Strain Localized Deformation Variation of a Small-Scale Ductile Shear Zone

A continental-scale strike-slip shear zone frequently presents a long-lasting deformation and physical expression of strain localization in a middle to lower crustal level.However,the deformation evolution of strain localization at a small-scale remains unclear.This study investigated<10 cm wide shear zones developing in undeformed granodiorites exposed at the boundary of the continental-scale Gaoligong strike-slip shear zone.The small-scale ductile shear zones exhibit a typical transition from protomylonite,mylonite to extremely deformed ultramylonite,and decreasing mineral size from coarse-grained aggregates to extremely fine-grained mixed phases.Shearing sense indicators such as hornblende and feldspar porphyroclasts in the shear zone are the more significantly low-strain zone of mylonite.The microstructure and EBSD results revealed that the small-scale shear zone experienced ductile deformation under medium-high temperature conditions.Quartz aggregates suggested a consistent temperature with an irregular feature,exhibiting a dominated high-temperature prism <a> slip system.Additionally,coarse-grained aggregates in the mylonite of the shear zone were deformed predominantly by dislocation creep,while ultra-plastic flow by viscous grain boundary sliding was an essential deformation process in the extremely fine-grained(~50μm)mixed-phases in the ultramylonite.Microstructural-derived strain rates calculated from quartz paleopiezometry were on the order of 10^(-15) to 10^(-13) s^(-1)from low-strain mylonite to high strained ultramylonite.The localization and strain ratelimited process was fluid-assisted precipitation presenting transitions of compositions as hydrous retrogression of hornblende to mica during increasing deformation and exhumation.Furthermore,the potential occurrence of the small-scale shear zone was initiated at a middle-deep crust seated crustal condition dominated by the temperature-controlled formation and rheological weakening.

Deformation behavior and fluid action of quartz veins in the Xuelongshan metamorphic complex,Western Yunnan

The Xuelongshan metamorphic complex underwent Cenozoic sinistral strike-slip shearing and exhumation from deep to shallow in the southeast margin of the Tibet Plateau.We studied the deformation behavior and fluid action of quartz veins in the metamorphic complex in depth based on macroscopic observation,electron backscatter diffraction fabric,and fluid inclusion analysis.The mylonitic samples are characterized by strongly elongated and orientated porphyroclasts and a finegrained matrix with a shear strain of 2.4.The ultramylonitic samples are characterized by a strongly fine-grained matrix with a shear strain of 5.8.The{m}glide controls the quartz deformation in the mylonites and ultramylonites.As the dominant recovery mechanism,subgrain rotation dynamic recrystallization reduces the grain size and promotes rheological weakening.The porphyroclasts restrict the crystal orientation of the recrystallized quartz matrix.The mylonitic quartz veins have abundant single-phase and two-phase fluid inclusions.However,the ultramylonitic quartz veins have a few fluid inclusions,most of which are small and irregular toward the grain boundaries.The temperature and pressure of fluid activity in quartz veins are 550–500℃and 391–218 MPa for ultramylonitic quartz veins,with a depth of 14.2–7.9 km and 450–400℃and 236–91 MPa for mylonitic quartz veins,with a depth of 8.6–3.3 km.The deformation process changes the shape of fluid inclusions from mylonitization to ultramylonitization and causes fluid leakage,an increase in local fluid pressure at the boundary,and hydrolysis weakening,promoting lattice dislocation glide and recrystallization,which is directly related to regional continuous shear deformation and exhumation.