Rheology of rocks This lecture

• Discuss exercise last week

• Make a deformation mechanism map
• Look at relationship stress and grain size: piezometry

• Introduce last deformation mechanism

• Dissolution-precipitation creep
• Diffusion control
• Reaction control

• Paul Bons
• Tübingen University
• Paul.bons@uni-tuebingen.de

Add strain rate lines Using the map: shear zones

1
Dislocation creep log(" ) = 5.67 + log(#˙) log("˙) = 3log(# ) $ 3% 5.67 • Shear zones (mylonites)
3
NH creep log(" ) = 21.8 + log(#˙) + 2log( g) log("˙) = #21.8 + log($ ) # 2log( g) • Higher strain rate
• Smaller grain size
Coble creep! ! ( g)
log(" ) = 24.0 + log(#˙) + 3log log("˙) = #24.0 + log($ ) # 3log( g)

! ! • Is this because of different

• Dislocation creep: deformation mechanisms?
!
• GRAIN-SIZE INSENSITIVE (GSI) !
• Strain rate is independent of grain • A: Dislocation creep in wall rock:
size for dislocation creep
• with grain size 10 mm
• Horizontal lines B A
• Strain rate is 10-15 s-1
• Diffusional creep:
• B: Cobble creep in shear zone:
• GRAIN-SIZE SENSITIVE (GSS)
• with grain size 0.1 mm
• Strain rate is dependent of grain
• Strain rate is 10-12 s-1
size for diffusional creep
 Can we freely change grain size? Grain size piezometer
• The stable grain size depends on:
• Dynamic recrystal-
• Grain size reduction
lisation tends to
• Dynamic recrystallisation
decrease grain size

log(g)
• Depends on dislocation density
• Depends on stress -p
• Surface-energy driven • Grain size increase (grain growth)
recrystallisation
• Static recrystallisation
increases grain size • Depends on amount of surfaces
(grain growth) • Depends on grain size log(!)
• Empirical relationship: g " c # $%p
• Somewhere there is a
balance: • If we know the grain size, we know the stress!
Stable grain size • Hence the name palaeo-piezometer

Adding the palaeopiezometer Dislocation creep: grain-size reduction

• According to the piezometer • Coarse-grained material
• Stress has a fixed relationship to • Dislocation creep induces dynamic
grain size recrystallisation:
• Example: "If the stress is !5 MPa • Grain size decreases
Grain size is !2 mm" • Material moves to left towards Coble
creep field
• If wall rock and shear zone
g " c # $%p g " c # $%p
experience the same shear stress
• Their grain size should be the same
• Their strain rate should be the same B A B A
! !
• There can be no shear zone!

• But notice that piezometer is very

close to mechanism boundary
 Coble creep: grain-size increase Piezometer ! mechanism boundary
• Fine-grained material • Mechanism boundary is line where
• Coble creep induces NO dynamic • dynamic rexx grain-size reduction
recrystallisation: • static rexx grain-size increase
• Grain size increases (grain growth) • Balance
• Material moves to right towards
dislocation creep field

g " c # $%p
• How to get away from piezometer line? g " c # $%p

B A • Sudden change in stress B A

! • Time/strain delay to reach equilibrium !

• Inhibition of grain growth

• E.g. by pinning of grain boundaries

Dissolution-precipitation creep Equilibrium concentration

• DPC involves mass transfer in fluid
• Short distance: from one side of grain to another
• Long distance: from stylolite to vein
• All minerals can dissolve in fluids (water) Chemical
• There is an equilibrium concentration Ceq potential
Ceq
• If actual concentration is lower than Ceq
• Mineral dissolves
• concentration increases towards Ceq
• If actual concentration is higher than Ceq
• Mineral precipitates
• concentration decreases towards Ceq
concentration
• Finally, equilibrium concentration is reached
 Chemical potential and pressure Flow by DP-creep
• The chemical potential (µ) is a function of pressure: • Equilibrium concentration is a function of pressure
"µ
= #P Ceq = C0 + "P
"P • If there are pressure gradients
• You get concentration gradients
• Concentration is proportional to µ, giving: • You get diffusional transport of matter
! !
$C $µ • You get strain
C "µ # " = %P
$P $P
• To know the flow law, we need to know how
• So the equilibrium concentration is: " Ceq = C0 + #P • Pressure gradients
!
• Relate to differential stress

Equilibrium concentration on the surface of

Effective pressure on the surface of grains
grains
+"!n/2 Peff +"!n/2 Ceq

x Pressure = mean stress x Average Ceq

-"!n/2 -"!n/2
g x g x
compression extension compression extension

• Under a differential stress grain boundaries have • Under a differential stress grain boundaries have
different effective pressures different equilibrium concentrations
• Perpendicular to !1 : Peff+ = P + "!n/2 " Remember:
• Perpendicular to !1 : +
Ceq = C0 + #$
Ceq = C0 + "P
• Perpendicular to !3 : Peff- = P - "!n/2 2

