Mineralogical And Structural Evolution Of The Metamorphic Rocks

Structural Geology is a groundbreaking reference that introduces you to the concepts of nonlinear solid mechanics and non-equilibrium thermodynamics in metamorphic geology, offering a fresh perspective on rock structure and its potential for new interpretations of geological evolution. This book stands alone in unifying deformation and metamorphism and the development of the mineralogical fabrics and the structures that we see in the field. This reflects the thermodynamics of systems not at equilibrium within the framework of modern nonlinear solid mechanics. The thermodynamic approach enables the various mechanical, thermal, hydrological and chemical processes to be rigorously coupled through the second law of thermodynamics, invariably leading to nonlinear behavior. The book also differs from others in emphasizing the implications of this nonlinear behavior with respect to the development of the diverse, complex, even fractal, range of structures in deformed metamorphic rocks. Building on the fundamentals of structural geology by discussing the nonlinear processes that operate during the deformation and metamorphism of rocks in the Earth's crust, the book's concepts help geoscientists and graduate-level students understand how these processes control or influence the structures and metamorphic fabrics—providing applications in hydrocarbon exploration, ore mineral exploration, and architectural engineering. Authored by two of the world's foremost experts in structural geology, representing more than 70 years of experience in research and instruction Nearly 300 figures, illustrations, working examples, and photographs reinforce key concepts and underscore major advances in structural geology

From metamorphism to metamorphosis, there is only a shade of a nuance. Because me- morphic rocks are not only what they are, but also what they were, and they tell of what happened in between. What must be discovered: how to recognize in the butterfly, the caterpillar that was, or in the caterpillar the butterfly that will be? And how to describe the metamorphosis, excuse me, metamorphism which leads from one to the other? It is to this engaging history, this marvelous tale, written progressively over time, which Jacques Kornprobst leads us. If the sedimentary and magmatic rocks have been the object of reflection for a long time, for which a contradiction was established in the century in the confrontation between the Neptunism of Werner for whom everything came from the sea, and the P- tonism of Hutton who derived all rocks from the interior of the earth, the “crystalline schists” as they were called, and as we call them today for simplicity, appear most ambi- ous: they had the crystals of rocks of endogenous origin and appeared to have the strati- cation of exogenous rocks with which one confused the schistosity. These crystalline schists are in some ways the bats of the rock kingdom.

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.

The first edition of this book was published in 1965 and its French translation in 1966. The revised second edition followed in 1967 and its Russian translation became available in 1969. Since then, many new petrographic observations and experimental data elucidat ing reactions in metamorphic rocks have made a new approach in the study of metamorphic transformation desirable and possible. It is felt that this new approach, attempted in this book, leads to a better unders tanding of rock metamorphism. The concept of metamorphic facies and subfacies considers asso ciations of mineral assemblages from diverse bulk compositions as characteristic of a certain pressure-temperature range. As new petrographic observations accumulated, it became increasingly difficult to accommodate this information within a manageable framework of metamorphic facies and subfacies. Instead, it turned out that mineral assemblages due to reactions in common rocks of a particular composi tion provide suitable indicators of metamorphic conditions. Metamorphic zones, defined on the basis of mineral reactions, very effectively display the evolution of metamorphic rocks. Thus the im portance ofreactions in metamorphic rocks is emphasized. Experimen tal calibration of mineral reactions makes it possible to distinguish reac tions which are of petrogenetic significance from those which are not. This distinction provides guidance in petrographic investigations un dertaken with the object of deducing the physical conditions of metamorphism.

The first edition of this book was published in 1965 and its French translation in 1966. The revised second edition followed in 1967 and its Russian translation became available in 1969. Since then, many new petrographic observations and experimental data elucidat ing reactions in metamorphic rocks have made a new approach in the study of metamorphic transformation desirable and possible. It is felt that this new approach, attempted in this book, leads to a better unders tanding of rock metamorphism. The concept of metamorphic facies and subfacies considers asso ciations of mineral assemblages from diverse bulk compositions as characteristic of a certain pressure-temperature range. As new petrographic observations accumulated, it became increasingly difficult to accommodate this information within a manageable framework of metamorphic facies and subfacies. Instead, it turned out that mineral assemblages due to reactions in common rocks of a particular composi tion provide suitable indicators of metamorphic conditions. Metamorphic zones, defined on the basis of mineral reactions, very effectively display the evolution of metamorphic rocks. Thus the im portance ofreactions in metamorphic rocks is emphasized. Experimen tal calibration of mineral reactions makes it possible to distinguish reac tions which are of petrogenetic significance from those which are not. This distinction provides guidance in petrographic investigations un dertaken with the object of deducing the physical conditions of metamorphism."