pressure solution

{{short description|Rock deformation mechanism involving minerals dissolution under mechanical stress}}

Image:Pressure solution sandstone.svg. Left box shows the situation before compaction. Red arrows indicate areas of maximum stress (= grain contacts). Blue arrows indicate the flow of dissolved species (e.g., {{chem|Ca|2+}} and {{chem|HCO|3|–}} in case of limestone) in aqueous solution. Right box shows the situation after compaction. In light coloured areas new mineral growth has reduced pore space.]]

File:Deformed corals+pressure solution.JPG limestone showing flattening accommodated both by plastic deformation of the corals and pressure solution along stylolites.]]

In structural geology and diagenesis, pressure solution or pressure dissolution is a deformation mechanism that involves the dissolution of minerals at grain-to-grain contacts into an aqueous pore fluid in areas of relatively high stress and either deposition in regions of relatively low stress within the same rock or their complete removal from the rock within the fluid. It is an example of diffusive mass transfer.{{Cite journal|last=Rutter|first= E.H. |year=1983 |title=Pressure solution in nature, theory and experiment. |journal=Journal of the Geological Society, London|volume= 140|pages= 725–740|url=http://jgs.lyellcollection.org/cgi/content/abstract/140/5/725|access-date=24 November 2010 |issue=5 |doi=10.1144/gsjgs.140.5.0725|bibcode=1983JGSoc.140..725R|s2cid= 128543175 }}

The detailed kinetics of the process was reviewed by Rutter (1976),{{cite journal|first=E. H. |last=Rutter|title=The kinetics of rock deformation by pressure solution|journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A|volume= 283|issue=1312|pages= 203–219| year=1976|jstor=74639|doi=10.1098/rsta.1976.0079|bibcode=1976RSPTA.283..203R|s2cid=109869067 }} and since then such kinetics has been used in

many applications{{Cite journal|first=X. S.|last= Yang|title= Pressure solution in sedimentary basins: effect of temperature gradient|journal=Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.|volume= 176|issue= 2|pages= 233–243|year=2000|doi=10.1016/s0012-821x(99)00321-0|arxiv=1003.4970|bibcode=2000E&PSL.176..233Y|s2cid= 119161222}} in earth sciences.