Appendix Nomenclature of Common Metamorphic Rocks Magmatic rocks are usually named after some locality. Only in rare cases does the rock name give any indication about the fabric and mineralogical composition of the rock. The names of magmatic rocks have to be memorized like words of a foreign language. Fortunately, this difficulty is not encountered in the nomenclature of most metamorphic rocks. It is only necessary to learn a few names of rock groups, which are characterized by a certain fabric and/or mineralogical composition. Furthermore, the presence of the main or critical minerals is indicated by placing their names in front of the group name. For instance, there is the group of marbles, all of which contain well­ crystallized carbonates as their main constituent. A particular marble may be designated as dolomite marble, diopside-grossularite marble, tremolite marble, etc. Thus the nomenclature of most metamorphic rocks is clear and easily understood. A more elaborate nomenclature based on quantitative mineralogical composition was proposed by Austrian petrographers after a discussion with colleagues from other countries.1 This no­ menclature is recommendable and is to a large extent adopted here. Names of Important Rock Groups Phyllite. Fine-grained and very finely schistose rock, the platy minerals of which consist mainly of phengite. Phengite sericite gives an overall silky sheen to the schistosity planes. The grain size is coarser than in slates but finer than in mica schists. In phyllites the amount of phyllosilicates (phengite + some chlorite ± biotite) exceeds 50%. The other most abundant constituent l"Ein Vorschlag zur quantitativen und qualitativen Klassifikation der kristallinen Schiefer" (a symposium). Neues lahrb. Minerals Monatsh. : i63-172 (1962). 326 Petrogenesis of Metamorphic Rocks is quartz. If the amoun t of quartz exceeds the amoun t of phyllosilicates, the rock is called a quartz phyllite. In both phyllites and quartz phyllites, albite may amount to as much as 20%. An exact designation of the rock is achieved by placing the name of subordinate constituents in front of the rock name, beginning with that mineral present in the smallest amount. Minerals constituting less than 5% of the rock are generally not taken into consideration. Exam­ ple: chloritoid-chlorite-albite phyllite, phlogopite-calcite phyllite. If amounts smaller than 5% are considered significant this can be desig­ nated by using an adjective form such as "graphite-bearing." Schists. Medium- to coarse-grained rock, the fabric of which is characterized by an excellent parallelism or planar and/or linear fabric elements (schistosity). The individual mineral grains can be recognized megascopically (in contrast to phyllites). If mica, chlorite, tremolite, talc, etc., constitute more than 50% of a rock, the corresponding rock is called a mica schist, chlorite schist, tremolite schist, talc schist, etc. Phengite-epidote-chlorite-albite schists are known as greenschists. If a schist contains more quartz relative to the sum of the phyllosilicates, the rock is called quartz-mica schist. A further subdivi­ sion of schists is effected according to the same rules as in the case of phyllites. The cited symposium gives 20% as the maximum amount of feldspar in a schist. If rocks contain more feldspar, they are designated as gneisses rather than schists. It is true that schists commonly contain less than 20% and gneisses more than 20% feldspar, but this Qistinction is generally not valid. The most characteristic difference between schists (or quartz schists) and gneisses is not the mineralogical com­ position but the fabric. This distinction between schistose and gneissic fabric was clearly stated by Wenk (1963): "When hit with a hammer, rocks having a schistose fabric (schists) split perfectly parallel to's' into plates, 1-10 mm in thickness, or parallel to the lineation into thin pencil-like columns." Schists split into thinner plates than gneisses. Gneiss. Medium- to coarse-grained rock having a gneissic fabric, i.e., it "splits parallel to's' generally along mica or hornblende layers, into plates and angular blocks, a few centimeters to tens of centimeters in thickness, or parallel to B into cylindrical bodies (pencil gneisses). The prevalent light-colored constituents (feldspar + quartz) have in­ terlocking boundaries and provide, as compared to schists, a better coherence and a coarser fissility to the rock; nevertheless, the fissility in many cases creates an almost perfect plane" (Wenk, 1963). Some prefer a definition of gneiss based not only on fabric but also on mineralogical features. Thus Fritsch et al. (1967) advocated the use of the term gneiss for a rock with recognizable parallel structure consist- Appendix 327 ing