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TEM investigation of the crystal microstructures in a quartz-coesite assemblage of the western alps

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Abstract

Atransmission electron microscope (TEM) study of quartz-coesite inclusions in garnet in crustal rocks from the Western Alps is presented. Coesite shows a low dislocation density (<107 cm−2), and quartz a higher density of defects, Brasil twins (104 cm−1) and dislocations (108 cm−2). It is concluded that coesite has been not or only slightly plastically deformed and that the yield strength of coesite is higher than that of quartz. The large scale deformation implications are briefly discussed. TEM observations show no systematic topotactic relationship between the two polymorphs and their boundaries have a scalloped morphology which suggests that growth of quartz from coesite was controlled by a diffusion process.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Université Paris VI, 4, place Jussieu, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France

    J. Ingrin

  2. Department of Earth and Space Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook, 11794, N.Y., Stony Brook, USA

    J. Ingrin

  3. Centre Armoricain d'Étude Structurale des Socles, (CNRS), Université de Rennes, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    Ph. Gillet

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  1. J. Ingrin
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  2. Ph. Gillet
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Ingrin, J., Gillet, P. TEM investigation of the crystal microstructures in a quartz-coesite assemblage of the western alps. Phys Chem Minerals 13, 325–330 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00308349

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00308349

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