Microstructure and geochemistry of plagioclase and microcline in naturally deformed granite

Naturally deformed feldspars from foliated granites in a shear zone in Newfoundland exhibit transitional brittle-ductile behaviour. Brittle failure is subordinate to dynamic recrystallization, microcracking, strain enhanced diffusion and reaction enhanced ductility during the deformation. Both plagioclase (An₂₈) and K-feldspar are transformed to albite with increasing strain. Interaction of metamorphic and structural processes at the grain scale is emphasised. This is illustrated with examples of quartz-filled veins (segregation bands) in plagioclase and recrystallized polycrystalline aggregates in plagioclase and K-feldspar. The role of microcracking in plagioclase and of pre-existing internal growth structures in the formation of initially coarse grained recrystallized aggregates from large single crystals is suggested.     

Microstructure mechanism map of dynamically recrystallized marble

The relative nucleus density (RND) model of dynamically recrystallized grain size [Sakai, T., Jonas, J.J. 1984. Dynamic recrystallization: mechanical and microctructutal consideration. Acta metallurgica, 32, 198–209] was applied to experimentally and to naturally deformed marbles that have undergone dynamic recrystallization. The model shows that a relationship between initial grain size (D₀) and stable dynamically recrystallized grain size (D_S) for a given value of temperature-corrected strain-rate (Z) controls grain size evolution during dynamic recrystallization. New microstructural mechanism maps (MM-maps) for experimentally and naturally deformed marbles (based on previously published data) were defined in log grain size–log Z space and show two distinct regions of grain reduction and grain coarsening. The boundary between these two regions corresponds to an equation relating dynamically recrystallized grain size and temperature corrected strain rate, as proposed in this work. The new MM-map was used to trace semi-quantitatively microstructural and grain size evolution in naturally deformed marbles that underwent dynamic recrystallization at different thermal conditions. The boundary between grain coarsening and grain reduction does not necessarily coincide with the boundary between rotation and migration recrystallization mechanisms. Assessment of available natural data shows that the boundary condition D₀ = 2D_S between grain-coarsening and grain-reduction introduced by Sakai and Jonas [Sakai, T., Jonas, J.J. 1984. Dynamic recrystallization: mechanical and microctructutal consideration. Acta metallurgica, 32, 198–209] is not required for naturally deformed marble.     

Experimental deformation and recrystallization of a peristerite

Partial syntectonic recrystallization has been produced in an experimentally deformed plagioclase (peristerite An_4.5). The recrystallized grains are scattered through the strongly deformed matrix and appear to have developed by a nucleation and growth mechanism.     

Dynamic recrystallization and chemical evolution of clinoamphibole from Senja,Norway

Clinoamphibole from a mylonitic amphibolite exhibits microstructures characteristic of dynamic recrystallization, including porphyroclasts in a finer grained matrix of needle-shaped amphibole. The matrix amphibole defines an LS fabric and porphyroclasts have core and mantle structures with a core containing undulose to patchy extinction and (100) deformation twinning surrounded by a mantle of recrystallized grains. In addition intragranular grains also occur within the cores. TEM analyses of the porphyroclasts reveal that they contain a wide variety of lattice defects including high densities (5 × 10⁸cm^–2) of free dislocations and dislocation arrays, dissociated dislocations, stacking faults, and (100) micro-twins. TEM also shows that matrix grains and intragranular grains have relatively low defect densities, and that the intragranular new grains occur at localities in the porphyroclasts characterized by high densities of dislocations. These observations along with the chemical and orientation relationships between the recrystallized grains and porphyroclasts indicate that the new grains may have formed by heterogeneous nucleation and that further growth probably occurred by both strain assisted and chemically induced grain boundary migration or liquid film migration. This recrystallization event is interpreted to be synkinematic based on the fact that no recrystallization textures are present in the matrix grains and that the matrix grains define an LS fabric. However, the low defect densities in the matrix grains and the lack of intracrystalline strain in other phases indicate that post-kinematic recovery processes were active.     

