Influence of micaceous impurity on dynamically recrystallized quartz c-axis fabric in L- S tectonites from the Singhbhum Shear Zone and its footwall, Eastern India

Abstract

When temperature and strain rate remain constant the quartz c-axis fabric in deformed pure quartz aggregates, is largely dependent on deformation kinematics. Asymmetry of the fabric, e.g. in type-I asymmetric crossed girdle pattern in natural quartz tectonites, simulated fabric or experimentally deformed quartz aggregates is generally related to sense of vorticity for a non-coaxial flow. Natural quartz tectonites, however, often contain micaceous impurities. Measurement on a sample of 59 quartz tectonites with mesoscopic L- S fabric and representing low T T m , deformation under non-coaxial flow, from the Singhbhum Shear Zone and Dhanjori quartzites. Eastern India provides the basic data to quantitatively assess the influence of mica on (i) asymmetry of quartx c-axis fabric and (ii) degree of crystallographic preferred orientation, i.e. fabric intensity, taking c-axes of dynamically recrystallized quartz grains as a fabric element. A fabric intensity parameter (κ) is defined as the ratio of the greatest eigenvalue to the least eigenvalue of the orientation tensor matrix corresponding to c-axis orientations in each measured specimen. The modal percent of mica (μ) in the sample varies from 2 to 35; that of recrystallized quartz grains (ν), as opposed to relict clasts. from 45 to 98. The asymmetry of the fabrics in the above sample, measured either as the Am statistic or as the angle between the central segment of the fabric skeleton and direction of mineral elongation lineation is independent of mica content. Correlation-regression analysis of the variables κ, μ, and ν. demonstrate a negative correlation between micaceous impurity and the fabric intensity parameter. The regression equation is of the form κ = 0.13 ν 1.11 μ −0.617.