Metamorphic rocks and their geodynamic significance, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 2002 A Petrological Handbook Petrology and Structural Geology Series, Vol. 12

This book describes metamorphic rock formation mechanisms in a simplified form. It presents the geometrical rules which control mineral assemblages as a function of rock composition, and provides the basis of a thermodynamical approach used for equilibrium slope calculations as well as for the evaluation of P, T stability fields of mineral associations. On the basis of several examples from the literature, the author emphasizes the relations between different metamorphic gradients and different geodynamic situations. Associated P-T-t paths are examined from several points of view including the respective roles of heat conduction and convection. Audience: This textbook will be useful to undergraduate students in geology, but also to research students and scientists needing to rapidly update their knowledge of metamorphism. It is also accessible to anybody interested in geosciences wanting to acquire a basic knowledge of the close relationships that exist between geodynamics and metamorphic processes.

Acknowledgements. Preface. Foreword. Part 1: Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks. 1. Metamorphism: Factors and Mechanisms. 2. Metamorphic Rocks. 3. Evaluation of Metamorphic Conditions. Part 2: Metamorphism and Geodynamics. 4. Contact Metamorphism. 5. Regional Metamorphism. Appendix 1. Characteristic Mineral Assemblages of the Principal Metamorphic Facies. Appendix 2. Graphical Representation of Rock and Mineral Compositions on Triangular Diagrams. Appendix 3. Examples of Geothermometers and Geobarometers. Appendix 4. Structural Formulae of Minerals Cited in this Text. Appendix 5. Mineral Abbreviations. Bibliography. References Cited. Index.