Abstract
Detailed observations of a set of fibrous antitaxial calcite veins in a slate reveal that some of the calcite fibres do not connect material markers on both sides of the vein and can therefore not have tracked the full opening trajectory during vein growth. This calls for a better understanding of the mechanisms of fibre formation and reliable criteria to test the tracking hypothesis. Based on surface roughness characteristics of the vein wall we develop a simple model for shape-growth of crystals in a crack-seal environment which can account for both tracking and non-tracking behaviours, and propose a set of ‘tracking criteria’ for antitaxial veins. Finally we discuss ways by which the model can be tested against natural examples.
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