09/01/2026
Most movement deep within the Earth's crust happens slowly over long periods of time, not just during major . However, scientists still do not fully understand exactly how rocks gradually change shape or how fluids move through them underground. A research team led by Dr. Djordje Grujic of Dalhousie Earth and Environmental Sciences Dalhousie University is studying one process that may help explain this slow movement.
The research focuses on quartz-rich from New Zealand's Alpine Fault. The team investigated whether minerals slowly dissolve in areas under high pressure and then re-form in nearby areas, allowing rocks to gradually deform over time. They also examined whether tiny spaces between mineral grains open and close as the grains move, creating temporary pathways that allow fluids to flow through the rock.
They used advanced X-ray techniques to analyze the rocks at a microscopic scale, looking for small chemical differences and changes in the structure of quartz crystals that could reveal how the rocks had deformed. While the chemical differences were smaller than expected, the crystal structure measurements are helping the team determine whether different parts of the rock were affected by different deformation processes.
The findings will improve scientists' understanding of how deep change and how fluids move underground over time. This knowledge could lead to better models of earthquake-generating faults and support research in areas such as geothermal energy, carbon storage, and other underground systems.
