A coupled model for intragranular deformation and chemical diffusion

We apply our model to a chemically zoned plagioclase rim in a spherical coordinate frame assuming homogeneous initial pressure. Using thermodynamic data, an experimentally derived diffusion coefficient and a viscous flow law for plagioclase, our numerical simulations show that up to ∼0.6 GPa grain-scale pressure variation is generated during the diffusion-deformation process. Due to the mechanical-chemical coupling, the pressure variations maintain the chemical zonation longer than predicted by the classical diffusion model. The fully coupled mechanical-chemical model provides an alternative explanation for the preservation of chemically zoned minerals, and may contribute to a better understanding of metamorphic processes in the deep Earth interior.