Antitaxial crack-seal vein microstructures and their relationship to displacement paths

Abstract

The microstructures developed in an example of a syntectonic crack-seal vein indicate that antitaxial fibres do not necessarily track the incremental opening history during crack-seal vein growth. This observation serves as a caution against the uncritical use of fibrous microstructures to make inferences about displacement histories during fibre formation. It is demonstrated that crack-seal processes can lead to the development of both irregular and laminated vein microstructures, as well as fibrous microstructures. The types of microstructures which develop in crack-seal veins, and the extent to which they reflect the opening paths of veins depend on a range of factors. The most important of these include the nucleation and growth kinetics of phases precipitated from fluids in opening fractures, and the location of sites of material accretion during successive crack-seal increments. Show more