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Rybacki et al. 2003
Rybacki, E., Konrad, K., Renner, J., Wachmann, M., Stöckhert, B. and Rummel, F. (2003). Experimental deformation of synthetic aragonite marble. Journal of Geophysical Research 108: doi: 10.1029/2001JB000694. issn: 0148-0227.

We deformed synthetic polycrystalline aragonite aggregates in a Griggs-type apparatus using a molten salt cell at temperatures between 600 and 900¿C, confining pressures between 1.6 and 2.8 GPa, and strain rates between 3 ¿ 10-6 and 5 ¿ 10-3 s-1. At temperatures above 600¿C, triaxial compression tests to ~15% axial strain are characterized by a constant flow stress. The strength of the aragonite marble is comparable to strength data previously published for calcite rocks of comparable grain size, i.e., 50 to 100 ¿m. The mechanical data and microstructures of the deformed aragonite specimens indicate dislocation creep as the dominant deformation mechanism. A power law flow law, $dot{varepsilon}$ = Aexp(-Q/RTn, fits the mechanical data with a preexponential factor ln(A-5.2 s-1>) = -0.6 ¿ 2.5, an activation energy Q = 249 ¿ 29 kJ mol-1, and a stress exponent n = 5.2 ¿ 0.6. Extrapolated to natural strain rates, the flow law provides an upper bound to the strength of carbonate rocks at (ultra-) high-pressure metamorphic conditions.

BACKGROUND DATA FILES

Abstract

Keywords
Mineral Physics, Creep and deformation, Physical Properties of Rocks, Fracture and flow, Physical Properties of Rocks, Plasticity, diffusion, and creep, Mineral Physics, High-pressure behavior, Tectonophysics, Rheology--general
Journal
Journal of Geophysical Research
http://www.agu.org/journals/jb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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