Metamorphic Textures

(C
(Chapter
23)

Porphyroblastic hornblende grt-bt-ms schist Switzerland. Image: Darrell Henry

Metamorphic textures
Processes of Deformation, Recovery and Recrystallization
(1) Cataclastic Flow
Mechanical fragmentation and sliding,
sliding
rotation of fragments
Crush, break, bend, grind, kink,
d f
deformation
ti ttwins,
i undulose
d l
extinction,
ti ti
shredding of micas, augen, mortar, etc.

(2) Pressure Solution

Highest strain in areas near grain contacts
(hatch pattern).
g
areas dissolve and material
High-strain
precipitates in adjacent low-strain areas
(shaded). Vertical shortening.
Pressure solution of quartz in deformed
quartzite

Metamorphic textures
Processes of Deformation, Recovery and Recrystallization
((3)) Plastic Intracrystalline
y
Deformation
(ductile deformation at higher T)
No loss of cohesion
Processes that operate simultaneously

Defect migration
Slip
pp
planes
Dislocation glide
Deformation twinning

(4) Recovery
R
Loss of stored strain energy by
vacancyy migration,
g
, dislocation
migration and annihilation

Metamorphic textures
Processes of Deformation, Recovery and Recrystallization
(5) Recrystallization
Grain boundary migration
Subgrain rotation
Solid-state diffusion creep
p at
higher T
Crystalplastic deformation
(general term)
Undulose extinction and ((b)) elongate
g subgrains
g
in
quartz due to dislocation formation and migration

Metamorphic textures
Processes of Deformation, Recovery and Recrystallization
(5) Recrystallization
Recrystallization by grain
boundary migration and subgrain rotation )
Recrystallized
quartz with
irregular
(sutured)
boundaries,
formed by grain
boundary
migration.
Width 0.2 mm.

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High
strain rock textures

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High
strain rock textures

Concentrate on cataclastic > ductile (shallower)

Break,
k crack,
k b
bend,
d crush,
h
rotate
Slip and shredding of
phyllosilicates
Clasts- broken remnants
Porphyroclast- larger remnant
in finer crush matrix
Mortar texture
Ribbons
Pseudotachylite

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High
strain rock textures

Progressive
mylonitization of
the
h S
San G
Gabriel
bi l
granite,
California
Image: Winter (2001)

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High
strain rock textures

Progressive
mylonitization of
the
h S
San G
Gabriel
bi l
granite,
California
Image: Winter (2001)

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High
strain rock textures

Progressive
mylonitization of
the
h S
San G
Gabriel
bi l
granite,
California
Image: Winter (2001)

Metamorphic textures
Contact metamorphic textures
Typically shallow pluton aureoles (low-P)
Crystallization/recrystallization is near-static
Monomineralic with minor difference
surface energy restults in granoblastic
polygonal texture
Larger change in surface energy results
in decussate texture
Isotropic textures (hornfels, granofels)
R li textures are common
Relict
Contact metamorphism of a diabase: Image: Winter (2001)

Metamorphic textures

Contact metamorphic
p
textures ((metadiabase))

Lower
greenschist
facies

Amphibolite
facies

Upper
greenschist
facies

Granulite
facies

Metamorphic textures

Contact metamorphic
p
textures ((metapelite)
p
)

Lower greenschist facies

Upper greenschist facies

Amphibolite/granulite facies

(slate)

(And-crd-ms-pl-qtz
spotted hornfels)

(Sil-bearing And-Kfs-btcrd-pl-qtz granofels)

Metamorphic textures
Contact metamorphic
p
textures

Common
textures in
contact
metamorphic
rocks

Metamorphic textures
Contact metamorphic
p
textures
c.

Dihedral angle
g between two mineral types.
yp When
the A-A grain boundary energy is greater than for
A-B, the angle will decrease (b) so as to
increase the relative area of A-B boundaries. c.
Sketch of a plagioclase (light)-clinopyroxene
(dark) hornfels showing lower dihedral angles in
clinopyroxene at most cpx-plag-plag boundaries.

Metamorphic textures
Contact metamorphic
p
textures

Drawings of quartz-mica schists.

a. Closer spacing of micas in the lower
half causes quartz grains to passively
elongate in order for quartz-quartz
quartz quartz
boundaries to meet mica (001) faces at 90o.
From Shelley (1993).
b. Layered rock in which the growth of
quartz has been retarded byy grain
q
g
boundary "pinning" by finer micas in the
upper layer.

