Role of Water in Deformed Omphacite in UHP Eclogite from the Dabie Mountains, Eastern China

Abstract Omphacite grains ftom UHP eclogite of the Dabie Mountains in eastern China are elongated and show strong lattice preferred orientations (LPOs). Observations by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) identified not only structures of plastic deformation occurring as free dislocation, dislocation loops and dislocation walls, but also bubbles of water present in the deformed omphacite. The bubbles attach to the dislocation loops which are often connected to one another via a common bubble. Using infrared spectroscopy (IR), two types of hydrous components are identified as hydroxyl and free‐water in the omphacite. An analysis of deformation mechanism of microstructure in omphacite suggests that the mineral deformed plastically under UHP metamorphic conditions by dislocation creep through hydrolitic weakening.