Calcite Twin Research Articles

Inversion of calcite twin data, paleostress reconstruction and multiphase weak deformation in cratonic interior – Evidence from the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin, India

Paleostress orientations from mechanically twinned calcite in carbonate rocks and veins in the neighborhood of large faults were investigated to comment on the nature of weak upper crustal stresses affecting sedimentary successions within the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin, India. Application of Turner's P–B–T method and Spang's Numerical dynamic analysis on Cuddapah samples provided paleostress orientations comparable to those derived from fault-slip inversion. Results from the neighborhood of E–W faults cutting through the Paleoproterozoic Papaghni and Chitravati groups and the Neoproterozoic Kurnool Group in the western Cuddapah basin, reveal existence of multiple deformation events − (1) NE–SW σ3 in strike-slip to extensional regime along with an additional event having NW–SE σ3, for lower Cuddapah samples; (2) compressional/transpressional event with ESE–WNW or NNE–SSW σ1 mainly from younger Kurnool samples.Integrating results from calcite twin data inversion, fault-slip analysis and regional geology we propose that late Mesoproterozoic crustal extension led to initial opening of the Kurnool sub-basin, subsequently influenced by weak compressional deformation. The dynamic analysis of calcite twins thus constrains the stress regimes influencing basin initiation in the southern Indian cratonic interior and subsequent basin inversion in relation to craton margin mobile belts and plausible global tectonic events in the Proterozoic.

Paleostress analyses using the orientation distribution of veins and calcite twins

Paleostress analyses using the orientation distribution of veins and calcite twins

Paleostress analysis using calcite twin in amygdales of the pseudotachylyte of the Asuke Shear Zone

Paleostress analysis using calcite twin in amygdales of the pseudotachylyte of the Asuke Shear Zone

Deformation twinning and the role of amino acids and magnesium in calcite hardness from molecular simulation.

We employ classical molecular dynamics to calculate elastic properties and to model the nucleation and propagation of deformation twins in calcite, both as a pure crystal and with magnesium and aspartate inclusions. The twinning is induced by applying uniaxial strain to the crystal and relaxing all stress components except the uniaxial component. A detailed analysis of the atomistic processes reveal that the twinning mechanism involves small displacements of the Ca ions and cooperative rotations of the CO3 ions. The volume of the twinned region expands under increased uniaxial strain via the propagation of steps along the twin boundaries. The energy cost of the twin boundaries is compensated by the reduced hydrostatic stress and strain energy. The presence of biogenic impurities is shown to decrease the strain required to induce twin formation in calcite and, thus, the yield stress. This increased propensity for twinning provides a possible explanation for the increased hardness and penetration resistance observed experimentally in biominerals.

A method for determining deviatoric stress tensors from heterogeneous calcite twin data

A method for determining deviatoric stress tensors from heterogeneous calcite twin data

Paleostress of the Joseon and Pyeongan Supergroups in South Korea using the New Calcite Strain Gauge (NCSG)

Limestone bodies under the tectonic environment have experienced various tectonic processes, and also changed the stress state. In this study, calcite twins found in limestones of the Joseon Supergroup and Pyeongan Supergroup in the northeastern part of the Ogcheon Belt, South Korea were measured, then the paleostress (i.e., the maximum shortening axis) was reconstructed using the new calcite strain gauge (NCSG) technique. The average twin thickness and average twin intensity increase as the total twin strain increases. We utilize the appearance of twins, the average twin thickness and average twin intensity, and the total twin strain to estimate that the observed calcite twins were produced at temperatures of < 200oC in the Joseon Supergroup and 170oC in the Pyeongan Supergroup. In the Joseon Supergroup, the dominant direction of the maximum shortening axis WNW-ESE to NW-SE; NE-SW shortening is also observed. The maximum shortening axes in the Pyeongan Supergroup are oriented NW-SE and NE-SW. The NE-SW direction of maximum shortening is associated with the occurrence of the Songrim orogeny of the Paleozoic to Early Jurassic, and the NW-SE direction of maximum shortening correlates to the Daebo orogeny of the Early Jurassic to Late Jurassic. It is thus concluded that the paleostress across the study area changed from NE-SW to NW-SE during the Mesozoic.

