Olivine slip system variation with strain rate and deformation conditions in large planetary bodies

Shock deformation is the common deformation type in the solar system, and olivine is one of the most abundant rock-forming minerals found in the planet’s basalts or mantle residuals. This project studied strained olivine under two distinctive deformation schemes, shock metamorphism and tectonism, by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD). We will examine the subdomain misorientation induced by non-uniformly distributed strains from shock deformation. We will also focus on lattice preferred orientation to study unique olivine slip systems developed under different deformation schemes. The rock sample in this project covers a wide-range of meteorites from other large planetary bodies and terrestrial rocks from earth basalts and mantle xenoliths. It provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the mantle formation and the shock effects by using the earth samples as a comparison. The project will shed light on the current shock study and help people to probe the formation of the solar system.

Faculty Supervisor:

Phil McCausland

Student:

Partner:

Texas Tech University

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Education

University:

The University of Western Ontario

Program: