Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Creep cavitation can establish a dynamic granular fluid pump in ductile shear zones

Nature volume 459, pages 974–977 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The feedback between fluid migration and rock deformation in mid-crustal shear zones is acknowledged as being critical for earthquake nucleation, the initiation of subduction zones and the formation of mineral deposits1,2,3. The importance of this poorly understood feedback is further highlighted by evidence for shear-zone-controlled advective flow of fluids in the ductile lower crust4 and the recognition that deformation-induced grain-scale porosity is a key to large-scale geodynamics5,6. Fluid migration in the middle crust cannot be explained in terms of classical concepts. The environment is considered too hot for a dynamic fracture-sustained permeability as in the upper crust7, and fluid pathways are generally too deformed to be controlled by equilibrium wetting angles that apply to hotter, deeper environments8,9,10. Here we present evidence that mechanical and chemical potentials control a syndeformational porosity generation in mid-crustal shear zones. High-resolution synchrotron X-ray tomography and scanning electron microscopy observations allow us to formulate a model for fluid migration in shear zones where a permeable porosity is dynamically created by viscous grain-boundary sliding, creep cavitation, dissolution and precipitation. We propose that syndeformational fluid migration in our ‘granular fluid pump’ model is a self-sustained process controlled by the explicit role of the rate of entropy production of the underlying irreversible mechanical and chemical microprocesses. The model explains fluid transfer through the middle crust, where strain localization in the creep regime is required for plate tectonics, the formation of giant ore deposits, mantle degassing and earthquake nucleation. Our findings provide a key component for the understanding of creep instabilities in the middle crust.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: The investigated hand specimen from a mid-crustal shear zone, and the microstructural evolution with increasing shear strain.
Figure 2: Porosity distribution across a strain gradient in the investigated mid-crustal shear zone.
Figure 3: Three-dimensional visualization of porosity from the shear-zone centre, and grain boundary pores in quartz/K-feldspar mixtures.
Figure 4: Granular fluid pump model for the VGBS mylonite in the shear-zone centre.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sibson, R. Crustal stress, faulting and fluid flow. Spec. Publ. Geol. Soc. (Lond.) 78, 69–84 (1994)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Regenauer-Lieb, K., Yuen, D. A. & Branlund, J. The initiation of subduction: criticality by addition of water? Science 294, 578–580 (2001)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kolb, J. The role of fluids in partitioning brittle deformation and ductile creep in auriferous shear zones between 500 and 700 °C. Tectonophysics 446, 1–15 (2008)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Mack Kennedey, B. & van Soest, M. C. Flow of mantle fluids through the ductile lower crust. Science 318, 1433–1436 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Regenauer-Lieb, K. Dilatant plasticity applied to Alpine collision: ductile void growth in the intraplate area beneath the Eifel volcanic field. Geodynamics 27, 1–21 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bercovici, D. Generation of plate tectonics from lithosphere-mantle flow and void-volatile self-lubrication. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 154, 139–151 (1998)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Cox, S. F. & Etheridge, M. A. Coupled grain-scale dilatancy and mass transfer during deformation at high fluid pressures: examples from Mount Lyell, Tasmania. J. Struct. Geol. 11, 147–162 (1989)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Watson, E. B. & Brenan, J. M. Fluids in the lithosphere. 1. Experimentally-determined wetting characteristics of CO2–H2O fluids and their implications for fluid transport, host-rock physical properties, and fluid inclusion formation. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 85, 497–515 (1987)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Holness, M. How melted rocks migrate. Science 314, 934–935 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kohlstedt, D. L. & Holtzman, B. K. Shearing melt out of the Earth: an experimentalist’s perspective on the influence of deformation on melt extraction. Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 37, 1–33 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fusseis, F. & Handy, M. R. Micromechanisms of shear zone propagation at the brittle-ductile transition. J. Struct. Geol. 30, 1242–1253 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Fliervoet, T., White, S. H. & Drury, M. R. Evidence for dominant grain-boundary sliding deformation in greenschist- and amphibolite-grade polymineralic ultramylonites from the Redbank Deformed Zone, Central Australia. J. Struct. Geology 19, 1495–1520 (1997)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. White, S. et al. On mylonites in ductile shear zones. J. Struct. Geol. 2, 175–187 (1980)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Wang, Y. et al. A high-throughput X-ray microtomography system at the Advanced Photon Source. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 72, 2062–2068 (2001)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. O’Hara, K. & Blackburn, W. H. Volume-loss model for trace-element enrichments in mylonites. Geology 17, 524–527 (1989)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Wintsch, R. P. & Yi, K. Dissolution and replacement creep: a significant deformation mechanism in mid-crustal rocks. J. Struct. Geol. 24, 1179–1193 (2002)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kruse, R. & Stünitz, H. Deformation mechanism and phase distribution in mafic high-temperature mylonites from the Jotun Nappe, southern Norway. Tectonophysics 303, 223–249 (1999)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Blanchard, C. R. & Chan, K. S. Evidence of grain boundary-sliding-induced cavitation in ceramics under compression. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 76, 1651–1660 (1993)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kassner, M. E. & Hayes, T. A. Creep cavitation in metals. Int. J. Plast. 19, 1715–1748 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Mitra, G. Ductile deformation zones and mylonites: the mechanical processes involved in the deformation of crystalline basement rocks. Am. J. Sci. 278, 1057–1084 (1978)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Atkinson, B. K. Subcritical crack propagation in rocks: theory, experimental results and applications. J. Struct. Geol. 4, 41–56 (1982)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Paterson, M. S. in Superplasticity in Metals, Ceramics, and Intermetallics (eds Mayo, M. J., Kobayashi, M. & Wadsworth, J.) 303–312 (MPR Symp. Proc. 196, Materials Research Society, 1990)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hiraga, T., Nagase, T. & Akizuki, M. The structure of grain boundaries in granite-origin ultramylonite studied by high-resolution electron microscopy. Phys. Chem. Miner. 26, 617–623 (1999)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Shigematsu, N., Fujimoto, K., Ohtani, T. & Goto, K. Ductile fracture of fine-grained plagioclase in the brittle-plastic transition regime: implication for earthquake source nucleation. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 222, 1007–1022 (2004)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Rybacki, E., Wirth, R. & Dresen, G. High-strain creep of feldspar rocks: Implications for cavitation and ductile failure in the lower crust. Geophys. Res. Lett. 35, L04304 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  26. Tullis, J., Yund, R. & Farver, J. Deformation-enhanced fluid distribution in feldspar aggregates and implications for ductile shear zones. Geology 24, 63–66 (1996)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Wark, D. A. & Watson, E. B. Effect of grain size on the distribution and transport of deep-seated fluids and melts. Geophys. Res. Lett. 27, 2029–2032 (2000)