Constraining the pressure threshold of impact induced calcite twinning: Implications for the deformation history of aqueously altered carbonaceous chondrite parent bodies

Calcite twinning in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites can be used to reconstruct the deformation history and the parent body environment during and/or after aqueous alteration, but the shock pressure threshold at which the twins develop is unknown. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to determine the magnitude of shock pressure that is needed to generate calcite twins. This was done by measuring the depths of twinning beneath the resulting craters from experimental impacts in six calcite targets, combined with hydrocode modelling of the peak pressures at the corresponding depths within the targets. Brecciation, fracturing and calcite e-twinning occur below the floors of all the craters and results from the hydrocode modelling show that the twins start to form at shock pressures of ∼110 to 480 MPa, which is at least a factor of ten higher than the 10 MPa that is considered to be required to produce calcite twins in low strain rate terrestrial settings. These pressures are equivalent to shock stage S1 as determined by olivine microstructures and consistent with calcite twinning in carbonaceous chondrites being a result of impact gardening in shallow levels of their asteroidal parent bodies.

Paleostress reconstruction from calcite twin and fault–slip data using the multiple inverse method in the East Walanae fault zone: Implications for the Neogene contraction in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

A new approach for paleostress analysis using the multiple inverse method with calcite twin data including untwinned e-plane was performed in the East Walanae fault (EWF) zone in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. Application of untwinned e-plane data of calcite grain to constrain paleostress determination is the first attempt for this method. Stress states caused by the collision of the south-east margin of Sundaland with the Australian microcontinents during the Pliocene were successfully detected from a combination of calcite-twin data and fault–slip data. This Pliocene NE–SW-to-E–W-directed maximum compression activated the EWF as a reverse fault with a dextral component of slip with pervasive development of secondary structures in the narrow zone between Bone Mountain and Walanae Depression.

Reaction mechanism for the replacement of calcite by dolomite and siderite: implications for geochemistry, microstructure and porosity evolution during hydrothermal mineralisation

Carbonate reactions are common in mineral deposits due to CO2-rich mineralising fluids. This study presents the first in-depth, integrated analysis of microstructure and microchemistry of fluid-mediated carbonate reaction textures at hydrothermal conditions. In doing so, we describe the mechanisms by which carbonate phases replace one another, and the implications for the evolution of geochemistry, rock microstructures and porosity. The sample from the 1.95 Moz Junction gold deposit, Western Australia, contains calcite derived from carbonation of a metamorphic amphibole—plagioclase assemblage that has further altered to siderite and dolomite. The calcite is porous and contains iron-rich calcite blebs interpreted to have resulted from fluid-mediated replacement of compositionally heterogeneous amphiboles. The siderite is polycrystalline but nucleates topotactically on the calcite. As a result, the boundaries between adjacent grains are low-angle boundaries (<10°), which are geometrically similar to those formed by crystal–plastic deformation and recovery. Growth zoning within individual siderite grains shows that the low-angle boundaries are growth features and not due to deformation. Low-angle boundaries develop due to the propagation of defects at grain faces and zone boundaries and by impingement of grains that nucleated with small misorientations relative to each other during grain growth. The cores of siderite grains are aligned with the twin planes in the parent calcite crystal showing that the reactant Fe entered the crystal along the twin boundaries. Dolomite grains, many of which appear to in-fill space generated by the siderite replacement, also show alignment of cores along the calcite twin planes, suggesting that they did not grow into space but replaced the calcite. Where dolomite is seen directly replacing calcite, it nucleates on the Fe-rich calcite due to the increased compatibility of the Fe-bearing calcite lattice relative to the pure calcite. Both reactions are interpreted as fluid-mediated replacement reactions which use the crystallography and elemental chemistry of the calcite. Experiments of fluid-mediated replacement reactions show that they proceed much faster than diffusion-based reactions. This is important when considering the rates of reactions relative to fluid flow in mineralising systems.

