Working on pressure solution that is a fundamental mechanism for compaction of sediments I realized that an understanding of the global compaction phenomenon was needed irrespective of microscopic deformation mechanism. This became evident when trying to find theory to describe the experimental compaction data we obtained for salt and clay by image analysis~\cite{Renard2001a}. The existing models are wildly inadequate to describe the process of compaction~\cite{Uri2011a}. Careful measurement of different properties of compacting aggregates (of minerals, salts, spagetti and play-doh) have revealed surprising effects like compaction rate enhanced by inclusion of hard particles~\cite{Zubtsov2004a} and periodic fluctuations in forces under a compacting aggregate~\cite{Uri2006a}. We have carefully analyzed high resolution images from quasi 2-dimensional compaction experiments to understand the cooperative effects like domain coarsening and localisation of deformation~\cite{Uri2006b}. My accumulated insights in different processes active during compaction (fracturing, healing, pressure solution, recrystallization) enabled me to propose a new mechanism responsible for a compaction front observed in North Sea Chalk~\cite{Japsen2011a}.

I enclose the following document: \begin{itemize} \item {\rm Renard, F., Dysthe, D., Feder, J., Bj{\o}rlykke, K., {\rm and} Jamtveit, B.} \newblock {\em Enhanced pressure solution creep rates induced by clay particles: {E}xperimental evidence in salt aggregates\/}. \newblock Geophys. Res. Lett., {\bf 28} 1295 (2001). \end{itemize}