Dynamic recrystallization of wet synthetic polycrystalline halite: dependence of grain size distribution on flow stress, temperature and strain

It is often observed that dynamic recrystallization results in a recrystallized grain size distribution with a mean grain size that is inversely related to the flow stress. However, it is still open to discussion if theoretical models that underpin recrystallized grain size–stress relations offer a satisfactorily microphysical basis. The temperature dependence of recrystallized grain size, predicted by most of these models, is rarely observed, possibly because it is usually not systematically investigated. In this study, samples of wet halite containing >10 ppm water (by weight) were deformed in axial compression at 50 MPa confining pressure. The evolution of the recrystallized grain size distribution with strain was investigated using experiments achieving natural strains of 0.07, 0.12 and 0.25 at a strain rate of 5×10⁻⁷ s⁻¹ and a temperature of 125 °C. The stress and temperature dependence of recrystallized grain size was systematically investigated using experiments achieving fixed strains of 0.29–0.46 (and one to a strain of 0.68) at constant strain rates of 5×10⁻⁷–1×10⁻⁴ s⁻¹ and temperatures of 75–240 °C, yielding stresses of 7–22 MPa. The microstructures and full grain size distributions of all samples were analyzed. The results showed that deformation occurred by a combination of dislocation creep and solution-precipitation creep. Dynamic recrystallization occurred in all samples and was dominated by fluid assisted grain boundary migration. During deformation, grain boundary migration results in a competition between grain growth due to the removal of grains with high internal strain energy and grain size reduction due to grain dissection (i.e. moving boundaries that crosscut or consume parts of neighbouring grains). At steady state, grain growth and grain size reduction processes balance, yielding constant flow stress and recrystallized grain size that is inversely related to stress and temperature. Evaluation of the recrystallized grain size data against the different models for the development of mean steady state recrystallized grain size revealed that the data are best described by a model based on the hypothesis that recrystallized grain size organizes itself in the boundary between the (grain size sensitive) solution-precipitation and (grain size insensitive) dislocation creep fields. Application of a piezometer, calibrated using the recrystallized grain size data, to natural halite rock revealed that paleostresses can vary significantly with temperature (up to a factor of 2.5 for T=50–200 °C) and that the existing temperature independent recrystallized grain size–stress piezometer may significantly underestimate flow stresses in natural halite rock.     

The effect of deformation on the TitaniQ geothermobarometer: an experimental study

We performed high strain (up to 47 %) axial compression experiments on natural quartz single crystals with added rutile powder (TiO₂) and ~0.2 wt% H₂O to investigate the effects of deformation on the titanium-in-quartz (TitaniQ) geothermobarometer. One of the objectives was to study the relationships between different deformation mechanisms and incorporation of Ti into recrystallized quartz grains. Experiments were performed in a Griggs-type solid-medium deformation apparatus at confining pressures of 1.0–1.5 GPa and temperatures of 800–1,000 °C, at constant strain rates of 1 × 10^?6 or 1 × 10^?7 s^?1. Mobility of Ti in the fluid phase and saturation of rutile at grain boundaries during the deformation experiments are indicated by precipitation of secondary rutile in cracks and along the grain boundaries of newly recrystallized quartz grains. Microstructural analysis by light and scanning electron microscopy (the latter including electron backscatter diffraction mapping of grain misorientations) shows that the strongly deformed quartz single crystals contain a wide variety of deformation microstructures and shows evidence for subgrain rotation (SGR) and grain boundary migration recrystallization (GBMR). In addition, substantial grain growth occurred in annealing experiments after deformation. The GBMR and grain growth are evidence of moving grain boundaries, a microstructure favored by high temperatures. Electron microprobe analysis shows no significant increase in Ti content in recrystallized quartz grains formed by SGR or by GBMR, nor in grains grown by annealing. This result indicates that neither SGR nor moving grain boundaries during GBMR and grain growth are adequate processes to facilitate re-equilibration of the Ti content in experimentally deformed quartz crystals at the investigated conditions. More generally, our results suggest that exchange of Ti in quartz at low H₂O contents (which may be realistic for natural deformation conditions) is still not fully understood. Thus, the application of the TitaniQ geothermobarometer to deformed metamorphic rocks at low fluid contents may not be as straightforward as previously thought and requires further research.     

