04 CLEAVAGE, FOLIATION, AND LINEATION NATURE OF CLEAVAGE General Outcrop Appearance Folded sedimentary and metamorphic rocks often display a fundamental intemal grain known as cleavage. The presence of cleavage in a rock ‘permits the rock tobe split into thin pates and slabs, The term “cleavage” is difficult to define: it broadly refers to closely spaced, aligned, planar to curviplanar surfaces that tend tobe associated with folds and oriented parallel to subparallel to the axial surfaces of folds (Figure 8.1). As wil become apparent, the penetrative parallel surfaces can take many physical forms. Cleavage is commonly penetrative at both the outrop and micro- scopic scales (Figure 8.2). It typically cuts bedding discordanty, without ‘uch regard tothe orientation of bedding, ‘Wea a rock possessing cleavage is smacked witha hammer, the rock ‘will typically break along the cleavage. Similarly, when rocks possessing leavage are subjected o scores of centuries of persistent weathering, the worn-down rock that survives in outerop is commonly marked by sharp- ‘edged, inlike projections chat express the presence and general orientation ofits internal grain (Figure 8.3). The slabby, platy nature of cleaved ‘outerops sometimes misleads us info thinking that cleavage is akin to fracturing. In truth, cleavage forms without apparent loss of cokesion, sand in this respect alone cleavage surfaces are much different from frac: ture surfacesTYPES OF CLEAVAGE ‘There are many ways to name and classify cleavage. Most classifications are now anchored in the insighifol work of Dennis (1972) and Powell (4979), Both Dennis and Powell recognized tha itis practical o subdivide cleavage into Iwo classes onthe basis ofthe seale st which the domainal character of cleavage can be recognized, Where dominal structure (ie, the distietion between cleavage domains and microlithons) can be seen withthe unaided eye, the cleavage can be described as diunctive leare age, meaning interrupted. Where the domainal character of acleaved rock fs too fine to be resolved without the aid ofa petrographic or an electron microscope, the cleavage is described as contiauous cleavage Continuous Cleavage ‘The main types of continuous cleavage are slaty cleavage, phyllite struc- ture, and schistosty.Allthree are generally associated with strongly folded and distorted metasedimentary and metavoleanic rocks. Slty cleavage, phyllite structure, and schistsity are reasonably similar in outcrop ex- pression, but they differ in grain size and in the scale of development of ‘domainal structure. There is « complete gradation from slaty cleavage 0 phyllite and then schist, largely reflecting an increase in grin size. ‘Slaty deavage i typically associated with very fine-grained (<0.5 mm) pelitic (shale) rocks metamorphosed to low grado, Where staty cleavage js well developed, it imparts to rocks an exquisite spliting property Indeed, the presence of slaty cleavage allows a rock to be cleaved into perfectly tabular, thin plates or sheets (Figure 8.11). Roofing slates and Old-fashioned slate blackboards owe their existence and usefulness to slaty cleavage. Figure B11 (A) The phenomena spiting cpus of ses, dipayed in he idle qury” of ce Pnryn Sts Camgny, Wangan Cain. New York (Protapph by © D. Wacom Coursiy of Uneas Sree Glog Sure) (8) Spacinan ef Morcsburg St rm the Oconee Water Cop ein, New rey. The Para sure onthe ft aur! bre controle by the canage. The tere of {he cam sean resales wood foes he trace of nage. Ne ht» band ‘an be trad actos te ark ofthe specimen, This rele edn, errted cera 10th ty erage. (Phtcprgh and by Pex Krein) ro330 Gurren GLIAVAGE FOUATION AN UNEATION In Wales, there ave large underground slate mines, and the mining is carried out in a way that exploits the differences between bedding and cleavage. In Machynlleth, Wales, I photographed a diagram ofthe mining ‘operation (Figure 8.12); he slate beds are considered o be “veins” whose wall ae parallel to bedding. The “cuts” are made parallel to cleavage, taking advantage of the direction of weakness. ‘The splitting capacity of schists not nearly as elegant as that of sates, ‘ut itis nonetheless very pronounced (igure 8.13). Rocks wit sehistsity are typicelly medium-grained (1-10 mm), containing fakes of mica that are visible in hand specimen. The grain size, which is larger than that of| Slates, mostly reflects greater recrstallization accompanying metamor- phism. The most obvious outerop characteristic of schistosiy iste paral lel, planar alignment of micas, including muscovite, biolte, chlorite, and sericte, Schists seldom split cleanly and evenly when struck witha ham- mer. Instead, they break off in the form of discoidal to crudely tabular hhand speeimens or slabs. Many outerops of schist have a lovely sheen igure 8.14). | Le Fqwe 812 “Dug yee Bin trae frat sone Cong svg en cto Soe mance) Te on td Ridin ewpeted now hart Siaentadpie te sow Serruys ng wattle wine cca ee Teoathan ose we ie See Carentan be wang Toe mse recientes Sioess eg Figure 813. (A) Oxcrop oxrasin of shite rock in nerthen Norway near Dorf. Schiosty ip tea fom upper left ower ight Sere Nan she ‘proud owner. (8) More ctr view fhe exprasion ofthe hstosty he lnercape.