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Abstract The operation of fracture, diffusion, and intracrystalline‐plastic micromechanisms during semibrittle deformation of rock is directly relevant to understanding mechanical behavior across the brittle‐plastic transition in the crust. An outstanding question is whether (1) the micromechanisms of semibrittle flow can be considered to operate independently, as represented in typical crustal strength profiles across the brittle to plastic transition, or (2) the micromechanisms are coupled such that the transition is represented by a distinct rheology with dependency on effective pressure, temperature, and strain rate. We employ triaxial stress‐cycling experiments to investigate elastic‐plastic and viscoelastic behaviors during semibrittle flow in two distinctly different monomineralic, polycrystalline, synthetic salt‐rocks. During semibrittle flow at high differential stress, granular, low‐porosity, work‐hardened salt‐rocks deform predominantly by grain‐boundary sliding and wing‐crack opening accompanied by minor intragranular dislocation glide. In contrast, fully annealed, near‐zero porosity salt‐rocks flow at lower differential stress by intragranular dislocation glide accompanied by grain‐boundary sliding and opening. Grain‐boundary sliding is frictional during semibrittle flow at higher strain rates, but the associated dispersal of water from fluid inclusions along boundaries can activate fluid‐assisted diffusional sliding at lower strain rates. Changes in elastic properties with semibrittle flow largely reflect activation of sliding along closed grain boundaries. Observed microstructures, pronounced hysteresis and anelasticity during cyclic stressing after semibrittle flow, and stress relaxation behaviors indicate coupled operation of micromechanisms leading to a distinct rheology (hypothesis 2 above).
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Test of the Effective Stress Law for Semibrittle Deformation Using Isostatic and Triaxial Load Paths
Abstract For brittle friction and rock deformation, the coefficientαin the general effective stress relationσe = σ − αPpcan be approximated as unity with sufficient accuracy. However, it is uncertain ifαdeviates from unity for semibrittle flow when both brittle and intracrystalline‐plastic deformation is involved. We conducted triaxial and isostatic compression experiments on synthetic salt‐rocks (∼300 ppm water) at room temperature to test the effective stress relation in the semibrittle regime using silicone oil and argon gas as pore fluids. Confining and pore pressures were cycled while their difference (differential pressure) was kept constant, such that changes in the mechanical behavior would indicate deviation ofαfrom unity. Microstructural observations were used to determine the dependence ofαon true area of grain contact from asperity yielding. In triaxial compression experiments, semibrittle flow involves grain boundary cracking and sliding, and intragranular dislocation glide and cracking. Flow strength remains constant for changes in pore fluid pressure of more than two orders of magnitude. In isostatic compression experiments, samples show combined processes of microcracking, grain boundary sliding, dislocation glide, and fluid‐assisted grain boundary migration recrystallization. Volumetric strain depends directly on the differential pressures (i.e.,αequals one). Analysis of grain‐contact area in both experiments indicates thatαis independent of the true area of contact defined by plastic yielding at grain boundaries. The observation ofαeffectively equals one may be explained by operation of pressure‐independent intracrystalline‐plastic mechanisms and transmission of pore pressure at grain boundaries through thin fluid films.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1361996
- PAR ID:
- 10361457
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth
- Volume:
- 126
- Issue:
- 5
- ISSN:
- 2169-9313
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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