Metamorphic Geology

This book is about metamorphic rocks: the processes involved in their formation and the reasons why they occur at particular places on the continents. It has been written to serve as an elementary text on the subjects of metamorphism and mountain building for non-specialist stu dents of geology. It will be equally useful where geology is either the main or subsidiary subject and could be used by students intending to advance further in geology (the list of advanced texts in the further reading section would be more appropriate to such students). My inten tion in writing this book has been to try to dispel the notion that metamorphism comprises the 'haunted wing' of geology. Admittedly, there are rather a large number of technical terms in the book, but I hope that after working through it you will not find metamorphism an unduly difficult or obscure aspect of geology. Throughout, I have emphasised the strong links between mountain building, plate tectonics and metamorphic processes. The book introduces metamorphic rocks by considering their textures and field relations, then moves on to deal with the factors controlling metamorphism. Case studies of areas of metamorphic rocks are then presented in the context of modern theories of the Earth's activity, and the place of metamorphic rocks in the formation of ancient and young mountain belts is analysed. New technical terms and concepts are explained in context as they are introduced, important terms being emphasised in bold print.

In Earth evolution, mountain belts are the loci of crustal growth, reworking and recycling. These crustal-scale processes are unravelled through microscale investigations of textures and mineral assemblages of metamorphic rocks. Multiple episodes of metamorphism, re-equilibration and deformation, however, generally produce a complex and tightly interwoven pattern of microstructures and assemblages. Over the last two decades, the combination of advanced computing and technological capabilities with new concepts has provided a vast array of novel petrological tools and high-resolution/high-sensitivity techniques for microanalysis and imaging. Such novel approaches are proving fundamental to untangling the enigma represented by metamorphism with an unprecedented level of detail and confidence. As a result, the first decade and a half of this century has already seen the tumultuous development of new research avenues in metamorphic petrology. This book aims to provide a timely overview of the state of the art of this field, of newly developed petrological techniques, future advancements and significant new case studies.

This is a discount Black and white version. Some images may be unclear, please see BCCampus website for the digital version.This book was born out of a 2014 meeting of earth science educators representing most of the universities and colleges in British Columbia, and nurtured by a widely shared frustration that many students are not thriving in courses because textbooks have become too expensive for them to buy. But the real inspiration comes from a fascination for the spectacular geology of western Canada and the many decades that the author spent exploring this region along with colleagues, students, family, and friends. My goal has been to provide an accessible and comprehensive guide to the important topics of geology, richly illustrated with examples from western Canada. Although this text is intended to complement a typical first-year course in physical geology, its contents could be applied to numerous other related courses.

The Walker Lake-Arrowsmith River area of the Committee Bay belt, Nunavut, is dominated by three crustal domains: granite-greenstone belts in the central region, a granitic batholith in the south-east, and metasedimentary rocks in the north. Rocks within all domains display moderately to strongly developed strain fabrics & structures and preserve metamorphic mineral assemblages. This paper provides preliminary observations & interpretations of fabrics, structures, and mineral assemblages from this study area. It also presents preliminary monazite chemical ages from samples from the northern & central domains, and discusses the timing & tectonic significance of tectono-metamorphic events affecting the area.

This book offers a complete introduction to the study of metamorphic rocks.

Petrogenesis of Metamorphic Rocks presents a large number of diagrams showing the stability relations among minerals and groups of minerals found in metamorphic rocks. The diagrams help to determine the pressure and temperature conditions under which a given set of metamorphic rocks may have formed. Other parameters that control metamorphic mineral assemblages are also discussed and pitfalls resulting from simplifications and generalizations are highlighted. The book discusses the most common metamorphic rock types, their nomenclature, structure and graphical representation of their mineral assemblages. Part I defines basic principles of metamorphism, introduces metamorphic processes, geologic thermometry and barometry and defines metamorphic grade. Part II presents in a systematic way mineralogical changes and assemblages found in the most common types of metamorphic rocks. The computation of diagrams is based on recent advances in quantitative petrology and geochemistry. An extensive bibliography, including the key contributions and classic papers in the field, make it an invaluable source book for graduate students and professional geologists.