(Photeraphs by GH Dav)Remote) Schistosity is best developed in pelitic metasedimentary rocks and certain volcanic rocks metamorphosed to medium or high grade. It is locally present in some granitic rocks, in which shearing under fuid-ich conditions caused feldspar to be converted into abundant white mica. Phylte structure is intermediate in grain size and overall character between slaty cleavage and schistosty. In outcrop, phyllites display & soft, pearly, satiny luster. They glsten in the sun, but lack the distinct individual mica grains seen in schists, Phyllites exhibit the capacity to split neatly but not peefectly Disjunctive Cleavage ‘There are two main types of disjunctive cleavage: ctenulation cleavage and spaced cleavage. Crenslaton deavage is very distinctive in that it cuts A host rock that possesses a preexisting continuous cleavage, especially phyllite siructure or schistosity (Figure 8.15). In rocks that contain erenu- lation cleavage, a preexisting continuous cleavage i typically "crem lated into microfolds. Two kinds of creaulation cleavage are recognized. One is discrete; the other is zonal (Gray, 1977a). Discrete erenulation deavage isa disjunctive cleavage in which very narrow cleavage domains | sharply tuneste the continuous cleavage of the microlithons, almost lke tiny fults (Figure 8.164). Zonal cremation cleavage, on the other hand, aoe % I Le ATC ae a8 Figure 816 (2) Dace rin dongs meta roe os {Pacot) Gre Wh Peace, western rT ite ane ate {Sin mod dng prevourdoratin erate The Gnmage veep rng Tresny (0) Zoe concen ceangen Meson metsednenary ross, Grate ‘Wan oor wos Azo hotagghe Rel) Te oramwace aT Figure 8.14 Hic sci wih bporpyrebans of nls, Fonsr ounce she (Phcoeraph by § Figure 15 Specimen dpyng enlaton cage [Fem Sencar! Gootogy of Fees Rocks by TF Win, er Bulk (1936). Origa pablibed by Rand Mealy aed Company, Ski nas, copyrige © 1966, Publcned with pemisan of ob Wiley & Sons, he New York)CHAPTERS CLEAVAGE FOUATION, AND UNEATION is marked by wider cleavage domains that coincide with tight, appressed limbs of microfolds in the preexisting continuous cleavage preserved within microlithoas (Figure 8.168). Whether diserete or zonal, cleavage domains in rocks possessing crenulation cleavage are closely spaced, tenerally between 0.1 mm and I em. Discrete crenulation cleavage tends to form in slate. Zonal crenulation cleavage tends to form in schist and phyllite. Spaced cleavage is a second type of disjunctive cleavage, It consists of tan array of parallel to anastomosing,styolitic to smooth, fraturelike partings that are often occupied by clayey and carbonaceous matter (Nick- elsen, 1972) Spaced eleavage is typically found in folded but unmetamor- hosed sedimentary rocks, especially impure limestone and marl (Figure 8,174.8), and in some impure sandstones as well. Spacing of the partings (Ge. the cleavage domains) typically ranges from 1 to 10 em, and thus the microithons ae quite thick compared with all other cleavages. Thick- ress of the partings often is on the onder of 002-1 mm, although they ‘may be as thick as Tem or more. I7_(A) Ouzrop expeson of paced cearae folded Permian lesan inthe Agia Verde ares near Va Arizona. Ostrop beng misled by 2 ricure hs fom the ary 70s (8) Closeup view f te spaced cestage revenng 2S) pres lng Seaags (C) Even csr ew showing enantio of bang [Srimtore song casa airaces. (Proogrph by GH. Dav)‘A fundamental characteristic of spaced cleavage is the offset (i.e, separation) of bedding markers along the cleavage, Oset of bedding along spaced cleavage is commonly seea in outcrop (Figure 8.17). Although the olfsets associated with spaced cleavages are faulike, tho cleavage surfaces are certainly not faults. Cleavage domains associated with bed- ding offsets are never marked by slickenlines or polish. And truncation of fossils atthe boundaries of microlithons cannot be completely restored by fault-slip motions, for material has been lost. (Grashong, 19754). MICROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF CLEAVAGE Slaty Cleavage Microscopic, high magaiication examination of rocks possessing slaty cleavage reveals a fabric marked by discotdal to lentieular aggregates of ‘quartz, feldspar, and minor mica enveloped by anastomosing, discontinu- ous micatich Isminse (Figure 8.18). The micaceous laminae known as Medomains—that is, miea-rck domains—consitate cleavage domains. The discoidal, lemicular quartz-feldspar aggregates known as QE- domains that i, quart—feldspar domains)—comprise microlithons. The scale of development of domainal structure in slaty cleavage is mighty small, Thickness of the QF-domains typically ranges from 1 mm to less than 10 om. The M-domains are typically only 5 um thick (Roy, 1978) “The QF-domains in rocks possessing slaty cleavage provide a glimpse ofthe nature af the orginal host rock, Except for mieas, individual erains tnd mineral aggregates tend to be equigranular, lacking a conspicuous preferredorientation. In sharp contrast ‘o the QF-domains, the Mlomains ‘re zones within which the original fabric ofthe rock is almost completely reconstituted, ransformed into strongly oriented intergrowths of aligned mica, quartz, and feldspar. The micas show the most conspicuous aliga- ‘ment, but hidden among the micas are fatto lensoidal quartz and feldspar trains, aligned parallel to the overall orientation of micas and the Medomsins. The lensike, “fattened” nature of individual grains in slaty cleavage is further accentuated by overgrowihs of chlorite and quartz. The over- ‘srowihs are like beards, growing from the “chins” of relatively large THCRSECOMC PROPERTIES OF CiENAGE ABE Figure 8.18 Donia mrt a sany Senge rom the RingorzaraValey ae, ‘SpanshPyrerase Micrin dorsi (Me dori) are te Back ae “srstomese around ge quar gras 2nd segrapts ofthe QFsdoman. Phewgrsh BPC: Laren From An Outlne of Serv Geology by 8. E Hobbs, WD. ene ad. Wilars. ablaod wich permison of ohn Wily & Sor, Ines New “or copyright © 1976.