dear colleagues,

lets make a decent New Year resolution: submit an abstract to EGU General Assembly in Vienna (12-17 April  2015)!  we would particularly like to encourage you to submit an abstract to the following session in order to contribute to a discussion on this very important topic:

Geodynamic implications of petrological observations indicating non-lithostatic pressure

Convener: L. Tajcmanova

Co-convener: J. Vrijmoed; S. Schmalholz, R. Powell

Invited talks: Jay Ague and Evangelos Moulas

Metamorphic petrologists as well as structural geologists bring the only direct rock-based observational constraints for geodynamic models. If properly quantified and interpreted, fabrics and microstructures in rocks provide fundamental constraints on lithospheric evolution. However, in the context of the complexity of observations application of inappropriate quantification approaches may lead to flawed interpretations.

Mechanical effects may result in the development of pressure variations on all scales and thus are critical for interpreting microstructural and mineral composition observations in rocks. Such effects may influence element transport properties, mineral assemblage and rheological behavior. Considering the interplay of mechanical properties and metamorphic reactions is therefore critical for a correct interpretation of observations in metamorphic rocks as well as for quantification of the processes. Recent microstructural observations and mechanical models taking into account this interplay question the current quantification approach in metamorphic petrology based on the uniform application of the homogeneous pressure assumption. The key step is therefore to understand how the pressure effect influences the thermodynamic formulations and how flawed the current quantification approach might be.

We aim to discuss 1/ implications of all current approaches for phase equilibria modeling as well as diffusion modeling 2/ the impact of ignoring grain-scale pressure variations on geodynamic modeling and our understanding of the processes in the Earth’s interior 3/ suggestions on how to deal with particular enigmatic petrology observations. Contributions from the natural samples, experiments, as well as theoretical and modelling studies, are welcome.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES:

Abstract submission:             7 January 2015, 13.00 CET

Deadline for Early Registration: 12 March 2015

RELEVANT LINKS:

to the session description:

http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2015/session/17221

abstract submission:

https://administrator.copernicus.org/authentication.php

EGU 2015 main web page: http://www.egu2015.eu/home.html

We are looking forward to meeting you and discussing with you in Vienna!

Best regards, 

Lucie, Hans, Stefan, Roger