Reversed structures and bounce structures: are they recognizable? Are they real?

This note poses two related questions about structural evolution in rocks. How easy is it to recognize structural features that have reversed their sense of development over time? Are there circumstances in rock deformation where early intensification of structure sows the seeds for a later, more or less inevitable, diminution of intensity? It is suggested, as a partial answer to the first question, that there is an irreversibility principle inherent to most structural development, such that even if bulk strain is reversed, the structural changes that accompanied `forwardʹ structural development will not be completely reversed when the strain is reversed. Where this principle applies, it should always be possible to recognize structural reversals, by sufficiently close observation of the final state. It is suggested, as a partial answer to the second question, that where energy is stored by forward structural changes, this energy can often be expected to drive further structural changes, and these further changes may sometimes cause the original structure to `bounceʹ back to a less intense state. These questions may have some bearing on developing a firmer basis for kinematic analysis, and for understanding overprinting structures in orogens.