•Natural glaucophane, lawsonite, and epidote have strong seismic anisotropies.•Blueschists show a strong seismic anisotropy up to 20% for AVP and 11% for AVS.•Minerals in blueschists can contribute ...to seismic anisotropy in subduction zone.
Investigations of microstructures are crucial if we are to understand the seismic anisotropy of subducting oceanic crust, and here we report on our systematic fabric analyses of glaucophane, lawsonite, and epidote in naturally deformed blueschists from the Diablo Range and Franciscan Complex in California, and the Hida Mountains in Japan. Glaucophanes in the analyzed samples consist of very fine grains that are well aligned along the foliation and have high aspect ratios and strong crystal preferred orientations (CPOs) characterized by a (100)001 pattern. These characteristics, together with a bimodal distribution of grain sizes from some samples, possibly indicate the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization for glaucophane. Although lawsonite and epidote display high aspect ratios and a strong CPO of (001)010, the occurrence of straight grain boundaries and euhedral crystals indicates that rigid body rotation was the dominant deformation mechanism. The P-wave (AVP) and S-wave (AVS) seismic anisotropies of glaucophane (AVP=20.4%, AVS=11.5%) and epidote (AVP=9.0%, AVS=8.0%) are typical of the crust; consequently, the fastest propagation of P-waves is parallel to the 001 maxima, and the polarization of S-waves parallel to the foliation can form a trench-parallel seismic anisotropy owing to the slowest VS polarization being normal to the subducting slab. The seismic anisotropy of lawsonite (AVP=9.6%, AVS=19.9%) is characterized by the fast propagation of P-waves subnormal to the lawsonite 001 maxima and polarization of S-waves perpendicular to the foliation and lineation, which can generate a trench-normal anisotropy. The AVS of lawsonite blueschist (5.6–9.2%) is weak compared with that of epidote blueschist (8.4–11.1%). Calculations of the thickness of the anisotropic layer indicate that glaucophane and lawsonite contribute to the trench-parallel and trench-normal seismic anisotropy beneath NE Japan, but not to that beneath the Ryukyu arc. Our results demonstrate, therefore, that lawsonite has a strong influence on seismic velocities in the oceanic crust, and that lawsonite might be the cause of complex anisotropic patterns in subduction zones.
Dynamically recrystallizing quartz is believed to approach a steady-state microstructure, which reflects flow stress in dislocation creep. In a classic experimental study performed by Masuda and ...Fujimura in 1981 using a solid-medium deformation apparatus, two types of steady-state microstructures of quartz, denoted as S and P, were found under varying temperature and strain rate conditions. However, the differential stresses did not systematically change with the deformation conditions, and unexpectedly high flow stresses (over 700 MPa) were recorded on some experimental runs compared with the applied confining pressure (400 MPa). Internal friction in the sample assembly is a possible cause of reported high differential stresses. Using a pyrophyllite assembly similar to that used in the previous work and setting up paired load cells above and below the sample assembly, we quantified the frictional stress acting on the sample and corrected the axial stress. The internal friction changed in a complicated manner during pressurization, heating, and axial deformation at a constant strain rate. Our results suggest that Masuda and Fujimura overestimated the differential stress by about 200 MPa in their 800 °C runs. Crystallographic fabrics in the previous experimental sample indicated that the development of elongated quartz grains, which are characteristics of Type-S microstructures, was associated with preferential growth of unfavorably oriented grains during dynamic recrystallization.
Elastic wave velocity and electrical conductivity in a brine-saturated granitic rock were measured under confining pressures of up to 150 MPa and microstructure of pores was examined with SEM on ...ion-milled surfaces to understand the pores that govern electrical conduction at high pressures. The closure of cracks under pressure causes the increase in velocity and decrease in conductivity. Conductivity decreases steeply below 10 MPa and then gradually at higher pressures. Though cracks are mostly closed at the confining pressure of 150 MPa, brine must be still interconnected to show observed conductivity. SEM observation shows that some cracks have remarkable variation in aperture. The aperture varies from ~ 100 nm to ~ 3 μm along a crack. FIB–SEM observation suggests that wide aperture parts are interconnected in a crack. Both wide and narrow aperture parts work parallel as conduction paths at low pressures. At high pressures, narrow aperture parts are closed but wide aperture parts are still open to maintain conduction paths. The closure of narrow aperture parts leads to a steep decrease in conductivity, since narrow aperture parts dominate cracks. There should be cracks in various sizes in the crust: from grain boundaries to large faults. A crack must have a variation in aperture, and wide aperture parts must govern the conduction paths at depths. A simple tube model was employed to estimate the fluid volume fraction. The fluid volume fraction of 10
−4
–10
−3
is estimated for the conductivity of 10
−2
S/m. Conduction paths composed of wide aperture parts are consistent with observed moderate fluctuations (< 10%) in seismic velocity in the crust.
