A Pictorial Guide to Metamorphic Rocks in the Field

This book is an illustrative introduction to metamorphic rocks as seen in the field, designed for advanced high school to graduate-level earth science and geology students to jump-start their observational skills. In addition to photographs of rocks in the field, there are numerous line diagrams and examples of metamorphic features shown in thin section. The thin section photos are all at a scale and in a context that can be related to views seen in the field through a hand lens.

Preface About the author Acknowledgements A matter of scale 1 Introduction The basics Pressure, temperature, and metamorphic grade Movement of rocks through P-T space Preserving the prograde assemblage Metamorphic field gradient Rock strain: foliation and lineation Chemical flux Recrystallization Summary and introduction to the following chapters Part 1: Metamorphic rock types 2 Pelitic rocks 3 Quartzites 4 Marbles 5 Calc-silicate rocks 6 Mixed sedimentary rocks 7 Conglomerates and breccias8 Gneisses 9 Basaltic rocks, low and intermediate pressure 10 Blueschists 11 Eclogites 12 Ultramafic rocks 13 Contact metamorphic rocks 14 Rocks in fault zones Part 2: Metamorphic features 15 Foliation, cleavage, lineation 16 Folds 17 Porphyroblasts, porphyroclasts, and augen 18 Boudins 19 Veins and hydrothermal alteration 20 Metasomatism 21 Partial melting and migmatites 22 Retrograde metamorphism Part 3: Relict pre-metamorphic features 23 Relict sedimentary features 24 Fossils in metamorphic rocks 25 Relict igneous features References Glossary of terms, rock types, and minerals Glossary of terms Glossary of rock types Glossary of minerals Index