Garnet Nucleation and Growth Kinetics

9805243斯皮尔在造山（造山）过程中，时间是最重要、也是最难量化的变量之一。虽然我们今天可以直接测量一些活动构造带的构造过程速率，但我们对过去的构造过程速率几乎没有限制。本研究旨在对不同构造环境下的变质岩的相对变质速率进行定量比较。变质作用速率与升温速率和构造扰动速率（如埋藏速率和掘出速率）直接相关，因此，对变质作用速率的量化将直接导致对古造山带构造过程进行限制的最终目标。通过对石榴石带岩石的成核速率和石榴石生长速率的详细分析，可以定量地限制变质作用的速率。这将通过统计方法、图像分析、热力学分析和石榴石成分分区的动力学建模来完成

9805243SpearOne of the most important, and difficult to quantify, variables in orogenic (mountain-building) processes is time. Whereas we can measure rates of tectonic processes directly in some active tectonic belts today, we have very few constraints on the rates of tectonic processes in the past. The proposed research is designed to produce quantitative comparisons of the relative rates of metamorphism in metamorphic rocks from different tectonic environments. Rates of metamorphism are directly related to rates of heating and rates of tectonic disturbances (e.g. rates of burial and exhumation), so quantification of metamorphic rates will lead directly to the ultimate goal of placing constraints on tectonic processes in ancient orogenic belts. Rates of metamorphism will be quantitatively constrained by detailed analysis of the rates of nucleation and growth of garnet from rocks of the garnet zone. This will be accomplished through statistical methods, image analysis, thermodynamic analysis and kinetic modeling of garnet compositional zoning