Influence of stress, temperature, and strain on calcite twins constrained by deformation experiments

Abstract A series of low-strain triaxial compression and high-strain torsion experiments were performed on marble and limestone samples to examine the influence of stress, temperature, and strain on the evolution of twin density, the percentage of grains with 1, 2, or 3 twin sets, and the twin width—all parameters that have been suggested as either paleopiezometers or paleothermometers. Cylindrical and dog-bone-shaped samples were deformed in the semibrittle regime between 20 °C and 350 °C, under confining pressures of 50–400 MPa, and at strain rates of ~ 10− 4–10− 6 s− 1. The samples sustained shear stresses, τ, up to ~ 280 MPa, failing when deformed to shear strains γ > 1. The mean width of calcite twins increased with both temperature and strain, and thus, measurement of twin width provides only a rough estimation of peak temperature, unless additional constraints on deformation are known. In Carrara marble, the twin density, NL (no of twins/mm), increased as the rock hardened with strain and was approximately related to the peak differential stress, σ (MPa), by the relation σ = 19.5 ± 9.8 N L . Dislocation tangles occurred along twin boundaries, resulting in a complicated cell structure, which also evolved with stress. As previously established, the square root of dislocation density, observed after quench, also correlated with peak stress. Apparently, both twin density and dislocation cell structure are important state variables for describing the strength of these rocks.

Paleostress Analysis by Fault-Slip and Calcite Twin Data in the East Walanae Fault Zone, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Paleostress Analysis by Fault-Slip and Calcite Twin Data in the East Walanae Fault Zone, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Paleostress from calcite twins of limestone and its tectonic implication in South Korea

In order to examine paleostress and tectonic implications, calcite twins in limestone distributed in South Korea were used. The average twin thickness and intensity increase with increasing the total twin strain. Calcite twins in the study area as an indicator of deformation temperature might be produced at temperatures lower than 200°C approximately, being considered for the total twin strain, the average twin thickness and intensity and morphology of calcite. The maximum shortening axes calculated from calcite twins show the NE-SW or NEE-SWW, NW-SE or NWW-SEE and N-S or NNW-SSE directions. These maximum shortening directions are consistent with many fault directions developing in the study area, in particular with the NE-SW main tectonic direction in the Korean Peninsula. Paleostress results from present and other previous studies suggest that the NE-SW maximum shortening direction during the Late Permian to Early Triassic Songrim orogeny in the Korean Peninsula can be compatible with the Indosinian orogeny in China and the Sangun orogeny in the Japanese Island. The NW-SE maximum shortening direction during the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Daebo orogeny can be compatible with the Yanshanian orogeny in China and the Hida orogeny in the Japanese Island and the N-S maximum shortening direction during the Late Cretaceous to Early Tertiary Bulgugsa orogeny can be compatible with the Sichuanian orogeny in China.

Vertical axis rotations in fold and thrust belts: Comparison of AMS and paleomagnetic data in the Western External Sierras (Southern Pyrenees)

Geometry and kinematics of fold-and-thrust belts can be complex settings when oblique structures and vertical-axis rotations (VAR) take place during thrust emplacement. Many techniques can be used to unravel such complex tectonic histories, from classic ones like strain analysis and changes of paleocurrents, to more modern approaches such as paleomagnetism and calcite twin analysis. In this paper, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility is compared to vertical axis rotations deduced from paleomagnetic data along three cross-sections in the External Sierras and the Jaca Basin (southwestern Pyrenees). These data enable us to state that: 1) AMS represents pre-tilting deformation fabrics and magnetic lineation behaves like a passive marker during later deformation; and 2) a primary record of the paleomagnetic field can be found in the area. Therefore, the difference with the paleomagnetic reference is the local VAR. The comparison of the two datasets allows us to draw the following conclusions: A) the changes in both paleomagnetic VAR and magnetic lineation orientation between neighbouring sites are similar; and B) there is a significant linear regression between VAR and trend changes in magnetic lineation. Deviations in magnetic lineation with respect to the expected local magnetic lineation permit vertical axis rotations to be quantified using the AMS dataset. The combined analysis of paleomagnetic and AMS data enables: 1) a quicker comparison of the kinematic evolution in areas with similar AMS patterns; 2) the identification of anomalous orientations of magnetic lineation linked to VARs; and 3) the use of AMS analysis as a homogeneity test for VARs determined from other techniques. AMS is proposed as a suitable preliminary technique to select further sites for paleomagnetic analysis since paleomagnetic laboratory procedures are much more time-consuming than AMS measurements, AMS does not usually modify sample remanence and hence samples can be used for both types of analysis.

