Volume 51 of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry highlights some of the frontiers in the study of plastic deformation of minerals and rocks. This book reviews large-strain shear deformation and deformation experiments under ultrahigh pressures; the issues of deformation of crustal rocks and the upper mantle; the interplay of partial melting and deformation; the new results of ultrahigh pressure deformation of deep mantle minerals; the stability of deformation under deep mantle conditions with special reference to phase transformations and their relationship to the origin of intermediate depth and deep-focus earthquakes; a detailed description of fracture mechanisms of ice; of experimental and theoretical studies on seismic wave attenuation; the relationship between crystal preferred orientation and macroscopic anisotropy; recent progress in poly-crystal plasticity to model the development of anisotropic fabrics both at the microscopic and macroscopic scale; a thorough review of seismic anisotropy of the upper mantle covering the vast regions of geodynamic interests and the theoretical aspects of shear localization. All chapters contain extensive reference lists to guide readers to the more specialized literature. This volume was written for a workshop, in December 2002 in Emeryville, California.

This monograph has its origins in a two-day meeting with the same title held in London, England in the spring of 1987. The idea for the meeting came from members of the UK Mineral and Rock Physics Group. It was held under the auspices of, and made possible by the generous support of, the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Additional financial assistance was provided by ECC International pIc and the Cookson Group pIc. The aims of the London meeting were to survey the current state of knowledge about deformation processes in non-metallic materials and to bring together both experts and less experienced Earth scientists and ceramicists who normally had little contact but shared common interests in deformation mechanisms. This monograph has similar aims and, indeed, most of its authors were keynote speakers at the meeting. Consequently, most of the contributions contain a review element in addition to the presentation and discussion of new results. In adopting this format, the editors hope that the monograph will provide a valuable state-of-the-art sourcebook, both to active researchers and also to graduate students just starting in the relevant fields.

A multidisciplinary perspective on the dynamic processes occurring in Earth's mantle The convective motion of material in Earth's mantle, powered by heat from the deep interior of our planet, drives plate tectonics at the surface, generating earthquakes and volcanic activity. It shapes our familiar surface landscapes, and also stabilizes the oceans and atmosphere on geologic timescales. Mantle Convection and Surface Expressions brings together perspectives from observational geophysics, numerical modelling, geochemistry, and mineral physics to build a holistic picture of the deep Earth. It explores the dynamic processes occurring in the mantle as well as the associated heat and material cycles. Volume highlights include: Perspectives from different scientific disciplines with an emphasis on exploring synergies Current state of the mantle, its physical properties, compositional structure, and dynamic evolution Transport of heat and material through the mantle as constrained by geophysical observations, geochemical data and geodynamic model predictions Surface expressions of mantle dynamics and its control on planetary evolution and habitability The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

This book sets out the basic materials science needed for understanding the plastic deformation of rocks and minerals. Although at atmospheric pressure or at relatively low environmental pressures, these materials tend to be brittle, that is, to fracture with little prior plastic deformation when non-hydrostatically stressed, they can undergo substantial permanent strain when stressed under environmental conditions of high confining pressure and high temperature, such as occur geologically in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. Thus the plastic deformation of rocks and minerals is of fundamental interest in structural geology and geodynamics. In mountain-building processes and during convective stirring in the Earth’s mantle, rocks can undergo very large amounts of plastic flow, accompanied by substantial changes in microstructure. These changes in microstructure remain in the rocks as evidence of the past deformation history. There are a number of types of physical processes whereby rock and minerals can undergo deformation under geological conditions. The physics of these processes is set out in this book.

Physicists attempt to reduce natural phenomena to their essential dimensions by means of simplification and approximation and to account for them by defining natural laws. Paradoxically, whilst there is a critical need in geology to reduce the overwhelming field information to its essentials, it often re mains in an over-descriptive state. This prudent attitude of geologists is dictated by the nature of the subjects being consi dered, as it is often difficult to derive the significant parame ters from the raw data. It also follows from the way that geolo gical work is carried out. Geologists proceed, as in a police investigation, by trying to reconstruct past conditions and events from an analysis of the features preserved in rocks. In physics all knowledge is based on experiment but in the Earth Sciences experimental evidence is of very limited scope and is difficult to interpret. The geologist's cautious approach in accepting evidence gained by modelling and quantification is sometimes questionable when it is taken too far. It shuts out potentially fruitful lines of advance; for instance when refu sing order of magnitude calculations, it risks being drowned in anthropomorphic speculation. Happily nowadays, many more studies tend to separate and order the significant facts and are carried out with numerical constraints, which although they are approxi mate in nature, limit the range of hypotheses and thus give rise to new models.

This book is a systematic guide to the recognition and interpretation of deformation microstructures and mechanisms in minerals and rocks at the scale of a thin section. Diagnostic features of microstructures and mechanisms are emphasized, and the subject is extensively illustrated with high-quality color and black and white photomicrographs, and many clear diagrams. After introducing three main classes of deformation microstructures and mechanisms, low- to high-grade deformation is presented in a logical sequence in Chapters 2 to 5. Magmatic/submagmatic deformation, shear sense indicators, and shock microstructures and metamorphism are described in Chapters 6 to 8, which are innovative chapters in a structural geology textbook. The final chapter shows how deformation microstructures and mechanisms can be used quantitatively to understand the behavior of the earth. Recent experimental research on failure criteria, frictional sliding laws, and flow laws is summarized in tables, and palaeopiezometry is discussed. Audience: This book is essential to all practising structural and tectonic geologists who use thin sections, and is an invaluable research tool for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers and researchers in structural geology and tectonics.