METAMORPHIC PETROLOGY (NON-FOLIATED METAMORPHIC ROCKS) Flashcards
Composition of met rocks are determined by
Protolith chemistry
Refers to the size, shaper, orientation and intergranular relationships of the rock’s constituens
Texture
geometrical arrangement of grains
fabric
Texture inherited from protolith
Relict Texture
Inequant grains which one axis is significantly shorter that the other two axes and has a disc shaped pancake or paper-like shape
Tabular
Grains in which one is significantly longer than the other two which are not equal
Bladed
Grains in which one is significantly longer than the other two which are equal
Acicular
Cigar-shaped
Prolate
Grain size of aphanitic
<1mm
Phaneritic Gran size
> 1mm
Large relict grains from the protolith which has undergone deformation but still retains its orig composition.
Porphyroclasts
Common Porphyroclasts
Qtz and Felds
Oval-shaped feldspar porphyroclasts that resemble the shape of an eye and common in gneisses
Augen
Oval shaped quartz porphyroclasts
Flaser
Large grains that have experienced neocrystallization and growth in response to favorable T&P Conditions during metamorphism
Porphyroblasts
growth of new minerals stable at the temperature and pressure conditions of metamorphism
Neocrystallization
Common porphyroblasts
Garnet,
Staurolite,
Cordierite
occurs when no preferred orientation of inequant grains is visible
Random Grain Orientation
occurs when equant grains are oriented sub-parallel to one anther and can produce lineation and foliations
Peferred Grain Orientation
Linear like features similar to pencils all point to a common direction which is commonly formed by preferred orientation of acicular, bladed, or rod-like grains with sub-parallel long axes
Lineations
Minerals which are usually acicular, bladed or rod-like
Inosilicates
Metamorphic layers oriented parallel to one another like pages in a book formed from the Preferred Grain orientation of tabular grains with subparallel long axes
Foliations
Minerals which are usually tabular and produce foliations
Phyllosilicates
What kind of stress produce random grain orientation?
Uniform Stress
Lineations and foliations are produced by
Non uniform stresses
Rock category in which crystals lack a preferred orientation
Non Foliated
Rock category in which crystals possess a preferred orientation
Foliated
What kind of metamorphism usually produce non foliated rocks?
Contact or Burial
What happens in such metamorphism
Uniform lithostatic stress produces equant or randomly arranged minerals so that prominent foliated textures arent produced
a fine grained <1mm diamter non forliated fabric thatd evelops by contact metamorphism
Hornfelsic texture
Met rock with fine grained non foliate fabric usually derived from fine-grained protolith rocks such as shale, mudstones, tuff or basalt
Hornfels
Characteristics of Hornfels
1) mostly equant crystals
2) Random grain orientation
3) Can preserve relict sed fabrics such as beddings
Where do hornfels usually develop?
Metamorphic Aureoles adjacent to intrusions (Contact met)
Common minerals of Hornfels
Musc
Biot
Andal
Cord
Plag
kfelds
Epid
Amph
Pyx
Hornfels is __________ and ___________ than mudstone
Harder and more brittle
Characterized by large equant grains (>1mm) or large inequant crystals that lack preferred orientation
Granoblastic Texture
High grade rocks with such texture that form at elevate T&P considitions associated with deep BURIAL
Granulite
Shapes of crystals in Granoblastic textures
Anhedral wth sutured boundaries
What is the implication of such GrainShape
combination of
Pressure Sol’n
Recyrstallization
Annealing
a strain recovery process in which new unstrained, polygonal grains develop from and replace highly strained grains at high T
Annealing/Polygonization/Hot Working
Usual crystals/Minerals with Granoblastic textures
Qtz
felds
calc
(Crystals with low euhedral form potential and usually in subequant forms)
no phyllosilicates or tabular to prismatic minerals
A common met granoblastic rock with >90% qtz which is hard, durable and produce angular surfaces when fractured
Metaquartzite
Usual protolith of Metaquartzite
qtz-rich sandstone
chert
Common accessory minerals in qtzite
Hemat
Felds
What processes are involved in the formation of Metaquarztie
Recyrstallization
Pressure soln
Intercrystalline plastic deformation
Usuall appearance of metaquartzite that distinguishes it from granular quartzarenite
smooth and glazed appearance
Uses of quartzite
Rock walls, railroad ballast and dranaige culverts
Granoblastic met rocks rich in calcite and dolomite derived by recrystallization of limestone or dolostone protoliths
Marble
types of metamorphism which produces marble
Dynamothermal
Deep Burial, or
contact
Common accessory minerals which provde distinctive hues to marble
Graphite
Ca and Mg-rich minerals
Brucite, Diops ,Forste
Wollas, Epid, Serpentine, Idiocrase,
Temolite, Grossular
What colors can an iron oxide mineral give to a marble
Red or Yellow