Compositional changes of minerals associated with dynamic recrystallizatin

The rate of compositional and isotopic exchange between minerals may be enhanced significantly if the rock is deformed simultaneously. The enhanced exchange rate may result from a reduction in grain size (shorter distance for volume diffusion), dissolution and growth of grains by diffusion creep (pressure solution), or the movement of high-angle grain boundaries through strained grains during recrystallization in the dislocation creep regime. The migration of high-angle grain boundaries provides high diffusivity paths for the rapid exchange of components during recrystallization. The operation of the latter process has been demonstrated by deforming aggregates consisting of two plagioclases (An₁ and An₇₉) at 900°C, 1 GPa confining pressure, and a strain rate of ∼2x10^-6s^-1. The polygonal, recrystallized grains were analyzed using an analytical transmission electron microscope and have a variable but often intermediate composition. At the conditions of these experiments, the volume interdiffusion rate of NaSi/CaAl is too slow to produce any observable chemical change, and microstructural-chemical relations indicate that the contribution from diffusion creep was insignificant except for initially fine-grained (2–10 μm) aggregates. These results indicate that strain-induced recrystallization can be an effective mechanism for enhancing the kinetics of metamorphic reactions and for resetting the isotope systematics of minerals such as feldspars, pyroxenes, and amphiboles.     

Metamorphic zircon formation by solid-state recrystallization of protolith igneous zircon

Protolith zircon in high‐grade metagranitoids from Queensland, Australia, partially recrystallized during granulite‐grade metamorphism. We describe the zircon in detail using integrated cathodoluminescence, U–Pb isotope, trace element and electron backscatter diffraction pattern (EBSP) analyses. Primary igneous oscillatory zoning is partially modified or obliterated in areas within single crystals, but is well preserved in other areas. A variety of secondary internal structures are observed, with large areas of transgressive recrystallized zircon usually dominant. Associated with these areas are recrystallization margins, interpreted to be recrystallization fronts, that have conformable boundaries with transgressive recrystallized areas, but contrasting cathodoluminescence and trace element chemistry. Trace element analyses of primary and secondary structures provide compelling evidence for closed‐system solid‐state recrystallization. By this process, trace elements in the protolith zircon are purged during recrystallization and partitioned between the enriched recrystallization front and depleted recrystallized areas. However, recrystallization is not always efficient, often leaving a ‘memory’ of the protolith trace element and isotopic composition. This results in the measurement of ‘mixed’ U–Pb isotope ages. Nonetheless, the age of metamorphism has been determined. A correlation between apparent age and Th/U ratio is indicative of incomplete re‐setting by partial recrystallization. Recrystallization is shown to probably not significantly affect Lu–Hf ages. Recrystallization has been determined by textural and trace element analysis and EBSP data not to have proceeded by sub‐grain rotation or local dissolution/re‐precipitation, but probably by grain‐boundary migration and defect diffusion. The formation of metamorphic zircon by solid‐state recrystallization is probably common to high‐grade terranes worldwide. The recognition of this process of formation is essential for correct interpretation of zircon‐derived U–Pb ages and subsequent tectonic models.     

