The ductile deformation of rocks is a key processes in the development of large- and small-scale structures as well as a first-order control on major tectonic events. Importantly, the mechanics and kinematics of processes at the outcrop scale up to the plate scale are intimately linked to physical mechanisms at the grain scale and below. Furthermore, details of these grain-scale processes strongly depend on microstructure, while simultaneously inducing microstructural evolution. Feedbacks can therefore arise between deformation and microstructure, resulting in a wide range of dynamic behavior. The link between microstructure and deformation also implies that the final microstructure, preserved once deformation has ceased, contains information about past processes, the activity of particular deformation mechanisms, and the thermomechanical conditions during deformation.

In this context, we aim to gather researchers working on the ductile deformation of rocks and rock analogues to shed light on the myriad interactions among grain-scale and tectonic-scale processes, mechanisms of deformation, and associated microstructural evolution. Key examples include feedbacks between deformation mechanism and microstructure responsible for large-scale strain localization, the dependence of observable microstructures (e.g., grain size) on the processes operating during deformation (e.g., recrystallization mechanism), and predictions of deformation mechanisms in Earth based on field observations, extrapolations from the laboratory, and theoretical models. We invite submissions focused on any material relevant to Earth; from laboratory, field, and numerical perspectives; and considering processes from the brittle-ductile transition to the flow of partially molten rocks.

Confirmed Invited Speakers:
Greg Hirth (Brown University)
Luca Menegon(Plymouth University)