OCCURRENCE AND ORIGIN OF RING SCHLIEREN IN THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN BATHOLITH MEGUMA ZONE, NOVA SCOTIA Fergus Tweedale Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science, Honours Department of Earth Sciences Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia May, 2012 Distribution License DalSpace requires agreement to this non-exclusive distribution license before your item can appear on DalSpace. NON-EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION LICENSE You (the author(s) or copyright owner) grant to Dalhousie University the non-exclusive right to reproduce and distribute your submission worldwide in any medium. You agree that Dalhousie University may, without changing the content, reformat the submission for the purpose of preservation. You also agree that Dalhousie University may keep more than one copy of this submission for purposes of security, back-up and preservation. You agree that the submission is your original work, and that you have the right to grant the rights contained in this license. You also agree that your submission does not, to the best of your knowledge, infringe upon anyone's copyright. If the submission contains material for which you do not hold copyright, you agree that you have obtained the unrestricted permission of the copyright owner to grant Dalhousie University the rights required by this license, and that such third-party owned material is clearly identified and acknowledged within the text or content of the submission. If the submission is based upon work that has been sponsored or supported by an agency or organization other than Dalhousie University, you assert that you have fulfilled any right of review or other obligations required by such contract or agreement. Dalhousie University will clearly identify your name(s) as the author(s) or owner(s) of the submission, and will not make any alteration to the content of the files that you have submitted. If you have questions regarding this license please contact the repository manager at [email protected]. Grant the distribution license by signing and dating below. Name of signatory Date i TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... i Table of Figures .............................................................................................................. iii Table of Tables .................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... vi Abstract ...........................................................................................................................vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 1.1 Opening Statement ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Schlieren In Granitoid Rocks ....................................................................................... 1 1.3 Regional Geology Of Southern Nova Scotia ............................................................... 2 1.4 Scope Of Study ............................................................................................................. 8 1.5 The Purpose Of The Study ........................................................................................... 8 1.6 The Claim ................................................................................................................... 11 1.7 The Agenda ................................................................................................................ 11 CHAPTER 2: METHODS ........................................................................................... 12 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 12 2.2 Field Methods ............................................................................................................. 13 2.2.1 Traversing .................................................................................................... 13 2.2.2 Location ........................................................................................................ 13 2.2.3 Physical Dimensions .................................................................................... 13 2.2.4 Ring Relations .............................................................................................. 15 2.2.4.1 Ring count ................................................................................. 15 2.2.4.2 Ring gradations ......................................................................... 16 2.2.4.3 Cross-cutting relationships ........................................................ 17 2.2.5 Structural Orientations ................................................................................. 17 2.2.5.1 K-feldspar megacrysts ............................................................... 17 2.2.5.2 Long-axis orientation of ring schlieren ..................................... 18 2.2.6 Photography ................................................................................................. 18 2.3 Laboratory Methods ................................................................................................... 20 2.3.1 Photo Processing .......................................................................................... 20 2.3.2 Cartography .................................................................................................. 20 2.4 Summary .................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 3: RESULTS ............................................................................................. 22 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 22 3.2 Classification And Characteristics Of Schlieren Structures ....................................... 22 3.3 Distribution Of Ring Schlieren Within The Study Area ............................................ 32 3.4 Physical Dimensions Of Ring Schlieren .................................................................... 34 3.4.1 Length .......................................................................................................... 34 ii 3.4.2 Width ............................................................................................................ 35 3.4.3 Aspect Ratio ................................................................................................. 35 3.4.4 Three-dimensional Shape ............................................................................. 37 3.5 Ring Relations ............................................................................................................ 37 3.5.1 Number of Rings .......................................................................................... 37 3.5.2 Cross-cutting Relationships and Ring Gradations ....................................... 38 3.6 Orientations ................................................................................................................ 39 3.6.1 Regional Foliation ........................................................................................ 39 3.6.2 Long-axis Orientation of Ring Schlieren ..................................................... 40 3.6.3 Prolate and Oblate Structures ....................................................................... 40 3.6.4 Xenoliths ...................................................................................................... 40 3.7 Summary .................................................................................................................... 41 CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION ....................................................................................... 42 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 42 4.2 Relevant Processes In Crystallizing Magmas ............................................................ 42 4.2.1 Degassing Magma ........................................................................................ 43 4.2.2 Bubbles and Bubble Trains in Natural and Synthetic Systems .................... 46 4.2.3 The Bagnold Effect ...................................................................................... 46 4.2.4 Rheological Boundaries within a Crystallizing Magma .............................. 47 4.2.5 Summary ...................................................................................................... 49 4.3 Interpretation Of The Field Relations ........................................................................ 51 4.3.1 Distribution of Ring Schlieren in the Study Area ........................................ 51 4.3.2 Physical Dimensions of Ring Schlieren ....................................................... 52 4.3.3 Two-dimensional Ring Relations ................................................................. 55 4.3.4 Three-dimensional Ring Relations ............................................................... 57 4.3.5 Ring Gradations ........................................................................................... 58 4.3.6 Long-axis Orientations of Ring Schlieren ...................................................