Background
What is the Earth's interior made of and what are the physical and chemical properties of these rocks and minerals? How do rocks and minerals deform under the high pressure and temperature conditions that prevail in the Earth's interior? What influence do chemical reactions between the minerals have on the deformation behaviour of the rocks?
To investigate these fundamental questions, we carry out laboratory experiments on rock and mineral samples, which we characterise chemically and structurally before and after the experiments. The machines we use for the experiments allow us to produce synthetic rocks and minerals under high pressures and temperatures and, if necessary, allow them to react. We can also deform rock samples under high pressures and temperatures to study and quantify their deformation behaviour.
Our experimental findings help us to better understand the structure of the Earth. The experimental data on the stability of mantle rocks and minerals help us to better understand the physical properties of the Earth's mantle, e.g. seismic discontinuities and deep earthquakes. Our results on the deformation behaviour of rocks and minerals not only shed light on how the Earth's interior deforms, but also how these processes can fundamentally influence the structure of the Earth's surface. Experimental results on the deformation behaviour of rocks and minerals form an important basis for geodynamic modelling, which allows us to understand geological processes lasting thousands to millions of years.
Key scientifc questions
What is the mutual influence of metamorphic reactions on rock deformation?
What is the strength of rocks at depths of the lower crust and upper mantle?
What is the Earth's interior made of and what are the physical properties of minerals in the Earth's interior?
How does the stability of minerals in the Earth's mantle change with their chemical composition?
Related projects
Linking metamorphic reactions with changes in rheological behaviour
Quantifiying plastic deformation processes in silicates using novel experimental techniques