Deformation and recrystallisation of orthopyroxene from the giles complex, Central Australia

The microstructures and fabrics of naturally deformed orthopyroxenites from the Giles Complex, central Australia are described in some detail. Coarse grained enstatite is deformed and recrystallised where it is incorporated in planar gneissic (mylonite) zones which show a gradation in strain from their margins inwards. Deformation takes place by slip on (100) [001] to produce regular lattice bending and kinking, and recrystallisation takes place preferentially along grain boundaries and kink band boundaries (KBB's). The microstructures and preferred orientation of recrystallised grains along KBB's are interpreted in terms of possible nucleation mechanisms, and both bulge nucleation (Bailey and Hirsch, 1962) and subgrain coalescence (Hu, 1963) are likely contributors. Electron microprobe analyses have indicated a small compositional difference between new (recrystallised) and host (deformed) grains, which is related to the nucleation mechanism. The total preferred orientation patterns for host and new grains are discussed with special reference to previous measurements and interpretations.