Fluid inclusion study of the Higher Himalayan quartzitic pelites, Garhwal Himalaya, India: Implications for recrystallization history of metasediments

Quartzitic pelites forms a part of Higher Himalayan Crystalline of higher geotectonic zone in Garhwal Himalaya. Quartzitic pelites (locally known as Pandukeshwar Quartzite) in Garhwal Himalaya is sandwiched between high grade metamorphic rocks of Central Crystallines and Badrinath Formation. Fluid inclusion studies are carried out on the detrital, and recrystallized quartz grains of quartzitic pelites to know about the fluid phases present during recrystallization processes at the time of maximum depth of burial. The quartzitic pelite (Pandukeshwar Quartzite) essentially consists of recrystallised quartz with accessory minerals like mica and feldspar. Fluid microthermometry study reveals the presence of three types of fluids: (i) high-salinity brine, (ii) CO₂-H₂O and (iii) H₂O-NaCl. These fluids were trapped during the development of grain and recrystallization processes. The high saline brine inclusions and CO₂-H₂O fluid with the density of 0.90 to 0.97 gm/cm³ are remnants of provenance area. CO₂ density in detrital quartz grains characterise the protolith of the sandstone as granite or metamorphic rock. The H₂O-NaCl fluids involved in the recrystallization processes at temperature-pressure of 430-350°C; 4.8 to 0.5 Kbars as constrained by fluid isochores of CO₂-H₂O and H₂O-NaCl inclusions and bulging and subgrain development during recrystallization processes. The re-equilibration of the primary fluid due to elevated internal and confining pressure is evident from features like ‘C’ shaped cavities, stretching of the inclusions, their migration and decrepitation clusters. The observed inclusion morphology revealed that the rocks were exhumed along an isothermal decompression path.     

Variscan deformation,microstructural zonation and extensional exhumation of the Moravian Cadomian basement

Abstract

The Cadomian Dyje Batholith, in the foot–wall of the Variscan Moravian nappe pile, has been involved in Variscan ductile deformation. The Cadomian Brunovistulian rocks were obliquely underthrusted during Carboniferous dextral transpression.

Strain intensity is inversely proportional to the distance from the contact of the Variscan thrust front. The microstructures of deformed granodiorites and quartz–diorites show a characteristic zonality marked by relatively high temperature flow in the west (550–580 °C) characterized by dynamic recrystallization of feldspars and grain boundary migration recrystallization of quartz. The size of quartz grains decreases with decreasing strain towards the east. At the easternmost part of the autochthonous Dyje massif, fracturing of feldspar and subgrain rotation recrystallization of quartz predominate. Flow stress estimates calculated from recrystallized quartz grain size show a regional increase of stress intensity from the highly strained margin towards the less deformed core of the Dyje massif. This microstructural zonation is oblique with respect to the major thrust boundary and corresponds roughly to metamorphic isogrades. The microstructural zonation reflects underthrusting of the Brunovistulian domain below the Moldanubian nappe.

The main ductile tectonic event D₁ is followed by a retrogressive brittle–ductile and brittle deformation D₂. D₂ results in the development of shear zones and faults superimposed on the D₁ mylonite fabric. D₂ is related to extension oblique to the D₁ fabric, associated with detachment and the westward movement of the Moravian nappes. © Elsevier, Paris     

Atypical textures in quartz veins from the Simplon Fault Zone

Samples of monomineralic quartz veins from the Simplon Fault Zone in southwest Switzerland and north Italy generally have asymmetric, single girdle c-axis patterns similar to textures measured from many other regions. Several samples have characteristically different textures, however, with a strong single c-axis maximum near the intermediate specimen axis Y (the direction within the foliation perpendicular to the lineation X) and a tendency for the other crystal directions to be weakly constrained in their orientation about this dominant c-axis maximum. This results in ‘streaked’ pole figure patterns, with an axis of rotation parallel to the c-axis maximum. These atypical samples also have a distinctive optical microstructure, with advanced recrystallization and grain growth resulting in a strong shape fabric (S_B) oblique to the dominant regional foliation (S_A), whereas typical samples have a strong S_A fabric outlined by very elongate, only partially recrystallized, ribbon grains. The recrystallized grains of the atypical samples are themselves deformed and show strong undulose extinction and a core-mantle recrystallization structure. The streaked texture is likely to be a direct consequence of lattice bending and kinking during heterogeneous slip on the favoured first-order prism (10 0) (a) system, the heterogeneity itself being due to problems in maintaining coherence across grain boundaries when insufficient independent easy-slip systems are available for homogeneous strain by dislocation glide. Such bending would be particularly prevalent in very elongate, thin ribbon grains, resulting in high internal strain energy and promoting recrystallization. Thus both the texture and the microstructure could be significantly modified by later strain increments affecting quartz grains with an already developed, nearly single-crystal texture.     

