Articles | Volume 16, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-16-1181-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-16-1181-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Oct 2025
Research article |
| 27 Oct 2025
| 27 Oct 2025
Dissolution–precipitation creep in polymineralic granitoid shear zones in experiments – Part 1: Strain localization mechanisms
Natalia Nevskaya
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Alfons Berger
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Holger Stünitz
Department of Geology, Tromsø University, Tromsø, 9037, Norway
Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, 45100, France
Weijia Zhan
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, Université d'Orléans, Orléans, 45100, France
Markus Ohl
Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CB, the Netherlands
Oliver Plümper
Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CB, the Netherlands
Marco Herwegh
Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Short summary
Rheology of polymineralic rocks is crucial to unravel the strain and stress distribution in Earth’s middle crust, with implications for seismicity or geothermal systems. Our experimental study of the viscous rheology of natural, fine-grained granitoid rocks shows that dissolution–precipitation creep and pinning are active in extremely weak narrow zones. Due to the polymineralic character, strain localizes with and without a precursory fracture in zones weaker than monomineralic quartz.
Rheology of polymineralic rocks is crucial to unravel the strain and stress distribution in...
