different distances from the vent. In all sites most RS show the same sense of shear. Kinematic analysis of RS allows the degree of flow non-coaxiality to be determined. The non-coaxiality is expressed by the kinematic vorticity number Wk, a measure of the ratio Sr between pure shear strain rate and simple shear strain rate. The values of Wk calculated from the measured shapes of microscopic RS increase with increasing distance from the vent, from approximately 0.5 to 0.9. Results of the structural analysis reveal that the RS formed during the early–intermediate stage of flow emplacement. They represent originally sub-spherical enclaves deformed at low shear strain. At higher strain, RS deformed to give boudin-like and stretched banding structures. Results of the kinematic analysis suggest that high viscosity lava flows are heterogeneous non-ideal shear flows in which the degree of non-coaxiality increases with the distance from the vent. In the vent area, deformation is intermediate between simple shear and pure shear. Farther from the vent, deformation approaches ideal simple shear. Lateral extension processes occur only in the near-vent zone, where they develop in response to the lateral push of magma extruded from the vent. Lateral shortening processes develop in the distal zone and record the gravity-driven movement of the lava. The lava flow advanced by two main mechanisms, lateral translation and rolling motion. Lateral translation equals rolling near the vent, while rolling motion prevailed in the distal zones. Received: 6 November 1997 / Accepted: 29 November 1997