Seismic velocity is one of the most important sources of information about the Earth's interior. For its proper interpretation, we must have a thorough understanding of the dependence of seismic ...velocity on microstructural elements, including the modal composition, the crystal preferred orientation (CPO), the grain shape, the spatial distribution of mineral phases, etc. The conventional Voigt, Reuss and Hill averaging schemes take into account only the modal composition and the CPO. The information about the Earth's interior is thus poorly constrained. For a better interpretation, it is critical to have a calculation method which accounts for the grain shape and the spatial distribution of mineral phases, etc. We propose a calculation method which accounts for the grain shape of strongly dimensionally anisotropic minerals like micas and serpentines. Our method can be applied to a distributed geometrical orientation of mineral grains. Comparison was made between calculated and measured velocities in three antigorite–serpentinite mylonites. Judging from the root mean square relative error, our method provides velocities closer to measured values than the Voigt, Reuss and Hill averaging schemes. The input of the grain shape considerably improves the prediction of seismic properties. However, large discrepancies (>0.1 km/s) between measured and calculated velocities can be seen in some directions. The discrepancies might come from microstructural elements which were not considered in the calculation (layer structures and cracks).
•We propose a new method for calculating seismic properties of rocks.•Our method takes into account the grain shape of dimensionally anisotropic minerals.•Our method can be applied to a distributed geometrical orientation of mineral grains.•Comparison was made between measured and calculated velocities in serpentinites.•The input of grain shape considerably improves the prediction of seismic properties.
Deformation microstructures of peak metamorphic conditions in ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks constrain the rheological behavior of deeply subducted crustal material within a subduction ...channel. However, studies of such rocks are limited by the overprinting effects of retrograde metamorphism during exhumation. Here, we present the deformation microstructures and crystallographic-preferred orientation data of minerals in UHP rocks from the Dabie–Shan to study the rheological behavior of deeply subducted continental material under UHP conditions. The studied samples preserve deformation microstructures that formed under UHP conditions and can be distinguished into two types: high-strain mafic–ultramafic samples (eclogite and garnet-clinopyroxenite) and low-strain felsic samples (jadeite quartzite). This distinction suggests that felsic rocks are less strained than mafic–ultramafic rocks under UHP conditions. We argue that the phase transition from quartz to coesite in the felsic rocks may explain the microstructural differences between the studied mafic–ultramafic and felsic rock samples. The presence of coesite, which has a higher strength than quartz, may result in an increase in the bulk strength of felsic rocks, leading to strain localization in nearby mafic–ultramafic rocks. The formation of shear zones associated with strain localization under HP/UHP conditions can induce the detachment of subducted crustal material from subducting lithosphere, which is a prerequisite for the exhumation of UHP rocks. These findings suggest that coesite has an important influence on the rheological behavior of crustal material that is subducted to coesite-stable depths.
Abstract
The hadal zone at trenches is a unique region where forearc mantle rocks are directly exposed at the ocean floor owing to tectonic erosion. Circulation of seawater in the mantle rock induces ...carbonate precipitation within the deep-sea forearc mantle, but the timescale and rates of the circulation are unclear. Here we investigated a peculiar occurrence of calcium carbonate (aragonite) in forearc mantle rocks recovered from ~6400 m water depth in the Izu–Ogasawara Trench. On the basis of microtextures, strontium–carbon–oxygen isotope geochemistry, and radiocarbon analysis, we found that the aragonite is sourced from seawater that accumulated for more than 42,000 years. Aragonite precipitation is triggered by episodic rupture events that expel the accumulated fluids at 10
−2
–10
−1
m s
−1
and which continue for a few decades at most. We suggest that the recycling of subducted seawater from the shallowest forearc mantle influences carbon transport from the surface to Earth’s interior.
Microstructural investigations of mantle xenoliths from the Mt. Melbourne area were undertaken to reveal the origin of S-wave splitting beneath northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. The six analyzed ...peridotites contain various deformation features. The rotated olivine maxima of 100 and 010 into horizontal and vertical orientations, respectively, are classified into five samples with a D-type crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) and one sample as an A-type CPO. The D-type olivine fabric can be explained by multiple slip systems of {0kl}100 at low-temperature and high-stress conditions; therefore, both compressional and extensional regimes during subduction and rifting, respectively, could be applied in this study. With an assumption that olivine a-axes are aligned along the direction of mantle flow to form maximum S-wave splitting, the observed delay time of 0.9–1.3 s beneath northern Victoria Land can be partially explained by the anisotropy in the mantle peridotites. The remaining seismic anisotropy can be explained by the presence of melt pockets trapped along tectonic faults that developed perpendicular to the fast S-wave splitting direction. This study therefore demonstrates that the NE–SW-trending S-wave splitting beneath northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, results from the existence of both mantle peridotites as well as melt pockets trapped along the tectonic faults.
•We first report origin of S-wave splitting below northern Victoria Land, Antarctica.•Limited recrystallization and low partial melting suggest a weak metasomatism.•The D-/A-type olivine CPOs are quantitatively defined by shape factor K and FIA.•D-type olivine CPO forms by slip systems of {0 kl}100 at low-T and high stress.•The observed delay time is explained by both mantle peridotites and melt pockets.