Phase field modeling of twinning in indentation of transparent crystals

Continuum phase field theory is applied to study elastic twinning in calcite and sapphire single crystals subjected to indentation loading by wedge-shaped indenters. An order parameter is associated with the magnitude of stress-free twinning shear. Geometrically linear and nonlinear theories are implemented and compared, the latter incorporating neo-Hookean elasticity. Equilibrium configurations of deformed and twinned crystals are attained numerically via direct energy minimization. Results are in qualitative agreement with experimental observations: a long thin twin forms asymmetrically under one side of the indenter, the tip of the twin is sharp and the length of the twin increases with increasing load. Qualitatively similar results are obtained using isotropic and anisotropic elastic constants, though the difference between isotropic and anisotropic results is greater in sapphire than in calcite. Similar results are also obtained for nanometer-scale specimens and millimeter-scale specimens. Indentation forces are greater in the nonlinear model than the linear model because of the increasing tangent bulk modulus with increasing pressure in the former. Normalized relationships between twin length and indentation force are similar for linear and nonlinear theories at both nanometer and millimeter scales. Twin morphologies are similar for linear and nonlinear theories for indentation with a 90° wedge. However, in the nonlinear model, indentation with a 120° wedge produces a lamellar twin structure between the indenter and the long sharp primary twin. This complex microstructure is not predicted by the linear theory.

Elastic stress indication in elastically rebounded rock

It has long been believed impossible to estimate maximum paleo‐elastic stress in rocks, because elastic strain disappears by elastic rebound when a rock is sampled. Plastic strain, on the other hand, leaves a permanent change in rocks even after stress is relaxed. For example, calcite records plastic strain as stress‐dependent intracrystalline deformation by mechanical twinning. What happens if a rock contains a small amount of calcite bounded by silicate‐rich matrix is elastically loaded? To answer this question, we performed a series of triaxial compression tests of sandstones containing calcite particles under the elastic regime. The statistical data show a good correlation between the density of calcite twins in elastically rebounded sandstone specimens and the maximum elastic stress applied. To investigate in detail our experimental results, we used the discrete element method (DEM) to perform a numerical simulation of uni‐axial compression tests on sandstone. Our DEM simulation shows the complex distribution of inter‐particle forces at each stress level. However, its statistical mean corresponds to the overall force load at the boundary. This simulation result confirms that the statistically averaged calcite twin density can be regarded as a good stress indicator in real sandstones.

Fracture patterns in the Zagros Simply Folded Belt (Fars, Iran): constraints on early collisional tectonic history and role of basement faults

AbstractPre-/early folding fracture patterns were recognized in several anticlines from three structural domains in the Simply Folded Belt of the Fars arc. These fracture sets were characterized in terms of opening mode and relative chronology and used to reconstruct the main compressional trends related to the early Zagros collisional history. The palaeostress reconstructions based on these fracture sets were further refined by combination with newly collected or already available fault-slip and calcite twin data. As an alternative to previous models of rigid block rotations or regional stress rotation, we propose that the complex pattern of pre-folding fractures and the contrasting palaeostress orientations through time in the different domains investigated are related to the presence of basement faults with N–S and WNW trends, above which basement and cover were variably coupled during stress build-up and early deformation of the Arabian margin. Beyond regional implications, this study draws attention to the need to carefully consider pre-existing fractures, possibly unrelated to folding, to build more realistic conceptual fold–fracture models.

