Experimental studies of the role of water in the plasticity of quartzites

Journal Article · Sun Jun 10 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JB089iB06p04257· OSTI ID:6779887

Mainprice, D H; Paterson, M S

Experiments on several quartzites at 300 MPa confirming pressure show them to behave as if near the brittle-ductile transition at 900/sup 0/C when oven-dry and in a more ductile fashion at 1000 /sup 0/C when extra water is added. In both cases the stress-strain curves are substantially higher than would be expected on the basis of the strength of hydrolytically weakened synthetic crystals containing less ''water'' than the rocks, as measured by the broad infrared absorption at low temperature. Thus, would appear that, relative to the single crystals, the ''effective'' concentration of the water-related species that is active in mechanical weakening within the grains is only a small fraction of the ''water'' present. The presence of glass in the grain boundaries of ''wet'' deformed specimens suggest that grain boundary weakening may also be significant in these experiments. Questions of equilibrium and of geological extrapolation are discussed.

• Research Organization: Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University
• OSTI ID: 6779887
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 89:B6; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
152003* -- Geothermal Data & Theory-- Rock-Water-Gas Interactions
DEFORMATION
GLASS
GROUND WATER
HYDRATION
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERSTITIAL WATER
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLASTICITY
QUARTZITES
ROCKS
SOLVATION
STRAIN RATE
STRESSES
VERY HIGH PRESSURE
WATER