Interaction of nearby pressure solution seams (PSS) is reflected in their distribution geometry as presented in this Knowledgebase. Mechanical models of pressure solution seams (please see the links below) are used to rationalize the products which are thought to be in part due to such interactions. The anticrack model of Fletcher and Pollard (1981) is used by Mardon (1988) and Sternlof et al. (2005) to infer stresses associated with single and two neighboring PSS. The Localized Volume Reduction Structure (LVRS) model of Katsman et al. (2006) has been used by Aharonov and Katsman (2009) and Zhou and Aydin (2010) to address similar problems in terms of plastic volume reduction. We here provide the main results related to the interaction of pressure solution structures from the latter authors on two neighboring co-linear and echelon pressure solution structures idealized in Figures 1(a) and 1(b), respectively, and the perturbed volumetric plastic strains around their tip regions as plotted in Figures 2(a) and 2(b). Notice the color bar at the bottom, which can be used to visualize the influence of the neighboring PSSs on each other.

Figure 1. Model configurations for two co-linear (a) and echelon (b) Local Volume Reduction Structures (LVRSs) with geometric parameters as shown. From Zhou and Aydin (2010).

Figure 2. Volumetric plastic strain (VPS) distributions between two elliptical in-plane perfectly aligned (a) and slightly offset echelon (b) LVRSs with aspect ratios of 20, internal volume reduction of 0.3, and 100 MPa remote stress applied normal to the LVRSs after 1000 years of deformation. The VPS concentrations at the tip regions reflect the interactions and are thought by the original authors to facilitate lateral linkage between the neighboring LVRSs. From Zhou and Aydin (2010).

The lateral interaction between closely spaced parallel or sub-parallel LVRSs is important for thickening of PSS and the formation and growth of PSS zones. Please see the links, 'Thickening of Pressure Solution Seams' and 'Growth of Pressure Solution Seams.'