Microstructural Evidence for Intracrystalline Plasticity

Whitney Behr, University of Texas Austin

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This page first made public: Jun 1, 2012

Summary

The practical is designed to introduce a variety of microstructures caused by intracrystalline deformational mechanisms in rock-forming minerals: in particular, those in which dislocation movement plays a major role.

Microstructures, Deformation Mechanisms, Fabrics, Rheology/Behavior ...(more) | Graduate/Professional

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Context

Audience

This activity is designed for a graduate lecture/lab/field course in microstructures and rock rheology.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

Basic structural geology, basic petrography, basic mineralogy

How the activity is situated in the course

As one of 4-5 dominantly petrographic exercises given throughout the semester.

Goals

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Intracrystalline deformation mechanisms, petrographic recognition of features related to dislocation motion and dislocation creep

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

Synthesis of ideas learned in lecture. Students are given some direction, but the questions and exercises are mostly free-form, requiring the students to choose their own organizational style for their descriptions and sketches.

Other skills goals for this activity

Some writing required,

Description and Teaching Materials

The movie in Exercise 1 can be accessed here: http://www.atmos.albany.edu/geology/webpages/wdmovies/02.mov.

Exercise 2 requires several rock thin sections and associated hand samples. Although the descriptions and questions asked in this lab are specific to rocks and thin sections within my own collection, most features described can be found in similar rocks collected elsewhere.