  The term "solid-state turbulence" may sound like an oxymoron, but in fact it
is not. In this article we demonstrate that solid-state turbulence may emerge
owing to a defining property of the solid state: the ability of a solid to
retain its shape. We consider shear flow of layers of solids with different
stiffness and show that the stiffer ones may spontaneously decompose into a set
of blocks. This breakdown of isometry is a key to plasticity of solids and is
fundamental for the occurrence of solid-state turbulence. To visualise the
piecewise isometric transformations of the blocky structure in a turbulent flow
regime, we use a heuristic model based on discretisation of a continuum into
interacting "particles". The outcomes of the numerical experiments conducted
support the occurrence of pulsations of velocity and pressure in plastically
deforming solids and the emergence of vortices characteristic of classical
turbulence. This phenomenon may have important practical implications for
solid-state mixing as an ecologically beneficial alternative to conventional
metallurgical processing routes.