Deformation twinning and residual stress in calcite studied with synchrotron polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction

Microstructures of deformed calcite in marble from the Bergell Alps are studied by using a microfocused polychromatic synchrotron X-ray beam. The high spatial resolution, together with orientation and strain resolutions, reveals twin plane orientation, multiple twin lamellae, and strain distributions associated with the twins. Single and multiple mechanical twins on $$ e = \left\{ {01\overline{1} 8} \right\} $$ systems are confirmed. Residual stresses are derived from the strain tensor that is derived from Laue diffraction patterns. Average lattice strains from several hundred to over one thousand microstrains are detected in a deformed marble from the Bergell Alps. Such strains suggest 60–120 MPa residual stresses. A detailed study of strain components shows that shear stresses on twin planes are completely released.

Calcite Twins, a Tool for Tectonic Studies in Thrust Belts and Stable Orogenic Forelands

Calcite twins have been used for a long time as indicators of stress/strain orientations and magnitudes. Recent developments during the last 15 years point toward significant improvements of existing techniques as well as new applications of calcite twin analysis in thrust belts and forelands. This paper summarizes the principles of the most common techniques in this tectonic field and illustrates some aspects of the use of calcite twins to constrain not only stress/strain orientations and magnitudes, but also to some extent paleotemperature or paleoburial in orogenic forelands. This review is based in a large part on the studies that I conducted in various geological settings such as the forelands of Taiwan, Pyrenees, Zagros, Rockies and Albanides orogens. The contribution of calcite twin analysis to the understanding of the intraplate stress transmission away from plate boundaries is also emphasized.

A balanced foreland–hinterland deformation model for the Southern Variscan belt of Sardinia, Italy

AbstractDeformation related to orogenic collision has been investigated along a complete crustal section exposed throughout the Sardinian Variscides, Italy. The dynamics of grain‐scale deformation processes and palaeo‐differential stress have been examined within three major shear zones (Rosas Shear Zone—RSZ, Baccu Locci Shear Zone—BLSZ and Giuncana Badesi Shear Zone—GBSZ) developed at progressively deeper structural levels from the foreland to the inner zone during the D1 phase of shortening associated with Barrovian‐type metamorphism. Microstructural analysis reveals that the overall strain in quartz‐feldspathic and calc‐mylonites results from a combination of and, possibly, competition between several deformation mechanisms. At the sub‐greenschist level (RSZ), operating mechanisms are pressure‐solution associated with grain boundary sliding. Dislocation creep is the dominant process at the greenschist level (BLSZ), although pressure‐solution is still effective in zones of strain concentration. In the lower crust (GBSZ), deformation occurred in the range of 600–620°C and 0.7–0.9 GPa by a combination of dislocation creep and high‐T diffusional processes. Differential stresses inferred from quartz grain‐size and calcite twin piezometers decrease with increasing depth, as predicted by most common rheological models. Despite this general trend, the stress profile across each shear zone suggests a pronounced stress gradient towards the zone of maximum deformation, leading to an increase of strain‐rate up to two orders of magnitude. The results of this regional study demonstrate that both stress and strain within orogenic wedges are localized rather than distributed, allowing the crust to deform coherently at different structural levels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Constraints on deformation mechanisms during folding provided by rock physical properties: a case study at Sheep Mountain anticline (Wyoming, USA)

SUMMARY The Sheep Mountain anticline (Wyoming, USA) is a well-exposed asymmetric, basementcored anticline that formed during the Laramide orogeny in the early Tertiary. In order to unravel the history of strain during folding, we carried out combined anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS), anisotropy of P-wave velocity (APWV) and Fry strain analyses. The results are compared to previously published stress–strain data from calcite twins at the microscopic scale and from fracture sets at the mesoscopic scale, and are used to discuss the kinematics and mechanics of forced folding. The results obtained in sandstone and carbonate lithologies demonstrate a good agreement between (1) the principal axes of the AMS and APWV tensors, (2) stress–strain tensors derived from calcite twins, (3) Fry strain axes and mesoscopic fracture sets. Furthermore, these tensors are coaxial with the main structural trends of the anticline. The differences between AMS and APWV fabrics on one hand, and the differential stress values of the forelimb and the backlimb on the other hand, emphasize how the macroscopic asymmetry of Sheep Mountain anticline affects the strain pattern at the microscopic scale. The data set presented in this paper offers a consistent mechanical scenario for the development of Sheep Mountain anticline.