Newtonian dislocation creep in quartzites: implications for the rheology of the lower crust

Science. 1994 Aug 26;265(5176):1204-6. doi: 10.1126/science.265.5176.1204.

Abstract

Mechanical and microstructural evidence indicates that a natural and a synthetic quartzite deformed by Newtonian dislocation (Harper-Dorn) creep at temperatures higher than 1073 K and stresses lower than 300 megapascals. The observation of this creep in these materials suggests that the lower crust may flow like a Newtonian viscous fluid by a dislocation mechanism at stresses much smaller than those previously postulated.