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Regenauer-Lieb, K., Yuen, D. A. & Fusseis, F. Landslides, ice quakes, earthquakes: a thermodynamic approach to surface instabilities. Pure Appl. Geophys (in the press)

  29. Etheridge, M. A., Wall, V. J. & Vernon, R. H. The role of the fluid phase during regional metamorphism and deformation. J. Metamorph. Geol. 1, 205–226 (1983)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. Chokshi, A. H. Cavity nucleation and growth in superplasticity. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 410–411, 95–99 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Australian Synchrotron Research Program, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia under the Major National Research Facilities Program. Use of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory was supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under contract number DE-AC02-06CH11357. The work was supported by iVEC through the use of visualization resources and expertise provided by the WASP and ARRC facilities. We acknowledge the Centre for Microscopy, Characterization and Analysis at the University of Western Australia for the use of its FESEM. Our work was financially supported by the Western Australian Premier’s Research Fellowship program and the University of Western Australia through a research grant. The Multiscale Earth System Dynamics group as well as H. Stuenitz, R. Heilbronner and D. Healy participated in discussions. C. Schrank assisted with data processing.

Author Contributions F.F. did the field work, the FESEM analyses and part of the synchrotron experiment, interpreted the data and co-wrote the paper. K.R.-L. designed the study and co-wrote the paper. J.L. processed and analysed the tomographic data. R.M.H. designed and did part of the synchrotron experiment and co-wrote the paper. F.D.C. did part of the synchrotron experiment and processed tomographic data. All authors discussed the results and commented on the paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Earth & Environment, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia ,

    F. Fusseis & K. Regenauer-Lieb

  2. CSIRO Exploration & Mining, 26 Dick Perry Avenue, Kensington, Western Australia 6151, Australia ,

    K. Regenauer-Lieb, J. Liu & R. M. Hough

  3. Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 South Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA ,

    F. De Carlo

Authors
  1. F. Fusseis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Regenauer-Lieb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. M. Hough
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. F. De Carlo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Fusseis.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

This file contains a Supplementary Discussion, Supplementary Data, Supplementary Methods, Supplementary References, Supplementary Figures 1-3 with Legends and Legends for Movies 1-2 and Supplementary Movies 1-2. (PDF 951 kb)

Movie 1

In this movie we see porosity (red, lowest absortion of X-rays), a mica phase (blue, intermediate absorption) and oxides plus epidote (yellow, high absorption), in subsample B01 from the low-strain shear zone margin ('a' in Supplementary Figure 1). See file s1 for full Legend. (MOV 33303 kb)

Movie 2

In this movie we see isosurfaces representing porosity (red, lowest absortion of X-rays), a mica phase (blue, intermediate absorption) and oxides plus epidote (yellow, high absorption), in subsample H03 from the high-strain shear zone centre ('b' in Supplementary Figure 1). See file s1 for full Legend. (MOV 32156 kb)

Supplementary Movie 1

Supplementary Movie 1 zooms into pores comprising pore sheets in about the centre of subsample H03, which is shown in Figure 3d and movie 2. See file s1 for full Legend. (MOV 12123 kb)

Supplementary Movie 2

Supplementary Movie 2 zooms into pores forming an intracrystalline porous skeleton in a plagioclase clast in the peripheral low-strain sample J01. See file s1 for full Legend. (MOV 17080 kb)

PowerPoint slides

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fusseis, F., Regenauer-Lieb, K., Liu, J. et al. Creep cavitation can establish a dynamic granular fluid pump in ductile shear zones. Nature 459, 974–977 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08051

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08051

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing