A porphyroblast is a large
mineral
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed. ( ...
crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macro ...
in a
metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock (protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, causin ...
which has grown within the finer grained
matrix
Matrix most commonly refers to:
* ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise
** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film
** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...
. Porphyroblasts are commonly
euhedral
Euhedral crystals (also known as idiomorphic or automorphic crystals) are those that are well-formed, with sharp, easily recognised faces. The opposite is anhedral (also known as '' xenomorphic'' or ''allotriomorphic''): a rock with an anhedra ...
crystals, but can also be partly to completely irregular in shape.
The most common porphyroblasts in
metapelites (metamorphosed
mudstone
Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology. ...
s and
siltstones) are
garnet
Garnets () are a group of silicate minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives.
All species of garnets possess similar physical properties and crystal forms, but differ in chemical composition. The different s ...
s and
staurolites, which stand out in well-
foliated metapelites (such as
schist
Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock showing pronounced schistosity. This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a low-power hand lens, oriented in such a way that the rock is easily split into thin flakes o ...
s) against the platy
mica matrix.
A similar type of crystal is a ''
phenocryst
300px, feldspathic phenocrysts. This granite, from the Switzerland">Swiss side of the Mont Blanc massif, has large white plagioclase phenocrysts, triclinic minerals that give trapezoid shapes when cut through). 1 euro coins, 1 euro coin (diameter ...
'', a large crystal in an
igneous rock
Igneous rock (derived from the Latin word ''ignis'' meaning fire), or magmatic rock, is one of the three main The three types of rocks, rock types, the others being Sedimentary rock, sedimentary and metamorphic rock, metamorphic. Igneous rock ...
. Porphyroblasts are often confused with ''
porphyroclast 350px, A mylonite showing a number of (rotated) porphyroclasts: a clear red garnet left in the picture while smaller white feldspar porphyroclasts can be found all over. ''Location'': the tectonics, tectonic contact between the wiktionary:autochth ...
s'', which can also be large outstanding crystals, but which are ''older'' than the matrix of the rock.
If a porphyroblastic mineral has small inclusions of minerals within it, the mineral is described as
poikiloblastic. This observation can help interpret deformation history.
A rock which has many porphyroblasts is described as having a ''porphyroblastic texture''.
As porphyroblasts grow, the foliation may be preserved as oriented inclusions trapped by the porphyroblast as it overgrows them, and this is helpful for tracking changing deformation planes.
In metamorphic rocks that experience deformation during metamorphism, porphyroblasts may grow before, during, or after the phase of deformation recorded by the matrix minerals. The relationship of porphyroblast growth to deformation is typically evaluated by comparing the shape orientation of trails of mineral inclusions in the porphyroblast to the matrix fabric.
![Thin section of garnet-mica-schist](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Thin_section_of_garnet-mica-schist.jpg)
Some garnet porphyroblasts contain curving trails of quartz and other mineral inclusions that record rotation of the crystals relative to their surroundings. However, the question of how much porphyroblasts actually rotate in an external reference frame fixed to the Earth's surface during metamorphism and deformation has long been the subject of debate. The question focused on so-called ''"spiral garnets"'', also known as ''"snowball garnets"'', whose inclusion trails define spiral patterns. These microstructures are interpreted classically as having formed by shearing induced rotation of a growing garnet crystal. Later research, however, led to an alternative formation model in which a porphyroblast grows over a developing microfold while maintaining a stable position in the external reference frame. Repetition of this process can then produce complex spiral-shaped patterns. Although many researchers continue to adopt the classic rotational model, most researchers who have published research testing both models by measuring the orientations of porphyroblasts have come to support the modern interpretation.
See also
*
List of rock textures
This page is intended to be a list of rock textural and morphological terms.
A
* Adcumulate
* Agglomeritic
* Adamantine a type of lustre
* Amygdaloidal
* Anhedral
* Antitaxial veins
* Aphanitic
* Aplitic; aplite
* Augen textured gn ...
*
Rock microstructure
Rock microstructure includes the texture and small-scale structures of a rock. The words ''texture'' and ''microstructure'' are interchangeable, with the latter preferred in modern geological literature. However, ''texture'' is still acceptable ...
References
{{Reflist
Metamorphic petrology