Deformation of mafic schists from subducted oceanic crust at high pressure and temperature conditions

•Mafic schists from subducted oceanic crust deform by semi-brittle processes at the conditions of experiments.•Strength of the maciffic schists increases with increasing degree of prograde metamorphism.•All sample types exhibit a high stress exponent (n > 15) and strain rate strengthening (i.e., positive a–b values).•Our experimental results are consistent with that the general absence of crustal seismicity in hot subduction zones.•The semi-brittle deformation could control the slab-mantle decoupling and the exhumation process of these rocks. We conducted triaxial deformation experiments using a Griggs-type solid pressure-medium apparatus on two mafic schists that experienced different peak metamorphic conditions from the Sambagawa metamorphic belt; a greenschist and an epidote-amphibole schist. At a confining pressure of 1GPa, 400°C and strain rate of 10–5 1/s, differential stresses for all mafic schists were higher than 1GPa. The greenschist samples were weaker than epidote-amphibolite samples under all experimental conditions. Microstructures of recovered samples of greenschist indicate that deformation of mafic schist is accommodated by semi-brittle deformation. Samples of the epidote-amphibole schist deformed at 500°C show shear localization along a single fault oriented parallel to the foliation, while mechanical data shows no rapid stress drop. On the surface of the fault, we observe the formation of slickensides with little gouge. All sample types exhibit a high stress exponent (n > 15) and strain rate strengthening (i.e., positive a–b values); frictional behavior that inhibits earthquake nucleation. Differential stress increased with increasing confining pressure, while the friction coefficient decreased with increasing confining pressure and temperature. Greenschist and epidote-amphibolite facies metamorphism typically occurs at hot subduction zones such as Cascadia and southwest Japan. The lack of seismicity within the subducting oceanic crust at hot subduction zones could be explained by semi-brittle deformation, or frictional sliding with a positive (a – b) during deformation of these types of metamorphic rocks. Weak and aseismic fault zones in subducting slabs might promote slab-mantle decoupling at the corner of the mantle wedge, and detachment and underplating of oceanic crust from the subducting slab to forearc crust.