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
• High-strain areas dissolve and material
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
ppplanes
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 sub-
grain 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 bbend,
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 SSan GGabriel
bi l
granite,
California

Image: Winter (2001)

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High strain rock textures

Progressive
mylonitization of
the
h SSan GGabriel
bi l
granite,
California

Image: Winter (2001)

Metamorphic textures
High-strain
High strain rock textures

Progressive
mylonitization of
the
h SSan GGabriel
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 Upper
greenschist greenschist
facies facies

Amphibolite
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 (Sil-bearing And-Kfs-bt-

spotted hornfels) crd-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 θ 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
Orogeny- long 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
• Lineation-
Li 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 pre-
p
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 post-
p
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 metamorphism-
deformation-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.