Transition from fracturing to viscous flow in granulite facies perthitic feldspar (Lofoten,Norway)

Recrystallization of perthites in granulite facies (T = 700–730 °C, P = 0.65–0.8 GPa) shear zones in mangerite-charnockite rocks from Lofoten (Norway) is localized along intracrystalline bands parallel to fractures. Fracturing preferentially occurred along the cleavage planes (010) and (001). EBSD analysis of perthite porphyroclasts indicates a very low degree of internal misorientation (within 5°) and the lack of recovery features. Recrystallized grains show coarsening with increasing width of the bands, and chemical changes with respect to the host grains. Crystallographic orientation of the new grains does not show a host-control relation to the parent perthite grains. In summary, the microstructure and CPO data consistently indicate intragranular recrystallization by nucleation and growth from fractured grains. Perthite porphyroclasts are surrounded by a matrix of recrystallized plagioclase + K-feldspar ± amphibole ± biotite. There is extensive evidence of syndeformational nucleation of new phases and of phase boundary migration in the matrix, with plagioclase grains forming bulges and protrusions towards K-feldspar. The spatial distribution of K-feldspar and plagioclase in the recrystallized matrix is characterized by the predominance of phase boundaries over grain boundaries. All these observations are consistent with diffusion creep as the dominant deformation mechanism in the matrix, associated with grain boundary sliding. Accordingly, recrystallized plagioclase and K-feldspar show a very weak crystallographic preferred orientation, which is interpreted in terms of oriented growth during diffusion creep. Fracturing of perthites promoted extensive grain size reduction, recrystallization, fluid infiltration, and operation of grain-size sensitive creep, resulting in strain localization.     

Syndeformational recrystallization – dynamic or compositionally induced?

Dynamic recrystallization in the strict sense of the term is the reconstitution of crystalline material without a change in chemical composition, driven by strain energy in the form of dislocations. Driving potentials additional to internal strain energy may contribute to the recrystallization of naturally deformed minerals, which form solid solutions such as feldspar, amphiboles and pyroxenes, if they change their composition during recrystallization. To estimate the relative importance of these driving potentials, the chemical composition of porphyroclasts and recrystallized grains of plagioclase, clinopyroxene and hornblende have been investigated in samples from a high grade shear zone of the Ivrea Zone, Italy. The plagioclases show two different recrystallization microstructures: bulging recrystallization at grain boundaries and discrete zones of recrystallized grains across porphyroclasts probably involving fracturing. Deformation took place under amphibolite facies conditions on a retrograde P,T-path. Porphyroclast and recrystallized compositions from bulging recrystallization microstructures differ only in their Or-content and yield a ΔG between mean host grain and mean recrystallized grain composition at fixed P,T-conditions of approximately 5 Joules/10⁻⁴ m³. Extreme compositional variations yield approximately 60 J/10⁻⁴m³. The increase of free energy due to dislocations calculated for common glide systems in plagioclase are on the order of 100 Joules/10⁻⁴m³ for high values of dislocation densities of 10¹⁴m⁻². Thus, the effect of chemically induced driving energies on grain boundary velocity appears small for mean compositions but may be as great as that of deformational energies for larger chemical differences. In the other type of microstructure, porphyroclasts and recrystallized grains in discrete zones differ in their anorthite content. The maximum ΔG induced by the compositional disequilibrium is on the order of 100 J/10⁻⁴m³. This maximum value is of the same magnitude as the ΔG derived from high dislocation densities of 10¹⁴ m⁻². The resulting combined ΔG is approximately twice as high as for deformational ΔG alone, and heterogeneous nucleation may become a feasible recrystallization mechanism which is evident from the microstructures. The recrystallization mechanism depends on the nature of the driving potential. Grain boundary migration (GBM) and heterogeneous nucleation can release Gibbs free energy induced by compositional disequilibrium, whereas this is not likely for subgrain rotation. Therefore, only GBM and heterogeneous nucleation may link metamorphism and deformation, so that syndeformational recrystallization may represent a transitional process ranging from dynamic recrystallization to metamorphic reaction. Received: 8 July 1996 / Accepted: 17 November 1997     