Oxidation states within the planetary interior are intrinsically linked with the broad scale tectonism; however, it is difficult to estimate the actual oxidation conditions. Orthopyroxene–magnetite ...symplectite formed by olivine oxidation may provide a significant clue into such oxidation events. Here we report detailed mineralogical and petrological synthesis of such orthopyroxene–magnetite symplectites from olivine gabbros of Oman Ophiolite (Hole GT2A, ICDP Oman Drilling Project). In order to understand how oxidation affects different olivine compositions, we employed a phase equilibria approach and computed several temperature–composition diagrams at a fixed pressure (1 kbar). Our experiments predict the coexistence of olivine with Fo75–76 and Fo71 with the orthopyroxene (En79 and En76), respectively, which is remarkably similar to the mineral chemistry obtained from the Oman lower crustal gabbros. From the magnetite content, we also infer that the symplectite formation may have taken place over a range of temperatures (600–1000 °C) via subsolidus olivine oxidation and/or melt (oxidizing)–olivine interaction. The latter is more probable, considering the partial occurrence of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene rim adjacent to the symplectites.
Poisson's Ratio and Auxetic Properties of Natural Rocks Ji, Shaocheng; Li, Le; Motra, Hem Bahadur ...
Journal of geophysical research. Solid earth,
February 2018, 2018-02-00, 20180201, Letnik:
123, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Here we provide an appraisal of the Poisson's ratios (υ) for natural elements, common oxides, silicate minerals, and rocks with the purpose of searching for naturally auxetic materials. The Poisson's ...ratios of equivalently isotropic polycrystalline aggregates were calculated from dynamically measured elastic properties. Alpha‐cristobalite is currently the only known naturally occurring mineral that has exclusively negative υ values at 20–1,500°C. Quartz and potentially berlinite (AlPO4) display auxetic behavior in the vicinity of their α‐β structure transition. None of the crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks (e.g., amphibolite, gabbro, granite, peridotite, and schist) display auxetic behavior at pressures of >5 MPa and room temperature. Our experimental measurements showed that quartz‐rich sedimentary rocks (i.e., sandstone and siltstone) are most likely to be the only rocks with negative Poisson's ratios at low confining pressures (≤200 MPa) because their main constituent mineral, α‐quartz, already has extremely low Poisson's ratio (υ = 0.08) and they contain microcracks, micropores, and secondary minerals. This finding may provide a new explanation for formation of dome‐and‐basin structures in quartz‐rich sedimentary rocks in response to a horizontal compressional stress in the upper crust.
Plain Language Summary
Here we provide an appraisal of the Poisson's ratios (υ) for natural elements, common oxides, silicate minerals, and rocks with the purpose of searching for naturally auxetic materials. The Poisson's ratios of equivalently isotropic polycrystalline aggregates were calculated from dynamically measured elastic properties. Alpha‐cristobalite is currently the only known naturally occurring mineral that has exclusively negative υ values at 20–1,500°C. Quartz and potentially berlinite (AlPO4) display auxetic behavior in the vicinity of their α‐β structure transition. None of the crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks (e.g., amphibolite, gabbro, granite, peridotite, and schist) display auxetic behavior at pressures of >5 MPa and room temperature. Our experimental measurements showed that quartz‐rich sedimentary rocks (i.e., sandstone and siltstone) are most likely to be the only rocks with negative Poisson's ratios at low confining pressures (≤200 MPa) because their main constituent mineral, α‐quartz, already has extremely low Poisson's ratio (υ = 0.08) and they contain microcracks, micropores, and secondary minerals. This finding may provide a new explanation for formation of dome‐and‐basin structures in quartz‐rich sedimentary rocks in response to a horizontal compressional stress in the upper crust.
Key Points
A comprehensive review of Poisson's ratios for natural elements, common oxides, silicate minerals, and rocks is provided
Quartz‐rich sedimentary rocks are most likely the only natural rocks with negative Poisson's ratios at low‐pressure conditions
A new interpretation is proposed for formation of dome‐and‐basin structures in quartz‐rich rocks in terms of auxetic mechanics
Several varieties of seafloor hydrothermal vents with widely varying fluid compositions and temperatures and vent communities occur in different tectonic settings. The discovery of the Lost City ...hydrothermal field in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge has stimulated interest in the role of serpentinization of peridotite in generating H2- and CH4-rich fluids and associated carbonate chimneys, as well as in the biological communities supported in highly reduced, alkaline environments. Abundant vesicomyid clam communities associated with a serpentinite-hosted hydrothermal vent system in the southern Mariana forearc were discovered during a DSV Shinkai 6500 dive in September 2010. We named this system the "Shinkai Seep Field (SSF)." The SSF appears to be a serpentinite-hosted ecosystem within a forearc (convergent margin) setting that is supported by fault-controlled fluid pathways connected to the decollement of the subducting slab. The discovery of the SSF supports the prediction that serpentinite-hosted vents may be widespread on the ocean floor. The discovery further indicates that these serpentinite-hosted low-temperature fluid vents can sustain high-biomass communities and has implications for the chemical budget of the oceans and the distribution of abyssal chemosynthetic life.
PDF
