9726125 Hirth Understanding the deformation history and deformation mechanisms of rocks is a major goal of structural geology and tectonics. Some studies have focused on experimentally determined conditions under which rocks deform, and others have made observations in naturally deformed rocks. This collaborative proposal is unique without it brings together scientists who have worked in the laboratory with those who have strong reputations for their work in the field. This collaboration will so far to solve the problem of extrapolating from high strain rates of experiments to the slower strain-rates of natural samples. The results of this study will bear directly on understanding the natural conditions of deformation, especially those of dislocation creep, in quartz and in olivine. Because these minerals are major components of the crust and upper mantle, respectively, we will understand much better the processes by which the crust and lithosphere deform.
