Grain-size effects during semi-brittle flow of calcite rocks

TL;DR

This study investigates how grain size influences the rheological behavior of calcite rocks during semi-brittle flow, revealing that smaller grains increase strength and hardening, with microcracking and twinning playing secondary roles.

Contribution

It provides new quantitative insights into the relationship between grain size and deformation behavior in calcite rocks across a range of conditions.

Findings

Flow stress scales with inverse grain size to the 1/3 to 2/3 power.

Hardening rate decreases linearly with log of grain size.

Microcracking and twinning have secondary effects compared to grain size.

Abstract

We study the role of grain size in the rheological behaviour of calcite aggregates in the semi-brittle regime. We conduct triaxial deformation tests on three rocks, Solnhofen limestone, Carrara marble and Wombeyan marble, with average grain sizes of 5-10 $\mu$m, 200 $\mu$m and 2 mm, respectively, at pressures in the range 200-800 MPa and temperatures in the range 20-400 $^\circ$C. At all conditions, both strength and hardening rate increase with decreasing grain size. Flow stress scales with the inverse of grain size to a power between 1/3 and 2/3. Hardening rate decreases linearly with the logarithm of grain size. In-situ ultrasonic monitoring reveals that P-wave speed tends to decrease with increasing strain, and that this decrease is more marked at room temperature than at 200 and 400 $^\circ$C. The decrease in wave speed is consistent with microcracking, which is more prevalent at low temperature and low pressure. Microstructural observations reveal high twin densities in all deformed samples. Twin density increases with stress, consistent with previous datasets. Spatial distributions of intragranular misorientation indicate that twins are sometimes obstacles to dislocation motion, but this effect is not ubiquitous. Computed slip-transfer statistics indicate that that twins are typically weaker barriers to dislocation glide than grain boundaries, so that their effect on dislocation accumulation and hardening rates is likely smaller than the effect of grain size. Indeed, our data reveal that grain size exerts a first-order control on flow stress and hardening in calcite, whereas twinning may only have a secondary impact on these behaviours.