Metamorphic growth and recrystallization of zircon: Distinction by simultaneous in-situ analyses of trace elements,U–Th–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopes in zircons from eclogite-facies rocks in the Sulu orogen

Simultaneous in-situ analyses of trace elements, U–Th–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopes were carried out on distinct domains of zircons in ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) eclogite-facies metamorphic rocks from the main hole of the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling (CCSD) in the Sulu orogen. For the first time, trace elements are directly linked to Lu–Hf isotopes in metamorphic zircons with reference to their U–Pb dates. This enables methodological integration to distinguish four types of metamorphic zircon: solid-state, replacement and dissolution recrystallizations of protolith zircons, and new growth from the aqueous fluid. Metamorphically grown zircons are characterized by concordant U–Pb ages for the metamorphism, flat HREE patterns typical of the garnet effect, low contents of REE (especially HREE), Y, Nb + Ta and Th + U, high contents of Hf, low (Lu/Gd)_N, Lu/Hf and Th/U (< 0.1) ratios, and elevated ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios relative to solid-state recrystallized zircons. This suggests the effects of both garnet and fluid on the growth of metamorphic zircons. In contrast, metamorphic recrystallization has reset the U–Th–Pb isotope system of protolith zircons to different extents, depending on the extents of fluid action during metamorphism. Solid-state recrystallized zircons exhibit the lowest degrees of resetting and thus almost inherit all geochemical features from the protolith zircons, which are characterized by discordant U–Pb ages close to or below the protolith age, steep MREE–HREE patterns typical of magmatic origin, high contents of trace elements and their ratios, and low ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios. On the other hand, dissolution recrystallized zircons show the highest degrees of reworking and thus have concordant or nearly concordant U–Pb ages for the metamorphism, steep MREE–HREE patterns, lowered contents of trace elements such as REE, Th, U, Y, Nb, Ta and Ti relative to the protolith zircons, and almost unchanged Hf isotope ratios. Replacement recrystallized zircons display intermediate degrees of reworking and thus have their many features of elements and isotopes in between. While the metamorphic growth in the presence of both garnet and fluid is characterized by both depletion of HREE with flat pattern and the low contents of trace elements, the metamorphic recrystallization in the presence of aqueous fluid is indicated by gradual decreases of MREE to HREE without the flat HREE pattern. Therefore, the simultaneous in-situ analyses of metamorphic zircons have the advantage over single-term analyses in making distinction between the new growth and the different types of recrystallization.     

The influence of the low-high quartz transformation on recrystallization and grain growth during contact metamorphism (Traversella intrusion, North Italy)

Recrystallization and grain growth of quartz occur only within 35 m of the contact. This limit of recrystallization and grain growth coincides with an inferred maximum temperature of 620 ± 20°C, which at about 6–7 km is the temperature for the low-high quartz transformation. The remarkable coincidence of the temperature of about 620°C for the beginning of recrystallization and grain growth with the transformation temperature of quartz is explained by the atomic displacement mechanism of the low-high quartz transformation. The already disordered structure of the grain boundary becomes even more distorted by the fluctuations of the SiO₄ tetrahedra during the low-high quartz transformation. This results in an increase of the number of atoms which are transferred from one grain into the grain boundary, and from the grain boundary to the other grain. A lowering of the activation energy for grain boundary migration results such that grain boundary migration becomes the most important process for recrystallization and grain growth.     

