In the complex geodynamic processes occurring at convergent plate margins, rocks can be subducted at depth into the Earth experiencing metamorphism. A mineral inhomogeneity entrapped into another mineral, after exhumation to the Earth surface, will exhibit stress and strain fields different from those of the host because of the different thermoelastic properties. In the present paper, we propose a finite-element-based approach to determine the Eshelby and the relaxations tensors for any morphology of the inhomogeneity and for any crystallographic symmetry of the host. The proposed procedure can be directly applied in the framework of elastic geobarometry to estimate, on the basis of the Eshelby theory, the entrapment conditions (pressure and temperature) from the residual strain field measured in the inhomogeneity. This aspect represents a step forward to currently available models for geobarometry allowing the investigation of complex morphologies of the inhomogeneity in systems with general material anisotropy. We validate the proposed approach versus Eshelby analytical solutions available for spherical and ellipsoidal inclusions and we show the application to a real geological case of high pressure metamorphic rocks.
A numerical application of the Eshelby theory for geobarometry of non-ideal host-inclusion systems
Morganti S.;Mazzucchelli M. L.;Alvaro M.;Reali A.
2020-01-01
Abstract
In the complex geodynamic processes occurring at convergent plate margins, rocks can be subducted at depth into the Earth experiencing metamorphism. A mineral inhomogeneity entrapped into another mineral, after exhumation to the Earth surface, will exhibit stress and strain fields different from those of the host because of the different thermoelastic properties. In the present paper, we propose a finite-element-based approach to determine the Eshelby and the relaxations tensors for any morphology of the inhomogeneity and for any crystallographic symmetry of the host. The proposed procedure can be directly applied in the framework of elastic geobarometry to estimate, on the basis of the Eshelby theory, the entrapment conditions (pressure and temperature) from the residual strain field measured in the inhomogeneity. This aspect represents a step forward to currently available models for geobarometry allowing the investigation of complex morphologies of the inhomogeneity in systems with general material anisotropy. We validate the proposed approach versus Eshelby analytical solutions available for spherical and ellipsoidal inclusions and we show the application to a real geological case of high pressure metamorphic rocks.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
