Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade
Mechanical twins are common microstructures in deformed calcite. Calcite twins have been used for a long time as indicators of stress/strain orientations and magnitudes. Developments during the last decade point toward significant improvements of existing techniques as well as new applications of ca...
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MDPI AG
2021-10-01
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/11/445 |
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author | Olivier Lacombe Camille Parlangeau Nicolas E. Beaudoin Khalid Amrouch |
author_facet | Olivier Lacombe Camille Parlangeau Nicolas E. Beaudoin Khalid Amrouch |
author_sort | Olivier Lacombe |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Mechanical twins are common microstructures in deformed calcite. Calcite twins have been used for a long time as indicators of stress/strain orientations and magnitudes. Developments during the last decade point toward significant improvements of existing techniques as well as new applications of calcite twin analysis in tectonic studies. This review summarises the recent progress in the understanding of twin formation, including nucleation and growth of twins, and discusses the concept of CRSS and its dependence on several factors such as strain, temperature and grain size. Classical and recent calcite twin measurement techniques are also presented and their pros and cons are discussed. The newly proposed inversion techniques allowing for the use of calcite twins as indicators of orientations and/or magnitudes of stress and strain are summarized. Benefits for tectonic studies are illustrated through the presentation of several applications, from the scale of the individual tectonic structure to the continental scale. The classical use of calcite twin morphology (e.g., thickness) as a straightforward geothermometer is critically discussed in the light of recent observations that thick twins do not always reflect deformation temperature above 170–200 °C. This review also presents how the age of twinning events in natural rocks can be constrained while individual twins cannot be dated yet. Finally, the review addresses the recent technical and conceptual progress in calcite twinning paleopiezometry, together with the promising combination of this paleopiezometer with mechanical analysis of fractures or stylolite roughness. |
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issn | 2076-3263 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T05:27:35Z |
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spelling | doaj.art-72542d78c985465aa9865ee96a3dbf5c2023-11-22T23:29:47ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632021-10-01111144510.3390/geosciences11110445Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last DecadeOlivier Lacombe0Camille Parlangeau1Nicolas E. Beaudoin2Khalid Amrouch3Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP), Sorbonne Université, CNRS-INSU, 75005 Paris, FranceLaboratoire Biogéosciences, Université de Dijon, 21000 Dijon, FranceLaboratoire des Fluides Complexes et Leurs Réservoirs, Université de Pau et des Pays de l’Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, TotalEnergies, LFCR, 64000 Pau, FranceAustralian School of Petroleum, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, AustraliaMechanical twins are common microstructures in deformed calcite. Calcite twins have been used for a long time as indicators of stress/strain orientations and magnitudes. Developments during the last decade point toward significant improvements of existing techniques as well as new applications of calcite twin analysis in tectonic studies. This review summarises the recent progress in the understanding of twin formation, including nucleation and growth of twins, and discusses the concept of CRSS and its dependence on several factors such as strain, temperature and grain size. Classical and recent calcite twin measurement techniques are also presented and their pros and cons are discussed. The newly proposed inversion techniques allowing for the use of calcite twins as indicators of orientations and/or magnitudes of stress and strain are summarized. Benefits for tectonic studies are illustrated through the presentation of several applications, from the scale of the individual tectonic structure to the continental scale. The classical use of calcite twin morphology (e.g., thickness) as a straightforward geothermometer is critically discussed in the light of recent observations that thick twins do not always reflect deformation temperature above 170–200 °C. This review also presents how the age of twinning events in natural rocks can be constrained while individual twins cannot be dated yet. Finally, the review addresses the recent technical and conceptual progress in calcite twinning paleopiezometry, together with the promising combination of this paleopiezometer with mechanical analysis of fractures or stylolite roughness.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/11/445calcite twinscritical resolved shear stressstressstrainpaleopiezometry |
spellingShingle | Olivier Lacombe Camille Parlangeau Nicolas E. Beaudoin Khalid Amrouch Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade Geosciences calcite twins critical resolved shear stress stress strain paleopiezometry |
title | Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade |
title_full | Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade |
title_fullStr | Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade |
title_full_unstemmed | Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade |
title_short | Calcite Twin Formation, Measurement and Use as Stress–Strain Indicators: A Review of Progress over the Last Decade |
title_sort | calcite twin formation measurement and use as stress strain indicators a review of progress over the last decade |
topic | calcite twins critical resolved shear stress stress strain paleopiezometry |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/11/11/445 |
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