predominentiy of quartz and feldspar- feldspar amounting com­ monly to more than 20% and mica to at least 10%. Two groups of gneisses are recognized. Orthogneisses are formed from magmatic rocks, such as granites, syenites, diorites, etc. On the other hand, paragneisses are derived from sediments, such as graywackes, shales, etc. The particular mineralogical composition is in­ dicated according to the same rule as in the case of phyllites, e.g., kyanite-staurolite-garnet-biotite gneiss. Amphibolite. A rock consisting predominately of hornblende and plagioclase, which is produced by metamorphism of basaltic magmatic rocks, tuffs, or marls. The hornblende prisms lie within the plane of schistosity if this is developed. The fissility generally is not as well developed as in schists. Amphibolites contain only small amounts of quartz or none at all. Marble. A rock consisting predominately of fine- to coarse­ grained recrystallized calcite and/or dolomite. Other minerals present are indicated in the usual manner, e.g., muscovite-biotite marble. Quartzite. A rock composed of more than 80% quartz. The in­ terlocking boundaries of the quartz grains impart a great strength to the rock. Metamorphic quartzites must be distinguished from un­ metamorphosed, diagenetically formed quartzites. Fels. Fels is a term referring to massive metamorphic rocks lack­ ing schistosity, e.g., quartz-albite fels, plagioclase fels, calcsilicate fels. Generally, in English books, the term "rock" is used for such metamorphic rocks, e.g., lime-silicate rock (Harker, 1932, 1939). It is suggested that "fels" be used instead. Hornfels. Nonschistose and fine-grained rock, splintery on im­ pact. The edges of thin rock chips occasionally are translucent like horn. The rock has a granoblastic fabric, i.e., it is a mosaic of equidimensional small mineral grains, in which frequentyl larger porphyroblastic minerals (or relics) are embedded. Hornfelses are typically produced by contact metamorphism of clays, fine-grained graywackes, etc. and occasionally by regional metamorphism. Granulite, Granolite, and Granoblastite. See p. 252ff. Eclogite. See p. 271. Prefixes Meta-. This prefix designates metamorphosed igneous or sedi­ mentary rocks in which the original fabric still can be recognized; e.g., metabasalts, metagraywackes. Others use the prefix "meta-" in a more general sense to designate metamorphic rocks according to the type of original rock from which they are derived. Example: Meta-graywacke or metadiorite = rock derived from graywacke or diorite. 328 Petrogenesis of Metamorphic Rocks Ortho-. This prefix indicates that the metamorphic rock originated from a magmatic rock; e.g., orthogneiss, orthoamphibolite. Para-. This prefix indicates that the metamorphic rock originated from a sedimentary rock; e.g., paragneiss, para-amphibolite. Classification A quantitative classification of common metamorphic rocks is shown in Figures A-I and A-2 taken with slight modification from the cited symposium (1962). The objections of Wenk regarding the dis­ tinction between gneiss and schist or phyllite should not be ignored; therefore, the boundary between the two groups, shown as a broken line in the two figures at 20% feldspar, should not be taken as critical in assigning a name to a rock. The distinction between gneiss and schist or phyllite is not based on mineralogical composition but on the character of fissility. This distinction is particularly significant if the mineralogical composition is the same. The classification shown in Figures A-I and A-2 applies to rocks predominately composed of either quartz, feldspars, and phyllosilicates, or quartz, phyllosilicates, and carbonates. In many metamorphic rocks, these minerals are the main constituents. Figure A-2 is valid for rocks of lower temperature and Figure A-2 for rocks formed at higher tem­ perature. In higher-grade metamorphic rocks, schists take the place of phyllites and calcsilicates such as diopside and grossularite, which are not found in rocks of low temperature are present, e.g., in marbles (sili­ cate marble). ~:~~~~il~· Carbonate r-;-~r-------~--------~r-I Albite (Microcline) Sericite (Biotite. Chlorite) Fig. A-l Composition of metamorphic rocks of lower temperature ranges in terms of certain main constituents as indicated in the diagram. Appendix 329 Muscovite. Biotite Fig. A-2 Composition of metamorphic rocks of higher temperature ranges in terms of certain main constituents as indicated in the diagnim. The names of most metamorphic rocks consist of compound terms: a. A combination of the names of constituent minerals; b. A name for the category of rock according to its fabric, such as phyllite, gneiss, schist, fels. Commonly, rocks with the fabric characteristics of gneiss, schist, etc., are formed