Fabric development as the key for forming ductile shear zones and enabling plate tectonics

► The paper describes how to estimate the localization potential of several processes. ► Shear heating, grain size reduction, and metamorphism are discussed. ► Development of a foliated fabric has the highest potential for localization. ► Localization is possible only if hydrated minerals are present. ► This work explains the absence of ductile localization and plate tectonics on Venus.