How do petrological transformations and fluid–rock interactions affect deformation in the lower crust and, consequently, large-scale tectonic processes?
To address this question, members of our research group studied rock samples originating from the lower crust beneath the Pannonian Basin and carried out numerical simulations. The results indicate that the breakdown of strong garnet minerals may contribute to maintaining the lower crust in a weak and easily deformable state. This process may have played a role in the development of the present-day structure of the Pannonian Basin and may also influence the style of currently active tectonic deformation and the pathways of fluid flow.
Further details can be found in our publication in Scientific Reports, a journal of the Nature Portfolio:
Kristóf Porkoláb, Kálmán Török, Tamás Spránitz, István János Kovács, Eszter Békési, Márta Berkesi
Large-scale rheological and tectonic effects of localized garnet breakdown: a case from the Pannonian Basin
Scientific Reports,