Syn-emplacement recrystallization and deformation microstructures in the Poe Mountain anorthosite,Wyoming

 Plagioclase recrystallization microstructures and petrofabrics in the unmetamorphosed, 1.43 Ga Poe Mountain anorthosite, Wyoming, are indicative of very high-temperature deformation and recrystallization during the emplacement of the anorthosite body. The Poe Mountain anorthosite consists of a core of recrystallized, massive anorthosite transitional with a series of layered anorthositic cumulates at the margin of the intrusion. Irregular grain boundaries and dissected grain microstructures in the massive core and transitional anorthosites suggest that the anorthositic rocks recrystallized by “fast” grain boundary migration and possibly subgrain rotation recrystallization, at very high temperatures (≈1050°C) during emplacement of the intrusion in the mid-crust (3 kbar). The deformation and recrystallization of the Poe Mountain anorthosite was continuous from subliquidus to subsolidus temperature conditions during the emplacement of the intrusion. Anorthosites with the lowest modal percentages of ferromagnesian minerals and Fe-Ti oxides are always the most recrystallized. This suggests that melt interstitial to the plagioclase-crystal framework was removed during deformation and recrystallization of the intrusion. Bulging of plagioclase grain boundaries around Fe-Ti oxides together with deformed oikocrystic ferromagnesian minerals and plagioclase chadacrysts indicate that the deformation and recrystallization of the intrusion continued after the crystallization of the interstitial melt minerals. Received: 28 February 1995/Accepted: 20 July 1995     

A scanning electron microscope study of the effects of dynamic recrystallization on lattice preferred orientation in olivine

Effects of dynamic recrystallization on lattice preferred orientation (LPO) in olivine were investigated through the combination of two SEM-based techniques, electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique for crystallographic orientation measurement and backscattered electron imaging (BEI) for dislocation observation. Samples are experimentally deformed olivine aggregates in simple shear geometry. In the sample deformed at T=1473 K and high stresses (480 MPa), only incipient dynamic recrystallization is observed along grain-boundaries. Orientations of these small recrystallized grains are more random than that of relict grains, suggesting an important role of grain-boundary sliding at this stage of recrystallization. In the sample deformed at T=1573 K and low stress (160 MPa), dynamic recrystallization is nearly complete and the LPO is characterized by two [100] peaks. One peak is located at the orientation subparallel to the shear direction and is dominated by grains with high Schmid factor. The other occurs at high angles to the shear direction and is due to the contribution from grains with low Schmid factor. Grains with high Schmid factor tend to have higher dislocation densities than those with low Schmid factor. Based on these observations, we identify two mechanisms by which dynamic recrystallization affects LPO: (1) enhancement of grain-boundary sliding due to grain-size reduction, leading to the modification of LPO caused by the relaxation of constraint for deformation; (2) grain-boundary migration by which grains with lower dislocation densities grow at the expense of grains with higher dislocation densities. Based on the deformation mechanism maps and stress versus recrystallized grain-size relation, we suggest that the first mechanism always plays an important role whereas the second mechanism has an important effect only under limited conditions.     

