Elastic geobarometry beyond cubic hosts

In this publication, Joseph Gonzalez, Mattia Mazzucchelli developed and tested a new model for elastic thermobarometry that will allow for the use of non-cubic host minerals. Previously, reliable applications of elastic geobarometry models were limited to inclusions contained in nearly elastically isotropic host minerals, like garnet. This obviously limits the types of rocks elastic geobarometry can be used to study. In this study, a new model was developed for elastic thermobarometric calculations that is based on the deformation tensor of the host and inclusion and accounts for the elastic anisotropies of both the host and inclusion, and their relative crystallographic orientation. Lastly the model was used to investigate the suitability of the quartz-in-zircon host-inclusion system for elastic thermobarometry. The model results suggest that this host-inclusion system can be reliably used for barometric determinations.