Foundations of the Observational Metamorphic Sciences

Abstract

Modern metamorphic petrology has founded by Eskora and Goldschmidt in the 1930s, and their basic idea was that the metamorphic facies represent the range of pressure, and the temperature and mineral facies show the compositional space regions. Later, during the 1950s to 1960s the Korzinskii, Thompson and Miyashiro applied solid thermodynamics to metamorphic phase equilibria. Miyashiro presented the new concept of facies - series in a geologic framework.Recent progress in metamorphic petrology has concentrated on methods and applications of exact pressure-temperature paths using differential thermodynamics. This new method of quantitative metamorphic petrology was established by Spear in 1980s. The precise P-T paths of subduction related metamorphic rocks make it possible to discuss the detailed process of subduction. Furthermore, important progress in seismic studies using seismic reflection and refraction methods in the plate boundary regions combines quantitative metamorphic petrology and seismic structure surveys with materials science in the Earth's interior as proposed by Peacock, and Seno and coworkers in the late 1990s. Along the line of the observational but not conceptual metamorphic sciences, the comprehensive field of geosciences focus on the foundations of Observational Metamorphic Sciences including geophysical prospecting, precise metamorphic petrology, and materials sciences of the Earth's interior.