• This drives transport from compressional grain #

• Perpendicular to !3 : "
Ceq = C0 " $%
2
boundaries to extensional grain boundaries !
• This drives transport from compressional grain
!
boundaries to extensional grain boundaries
!
 Equilibrium concentration on the surface of
DPC: three steps
Cactual grains
+"!n/2 Diffusional transport
• DPC involves three sequential steps:
Cactual < Ceq
x Under-saturated 1. Dissolution reaction
-"!n/2 Cactual > Ceq: Over-saturated 2. Transport by diffusion through grain-boundary fluid
g x
compression extension 3. Precipitation reaction

• Under a differential stress grain boundaries have

different equilibrium concentrations • Because this is a sequential process (chain process)
• Diffusion tries to equalise concentration " transport • The slowest step determines the rate of the process
• Compressional faces: under-saturated " dissolution • And it determines the flow law
• Extensional faces: over-saturated " precipitation

Case 1: diffusion is rate controlling Case 1: diffusion is rate controlling

Cactual Cactual
+"!n/2 +"!n/2
Cactual ! Ceq Cactual ! Ceq
"C = Ceq+ # Ceq
#
"C = Ceq+ # Ceq
#

x x
-"!n/2 Cactual ! Ceq -"!n/2 Cactual ! Ceq
g x g x
compression extension compression extension
! !
• Reaction is very fast, relative to diffusion • All atoms have to move through area ug
• (u = grain boundary width)
• Whole "Ceq is used to drive diffusional transport " = ugJ
• Number $ of atoms going through area ug is:
$ $
"C +
= Ceq #
# Ceq = C0 + "% # C0 + "% " #C = $#% • Volume V of atoms going through area ug is: V = "# = "ugJ
2 2 • Whole volume V arrives at
V "ug "u
• Flux proportional to concentration gradient (Fick's law) extensional side, adding a layer of width w: w= 2
= 2 J= J
! g g g
"C $C $' # = shape
! factor #w #$u
! # = %&
g = grain size
• Producing a strain rate of: "˙ = = 2 J
!
"x $x g g g

!
! !
 Case 1: diffusion is rate controlling Diffusion-controlled DPC-creep
Cactual
+"!n/2
2 %& #$
Cactual ! Ceq • Flow law : "˙ = #$ uD or simply: "˙ = Adc D
+
"C = C # C # g3 g3
eq eq
x
-"!n/2 Cactual ! Ceq • Linear (Newtonian) viscous creep: "˙ # $%
g x
compression extension ! ! $3
!
#$u • Strongly grain-size sensitive: "˙ # g (like Coble creep)
• Equation for strain rate: "˙ = 2 J
g #u $C !
"˙ = D % $Q (

• Fick's law for diffusion: #C g 2 $x • Thermally activated (diffusion): "˙ # D # exp& RT )

' *
J = "D
#x !
"C %&
• Concentration gradient
! was derived as: = #$
"x g • Diffusion-controlled DPC-creep is important in
! • Very fine-grained rocks !
%&
• Finally giving: !"˙ = #$2 uD • Wet rocks
g3
• Soluble minerals (calcite, quartz)
!

Case 2: reaction is rate controlling Case 2: reaction is rate controlling

Cactual Cactual
+"!n/2 +"!n/2
"C = Ceq+ # Caverage "C = Ceq+ # Caverage
x Cactual ! Caverage Cactual ! Caverage x Cactual ! Caverage Cactual ! Caverage
-"!n/2 -"!n/2
g x g x
compression
! extension compression
! extension

• Reaction is very slow, relative to diffusion • Dissolution rate is proportional to under-saturation "C

• w = R"C
Per second a layer w dissolves with:
• Whole "Ceq is used to drive the reaction w R
• Producing a strain rate of: "˙ = = #C
g g R#
"% $ "˙ = $%
+
"C = Ceq # Caverage = C0 + $ # C0 " #C = #% g 2
2 2 ! #
• For "C we found before: "C = "$
2
!
!
! !
!
 Reaction-controlled DPC-creep DPC microstructures
# $% #$
• Flow law : "˙ = R or simply: "˙ = Arc R
2 g g

• Linear (Newtonian) viscous creep: "˙ # $%

! !
• Weakly grain-size sensitive: "˙ # g$1
! % $Q (
' *
• Thermally activated (reaction): "˙ # R # exp& RT )
!
• Reaction-controlled DPC-creep is important in
• Fine-grained rocks !
• Wet rocks
• Soluble minerals (calcite, quartz)

Cementation and overgrowths Cementation and overgrowths

Dust rim

Mica beard

Cemented pore
Cementation and overgrowths Cementation and overgrowths

Repeated
precipitation in
thin fracture

Quartz precipitation
In thin cracks

Dissolution Dissolution

Partly dissolved
micro-fossil

Partly dissolved
micro-fossil
 Dissolution Dissolution

Dust rim

Dissolution seam Grain indentation

(Stylolite)

Dissolution seam
(Stylolite)
Cemented pore

Dissolution Dissolution

Dissolution seam Dissolution seam

(Stylolite) (Cleavage)