Assessment of Quartz Grain Growth and the Application of the Wattmeter to Predict Quartz Recrystallized Grain Sizes

Relationships between the recrystallized grain size and stress are investigated for experimentally deformed water-added quartz aggregates. For stresses ≥100 MPa there is a variation in measured given stress. This correlates with change c-axis fabric general shear experiments, where samples larger sizes have dominantly prism fabrics smaller basal fabrics. The dislocation creep flow law also changes at conditions these two form (Tokle et al., 2019, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2018.10.017). Using wattmeter model (Austin & Evans, 2007, https://doi.org/10.1130/G23244A.1), different piezometric relationships quantified that develop fabrics, respectively. sensitive to growth kinetics; new formulated based on reanalysis of microstructures from previous work. activation enthalpies water fugacity exponents our laws same within error, suggesting versus nearly independent temperature fugacity, consistent laboratory observations. wattmeters successfully predict all quartzite experiments added water. These results support use extrapolation both experimental geologic investigate state evolution rich rocks.