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Modification of fluid inclusions in quartz by deviatoric stress I: experimentally induced changes in inclusion shapes and microstructures

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Abstract

Fluid inclusions in quartz are known to modify their shapes and microstructures (textures) during weak plastic deformation. However, such changes have not been experimentally demonstrated and criteria are not available to relate them to paleostress conditions. To address these issues, quartz crystals containing natural CO2–H2O–NaCl fluid inclusions have been experimentally subjected to compressive deviatoric stresses of 90–250 MPa at 700°C and ~600 MPa confining pressure. Strains of up to 1% cause the inclusions to develop irregular shapes and to generate microcracks in crystallographic planes oriented subperpendicular to the major compression axis, σ 1. The uniform alignment of the microcracks imparts a planar fabric to the samples. The microcracks heal and form swarms of tiny satellite inclusions. These new inclusions lose H2O by diffusion, thereby triggering plastic deformation of the surrounding quartz via H2O-weakening. Consequently, the quartz samples deform plastically only in domains originally rich in inclusions. This study shows that fluid inclusions deformed by deviatoric stresses may indeed record information on paleostress orientations and that they play a key role in facilitating crystal-plastic deformation of quartz.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Swiss National Science Foundation grants 200020-111834 and 200020-122131 to L. W. Diamond. The authors are grateful to Renée Heilbronner and Marco Herwegh for fruitful discussions, to two anonymous journal reviewers for their helpful comments, and to Jacques Touret for editorial advice.

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Author notes

  1. Alexandre Tarantola

    Present address: UMR-G2R, Université Henri Poincaré, 54506, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rock–Water Interaction Group, Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 3, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Alexandre Tarantola & Larryn W. Diamond

  2. Department of Geology, University of Tromsø, Dramsveien 201, 9037, Tromsø, Norway

    Holger Stünitz

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  1. Alexandre Tarantola
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  2. Larryn W. Diamond
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Correspondence to Alexandre Tarantola.

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Communicated by J.L.R. Touret.

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Tarantola, A., Diamond, L.W. & Stünitz, H. Modification of fluid inclusions in quartz by deviatoric stress I: experimentally induced changes in inclusion shapes and microstructures. Contrib Mineral Petrol 160, 825–843 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00410-010-0509-z

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