HR: 0800h
AN: T21B-0474    [Abstracts]
TI: Particle interaction, strain localization, and bulk rheology of heterogeneous viscous rocks
AU: * Schmid, D W
EM: schmid@fys.uio.no
AF: Physics of Geological Processes, University of Oslo Pb 1048 Blindern, Oslo, 0316 Norway
AB: Strain localization and force chains are usually associated with solids that yield. Substantial work has gone into establishing the dynamics of such systems by using laboratory and numerical experiments on granular media. Natural rocks often show transitions from this type of behavior to ductile flow; in end-member cases we may only observe ductile flow. Ductile (viscous) rocks show similar behavior to plastic ones, for example they also exhibit strain localization in otherwise homogenous material. Based on finite element simulations where heterogeneous rocks are explicitly resolved it is shown that rocks in the ductile regime are similar to the granular media ones. Strain localization, bulk rheology changes, and development of anisotropy are quantified and in addition the existence of force chains in heterogeneous, viscous rocks demonstrated.
DE: 8012 High strain deformation zones
SC: Tectonophysics [T]
MN: Fall Meeting 2005