Heterogeneous constrictional deformation in a ductile shear zone resulting from the transposition of a lineation-parallel fold

We use new (micro-)structural, petrofabric, strain and vorticity data to analyze the deformation path in a mesoscopic quartz mylonite zone. The mylonite zone resulted from the complete transposition of a stretching lineation-parallel isoclinal fold. Symmetric cleft-girdle quartz c-axis fabrics were recorded in the middle domain, which occupies the inner limbs of the precursor isoclinal fold, while asymmetric cleft- and crossed-girdle fabrics were observed in the upper and lower domains that represent the outer limbs. Constrictional strain, with increasing k values towards the middle domain, is inferred from petrofabric and 3D strain data. Oblique grain shape fabrics yield vorticity estimates of 0.72-0.90 in the zone. However, in the middle domain, pure shear dominated deformation is suggested by orthorhombic crystallographic fabrics. Strain rate is constant throughout the zone; a strain decrease towards the zone center implies that deformation ceased earlier in the middle domain. The data indicates that fold transposition and subsequent mylonitization started as pure-shear-dominated constrictional deformation and progressively changed to simple-shear-dominated, plane strain. During this flow path the asymmetric quartz c-axis fabrics likely developed by depopulation of cleft-girdle maxima rather than from the synthetic rotation of fabric maxima itself. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.