Intragranular dynamic recrystallization in naturally deformed calcite marble: diffusion accommodated grain boundary sliding as a result of subgrain rotation recrystallization

Intragranular microshear zones within a greenschist facies calcite marble were studied to try to constrain better the processes of dynamic recrystallization as well as the deformation processes that occur within newly recrystallized grains. Intragranular recrystallized grains within large, twinned calcite porphyroclasts can be related to the host from which they have recrystallized and are the focus of an electron backscatter diffraction study. Lattice distortions, low angle boundaries and some high angle boundaries (>15°) in the microshears within a porphyroclast have the same misorientation axes suggesting that deformation occurred by climb-accommodated dislocation creep involving subgrain rotation recrystallization. Changes in the ratio of host and twin domain, as the deformation zone is entered, show that twin boundary migration also occurred. Recrystallized grains have similar sizes (10–60 μm) to subgrains, suggesting that they formed by subgrain rotation. However, within the intragranular microshear zones the misorientations between recrystallized grains and porphyroclasts are considerably larger than 15° and misorientation axes are randomly oriented. Moreover recrystallized grain orientations average around the porphyroclast orientation. We suggest that the recrystallized grains, once formed, are able to deform partly by diffusion accommodated grain boundary sliding, which is consistent with predictions made from lab flow laws.     

Unusual transition in quartzite dislocation creep regimes and crystal slip systems in the aureole of the Eureka Valley–Joshua Flat–Beer Creek pluton, California: a case for anhydrous conditions created by decarbonation reactions

Microstructures and quartz c-axis fabrics were analyzed in five quartzite samples collected across the eastern aureole of the Eureka Valley–Joshua Flat–Beer Creek composite pluton. Temperatures of deformation are estimated to be 740±50 °C based on a modified c-axis opening angle thermometer of Kruhl (J. Metamorph. Geol. 16 (1998) 142). In quartzite layers located closest (140 m) to the pluton-wall rock contact, flattened detrital grains are plastically deformed and partially recrystallized. The dominant recrystallization process is subgrain rotation (dislocation creep regime 2 of Hirth and Tullis (J. Struct. Geol. 14 (1992) 145)), although grain boundary migration (dislocation creep regime 3) is also evident. Complete recrystallization occurs in quartzite layers located at a distance of 240 m from the contact, and coincides with recrystallization taking place dominantly through grain boundary migration (regime 3). Within the quartzites, strain is calculated to be lowest in the layers closest to the pluton margin based on the aspect ratios of flattened detrital grains.The c-axis fabrics indicate that a slip operated within the quartzites closest to the pluton-wall rock contact and that with distance from the contact the operative slip systems gradually switch to prism [c] slip. The spatial inversion in microstructures and slip systems (apparent “high temperature” deformation and recrystallization further from the pluton-contact and apparent “low temperature” deformation and recrystallization closer to the pluton-contact) coincides with a change in minor phase mineral content of quartzite samples and also in composition of the surrounding rock units. Marble and calc-silicate assemblages dominate close to the pluton-wall rock contact, whereas mixed quartzite and pelite assemblages are dominant further from the contact.We suggest that a thick marble unit located between the pluton and the quartzite layers acted as a barrier to fluids emanating from the pluton. Decarbonation reactions in marble layers interbedded with the inner aureole quartzites and calc-silicate assemblages in the inner aureole quartzites may have produced high X_CO2 (water absent) fluids during deformation. The presence of high X_CO2 fluid is inferred from the prograde assemblage of quartz+calcite (and not wollastonite)+diopside±K-feldspar in the inner aureole quartzites. We suggest that it was these “dry” conditions that suppressed prism [c] slip and regime 3 recrystallization in the inner aureole and resulted in a slip and regime 2 recrystallization, which would normally be associated with lower deformation temperatures. In contrast, the prograde assemblage in the pelite-dominated outer part of the aureole is biotite+K-feldspar. These “wet” pelitic assemblages indicate fluids dominated by water in the outer part of the aureole and promoted prism [c] slip and regime 3 recrystallization. Because other variables could also have caused the spatial inversion of c-axis fabrics and recrystallization mechanisms, we briefly review those variables known to cause a transition in slip systems and dislocation creep regimes in quartz. Our conclusions are based on a small number of samples, and therefore, the unusual development of crystal fabrics and microstructures in the aureole to the EJB pluton suggests that further study is needed on the effect of fluid composition on crystal slip system activity and recrystallization mechanisms in naturally deformed rocks.