Metamorphic textures
Contact metamorphic
p
textures

Contact overprint on earlier

regional
g
events are common
Thermal maximum later than
deformational
Separate post-orogenic (collapse)
event

Overprint of contact metamorphism on regional. a. Nodular texture of

cordierite porphyroblasts developed during a thermal overprinting of
previous regional metamorphism (note the foliation in the opaques). Approx. 1.5
x 2 mm.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Dynamothermal (crystallization under dynamic conditions)

Orogeny long-term
Orogenylong term mountain-building
mountain building
May comprise several Tectonic Events
May have several Deformational Phases
May have an accompanying Metamorphic Cycles with
one or more Reaction Events

Tectonite - deformed rock with a texture that records

deformation
Fabric - the complete spatial and geometric configuration of
textural elements
Foliation- planar textural element
LineationLi
ti
linear ttextural
li
t l element
l
t

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Progressive regional
metamorphism of a
volcaniclastic
graywacke

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Kinematic indicators determining the sense of shear in a deformed rock

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Symmetrical crenulation cleavages in

amphibole quartz rich schist.
amphibole-quartz-rich
schist
Note concentration of quartz in hinge
areas.

Asymmetric crenulation cleavages in

mica-quartz-rich schist.
Note horizontal compositional layering
(relict bedding) and preferential dissolution
of quartz from one limb of the folds.
folds
From Borradaile et al. (1982) Atlas of Deformational and
Metamorphic Rock Fabrics. Springer-Verlag.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Stages in the development of crenulation cleavage

as a function of temperature and intensity of the
second deformation.
Development of S2 micas depends upon T and
the intensity of the second deformation

From Passchier and Trouw (1996) Microtectonics. Springer-Verlag.

Metamorphic textures

Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures - Typical
yp
textures of prep
kinematic crystals
Pre-kinematic crystals
y
a. Bent crystal with undulose
extinction
b. Foliation wrapped around a
porphyroblast
c. Pressure shadow or fringe
d Kink b
d.
bands
nd orr ffolds
ld
e. Microboudinage
f. Deformation twins
From Spry (1969) Metamorphic Textures. Pergamon. Oxford.

Metamorphic textures

Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures - Typical
yp
textures of postp
kinematic crystals
Post-kinematic crystals
a.

Helicitic folds

b Randomly oriented
b.
crystals
c. Polygonal arcs
d. Chiastolite
e. Late, inclusion-free
rim on a poikiloblast
From Spry (1969) Metamorphic Textures. Pergamon. Oxford.

f. Random aggregate
pseudomorph

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Illustration of an Al2SiO5 poikiloblast that

consumes more muscovite than quartz,
thus inheriting quartz (and opaque)
inclusions.
The nature of the quartz inclusions can be
related directly to individual bedding
substructures.
substructures
Note that some quartz is consumed by the
reaction, and that quartz grains are
invariably rounded.

From Passchier and Trouw (1996) Microtectonics. Springer-Verlag.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Syn-kinematic crystals - Spiral Porphyroblast

Traditional interpretation of spiral Si train in which
hich a
porphyroblast is rotated by shear as it grows.
From Passchier and Trouw (1996) Microtectonics. Springer-Verlag.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Spiral Si train in chloritoid.

"Snowball garnet" with highly

rotated spiral Si. Porphyroblast is ~ 5
mm in diameter.

From Yardley et al. (1990) Atlas of Metamorphic Rocks and their Textures. Longmans.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Si characteristics of clearly pre-, syn-, and post-kinematic crystals as

proposed by Zwart (1962).

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Analysis of Deformed Rocks

Deformational
D
f
ti
l events:
t D1 D2 D3
Metamorphic events: M1 M2 M3
Foliations: So S1 S2 S3
Lineations: Lo L1 L2 L3
Plot on a metamorphismdeformation-time plot showing the
crystallization of each mineral

Asymmetric crenulation cleavage

(S2) developed over S1 cleavage. S2
is folded, as can be seen in the dark
sub-vertical S2 bands. Field width
~ 2 mm.
Right: sequential analysis of the
development of the textures.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Graphical
p
analysis
y of the
relationships between
deformation (D),
metamorphism (M), mineral
growth, and textures in the rock
illustrated in Figure.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Graphical analysis of the

relationships between deformation
(D), metamorphism (M), mineral
growth,, and textures in the rock
g
illustrated in Figure.

Metamorphic textures
Regional
g
metamorphic
p
textures

Graphical
p
analysis
y of the relationships
p
between deformation (D), metamorphism (M),
mineral growth, and textures in the rock
illustrated in Figure.

Winter (2001) An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology.

Prentice Hall.

Metamorphic textures
Replacement
p
textures

Reaction rims and coronas

Metamorphic textures
Replacement
p
textures

Portion of a
multiple
coronite
d l
developed
d as
concentric rims
due to reaction
at what was
initially the
contact
between an
olivine
megacryst and
surrounding
g
plagioclase in
anorthosites of
the upper Jotun
Nappe, W.
Norway.