Quantitative Textural Measurements in Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology

Processes involved in the development of igneous and metamorphic rocks involve some combination of crystal growth, solution, movement and deformation, which is expressed as changes in texture (microstructure). Advances in the quantification of aspects of crystalline rock textures, such as crystal size, shape, orientation and position, have opened fresh avenues of research that extend and complement the more dominant chemical and isotopic studies. This book discusses the aspects of petrological theory necessary to understand the development of crystalline rock texture. It develops the methodological basis of quantitative textural measurements and shows how much can be achieved with limited resources. Typical applications to petrological problems are discussed for each type of measurement.

Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 1.1. Petrological methods; 1.2. Qualitative versus quantitative data; 1.3. What do I mean by texture?; 1.4. Information density and data sources; 1.5. Structure of this book; 1.6. Software applications for quantitative textural studies; 2. General analytical methods; 2.1. Introduction; 2.2. Complete three dimensional analytical methods; 2.3. Extraction of grain parameters from data volumes; 2.4. Destructive partial analytical methods; 2.5. Surface and section analytical methods; 2.6. Extraction of textural parameters from images; 2.7. Calculation of three dimensional data from two dimensional observations; 2.8. Verification of theoretical parameter distributions; 2.9. Summary; 3. Grain and crystal sizes; 3.1. Introduction; 3.2. Review of theory; 3.3. Analytical methods; 3.4. Typical applications; 4. Grain shape; 4.1. Introduction; 4.2. Brief review of theory; 4.3. Methodology; 4.4. Typical applications; 5. Grain orientations - rock fabric; 5.1. Introduction; 5.2. Brief review of theory; 5.3. Introduction to fabric methodology; 5.4. Determination of shape preferred orientations; 5.5. Determination of lattice preferred orientations; 5.6. 3D bulk fabric methods - combined SPO and LPO; 5.7. Extraction of grain orientation data and parameters; 5.8. Typical applications; 6. Grain spatial distributions and relations; 6.1. Introduction; 6.2. Brief review of theory; 6.3. Methodology; 6.4. Typical applications; 7. Textures of fluid-filled pores; 7.1. Introduction; 7.2. Brief review of theory; 7.3. Methodology; 7.4. Parameter values and display; 7.5. Typical applications; 8. Appendix - Computer programs for use in quantitative textural analysis - freeware, shareware and commercial; 8.1. Abbreviations; 8.2. General analytical methods; 8.3. Grain and crystal sizes; 8.4. Grain shape; 8.5. Grain orientations - rock fabric; 8.6. Grain spatial distributions and relations; Figure captions; References.