Abstract
AbstractWe investigated an experimentally sheared (γ = 15, = 3 × 10−4 s−1, 300 MPa, 750°C) quartz‐muscovite aggregate to understand the deformation of parent and new crystals in partially molten rocks. The scanning electron microscope and electron backscatter diffraction analyses along the longitudinal axial section of the cylindrical sample suggest that quartz and muscovite melted partially and later produced K‐feldspar, ilmenite, biotite, mullite, and cordierite. Quartz grains became finer, and muscovite was almost entirely consumed in the process. With increasing γ, melt and crystal fractions decreased and increased, respectively. Among the new minerals, K‐feldspar grains (highest area fraction and coarsest) nucleated first, whereas cordierite and mullite grains, finest and least in number, respectively, nucleated last. Fine grain size, weak crystallographic preferred orientations, low intragranular deformation, and equant shapes suggest both initial and new minerals deformed dominantly by melt‐assisted grain boundary sliding, which is further substantiated by higher misorientations between adjacent grains of quartz, K‐feldspar, and ilmenite.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.