Numerical Study on Stress Heterogeneity Development in Two-Phase Rocks with Large Rheological Contrast and Implications in the Lower Crust

Development of stress heterogeneity in two-phase rocks was investigated via a finite element method at 1000–1200 K and 100 MPa. Two groups of rock models were considered: anorthite–diopside and anorthite–clinopyroxene, with a phase volume ratio of 1:1 in each group and different dislocation creep rates between phases (~ 4–8 orders of magnitude). Our numerical results indicate that the stress inside the model can be several times higher than the differential stress applied to the model and stress will tend to concentrate in hard phase, especially near the sharp boundaries with soft phase. Moreover, large stress gradient in hard phase and nearly homogeneous stress in soft phase will lead to the initialization of localized dynamic recrystallization or fracture. These numerical observations suggest that the rheological contrast between two phases plays a crucial role in stress heterogeneity rather than other factors (such as grain size, the boundary conditions or mesh density), which may eventually accelerate development of stress heterogeneity in the lower crust. Our study provides new insights into the dynamic processes of grain size reduction in the lower crust, which may cause the transformation from dislocation creep to diffusion creep and enable the weakened shear zones.