资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

To investigate the effect of water on the rheological properties of enstatite, we have conducted triaxial compressive creep experiments on enstatite aggregates using a gas medium apparatus at a confining pressure of 300 MPa and temperatures of 1373-1473 K under both water-saturated and anhydrous conditions. Samples were mainly deformed in the dislocation creep regime; analyses of mechanical data yield activation energies of 603 and 567 kJ/mol for hydrous and anhydrous conditions, respectively. Under similar differential stress and temperature, the creep rate of enstatite under water-saturated conditions is a factor of similar to 50 greater than that under anhydrous conditions. Based on a comparison of creep strength between olivine and enstatite in the dislocation creep regime, our results suggest that, at least under limited pressure and temperature conditions, enstatite is weaker than olivine. The results from this study provide a solid database for modeling geological processes occurring within Earth's interior.