Nonhydrostatic thermodynamics and its geologic applications

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The general principles of equilibrium thermodynamics are briefly stated in a form conveniently applicable to nonhydrostatic problems, i.e., with emphasis on the aspects, absent from hydrostatic applications, that have sometimes caused confusion. The importance of taking into account fully and clearly the constraints involved in a particular problem and of treating the work term very carefully in considering an energy variation are particularly emphasized. For illustration the following problems of geologic interest are treated: (1) equilibrium between a stressed solid and its solution, including the ‘pressure solution’ problem; (2) recrystallization under stress and the resulting crystallographic preferred orientation in aggregates; (3) coherent phase transitions under stress; and (4) diffusion in a stressed solid.