Foliation (geology)

Foliation (geology)

Foliation is any penetrative planar fabric present in rocks. Foliation is common to rocks affected by regional metamorphic compression typical of orogenic belts. Rocks exhibiting foliation include the typical metamorphic rock sequence of slate, phyllite, schist and gneiss. The "slatey cleavage" typical of slate is due to the parallel growth of microscopic mica crystals. In gneiss the foliation is more typically represented by compositional banding due to segregation of mineral phases. Foliated rock is also known as S-tectonite in sheared rock masses.

Formation Mechanisms

Foliation is usually formed by the preferred orientation of minerals within a rock.

Typically this is a result of some physical force, and its effect upon the growth of minerals. The planar fabric of a foliation typically forms at right angles to the minimum principal strain direction. In sheared zones, however, planar fabric within a rock may not be directly perpendicular to the principal stress direction due to rotation, mass transport and shortening.

Foliation may be formed by realignment of micas and clays via physical rotation of the minerals within the rock. Often this foliation is associated with diagenetic metamorphism and low-grade burial metamorphism. Foliation may parallel original sedimentary bedding, but more often is oriented at some angle to it.

The growth of platey minerals, typically of the mica group, as a result of prograde metamorphic reactions during deformation. Often, retrograde metamorphism will not form a foliation because unroofing of a metamorphic belt is not accompanied by significant compressive stress. Thermal metamorphism in the aureole of a granite is also unlikely to result in growth of mica in a foliation, although growth of new minerals may overprint existing foliation(s).

Alignment of tabular minerals in metamorphic rocks, igneous rocks and intrusive rocks may form a foliation. Typical examples of metamorphic rocks include porphyroblastic schists where large, oblate minerals form an alignment either due to growth or rotation in the groundmass.

Igneous rocks can become foliated by alignment of cumulate crystals during convection in large magma chambers, especially ultramafic intrusions, and typically plagioclase laths. Granite may form foliation due to frictional drag on viscous magma by the wall rocks. Lavas may preserve a flow foliation, or even compressed eutaxitic texture, typically in highly viscous felsic agglomerate, welded tuff and pyroclastic surge deposits.

Metamorphic differentiation, typical of gneisses, is caused by chemical and compositional banding within the metamorphic rock mass. Usually this represents the protolith chemistry, which forms distinct mineral assemblages. However, compositional banding can be the result of nucleation processes which cause chemical and mineralogical differentiation into bands. This typically follows the same principle as mica growth, perpendicular to the principal stress.Metamorphic differentiation can be present at angles to protolith compositional banding.

Crenulation cleavage is a particular type of foliation.

Interpretation

Foliation, as it forms generally perpendicular to the direction of principal stress, records the direction of shortening. This is related to the axis of folds, which generally form an "axial-planar" foliation within their axial regions.

Measurement of the intersection between a fold's axial plane and a surface on the fold will provide the fold plunge. If a foliation does not match the observed plunge of a fold, it is likely associated with a different deformation event.

Foliation in areas of shearing, and within the plane of thrust faults, can provide information on the transport direction or sense of movement on the thrust or shear. Generally, the acute intersection angle shows the direction of transport. Foliations typically bend or curve into a shear, which provides the same information, if it is of a scale which can be observed.

Foliations, in a regional sense, will tend to curve around rigid, incompressible bodies such as granite. Thus, they are not always 'planar' in the strictest sense and may violate the rule of being perpendicular to the regional stress field, due to local influences. This is a megascopic version of what may occur around porphyroblasts. Often, fine observation of foliations on outcrop, hand specimen and on the microscopic scale complements observations on a map or regional scale.

Description

When describing a foliation it is useful to note
* the mineralogy of the folia; this can provide information on the conditions of formation
* the mineralogy in intrafolial areas
* foliation spacing
* any porphyroblasts or minerals associated with the foliation and whether they overprint it or are cut by it
* whether it is planar, undulose, vague or well developed
* its orientation in space, as strike and dip, or dip and dip direction
* its relationship to other foliations, to bedding and any folding
* measure intersection lineations

Following such a methodology allows eventual correlations in style, metamorphic grade, and intensity throughout a region, relationship to faults, shears, structures and mineral assemblages.

ee also

* Fissility (geology)
* Fold (geology)
* List of rock textures
* List of rock types
* Rock microstructure
* Shear (geology)

References

* Blatt, Harvey and Tracy, Robert J.; 1996, "Petrology: Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic", 2nd ed., p. 359-360, W. H. Freeman, ISBN 0-7167-2438-3
* Vernon, Ron H., 2004, "A Practical Guide to Rock Microstructure", Oxford University Press, Oxford. ISBN 0-521-89133-7


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Foliation (disambiguation) — Foliation can also mean:* Foliation, a geometric device used to study manifolds. * Foliation (geology), a property of certain rocks * Foliation (typesetting), a system of numbering pages * The growth and arrangement of foliage * In architecture,… …   Wikipedia

  • Geology of Guernsey — Guernsey has a geological history stretching further back into the past than most of Europe. The southern part is constructed of Icart Gneiss. The Icart Gneiss is an augen gneiss of granitic composition containing potassium feldspar. This was… …   Wikipedia

  • Foliation oblique — La foliation oblique ou texture oblique est une foliation/texture spéciale produite pendant la déformation cisaillante. Elle est bien exprimée dans les lits quartzeux des mylonites. En microtectonique cette structure sert à déterminer le sens de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • foliation — /foh lee ay sheuhn/, n. 1. the act or process of putting forth leaves. 2. the state of being in leaf. 3. Bot. a. the arrangement of leaves within a bud. b. the arrangement of leaves on a plant. 4. leaves or foliage. 5. Print. the consecutive… …   Universalium

  • geology — /jee ol euh jee/, n., pl. geologies. 1. the science that deals with the dynamics and physical history of the earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the physical, chemical, and biological changes that the earth has undergone or is… …   Universalium

  • Geology of Tasmania — Tasmania has a varied geological history, with the world s biggest exposure of diabase, or dolerite. Rocks from the Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic and Mesozoic time periods appear. It is one of the few southern hemisphere areas glaciated during the… …   Wikipedia

  • foliation — noun 1. (botany) the process of forming leaves • Syn: ↑leafing • Derivationally related forms: ↑foliate • Topics: ↑botany, ↑phytology • …   Useful english dictionary

  • foliation — [ˌfəʊlɪ eɪʃ(ə)n] noun chiefly Geology the process of splitting into thin sheets or laminae …   English new terms dictionary

  • Structural geology — is the study of the three dimensional distribution of rock bodies and their planar or folded surfaces, and their internal fabrics . Structural geology includes features of and overlaps with facets of geomorphology, metamorphism and geotechnical… …   Wikipedia

  • Shear (geology) — Study of geological shear is related to the study of structural geology, rock microstructure or rock texture and fault mechanics. Shear is the response of a rock to deformation usually by compressive stress and forms particular textures. Shear… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”