Work

The Magnetic Signature of Shear Zones in Marbles and Experimental Simulations

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT The presented datasets were acquired to bridge the gap between microscale deformation structures and bulk fabric signals by integrating anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, microstructural, crystallographic texture and experimental data from shear zones. They provide a standardized and reproducible framework for linking deformation mechanisms to magnetic fabric development, which improves interpretations of strain localization and tectonic evolution in shear zones. This dataset consists of three sets of data that document how deformation mechanisms and conditions affect deformation localization: (1) microstructural and magnetic records from a low‐temperature (~500°C), mesoscale shear zone in marble formed by a single deformation event with strong localization on microscale; (2) microstructural and magnetic data from a high‐temperature (~600°C) mesoscale shear zone in marble with one main acting ductile deformation mechanism; and (3) data from analogue experiments simulating pure shear, simple shear, and shear zone deformation in submagmatic systems using a shear‐thinning thixotropic material. All the datasets are openly accessible via PANGAEA repository. This collection enables researchers to investigate the influence of deformation localization, deformation mechanisms, and pre‐existing fabrics on anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility signatures not only for marbles, while also providing insights into the general principles governing magnetic fabric development in shear zones. It provides a valuable resource for studies in structural geology, rock magnetism and geophysics, and can be reused for numerical modelling of magnetic fabric development, deformation mechanisms and slip systems studies, as well as for educational purposes related to rock deformation.

Source: Geoscience Data Journal

DOI: 10.1002/gdj3.70098