The high-low quartz inversion

Abstract

The paper reviews studies on possible applications of the high-low quartz inversion in petrology. Since the first suggestions of Fenner and Tuttle, nearly fifty papers have dealt with the subject, including ten by the present authors. The detailed discussion of the preparative and instrumental factors which may influence the quartz inversion behaviour reveals that the DTA (DSC) runs have to be made under highly standardized conditions to permit measurement of the ‘material inherent factors’ (mainly crystal physical factors) which cause variations in shape and temperatures. The most striking variations in shape and temperatures of the inversion effect (e.g. including temperatures more than 70°C lower than the ‘textbook value’ of 573°C for the quartz inversion) are observed for microcrystalline quartz crystals. The literature and the authors' own investigation demonstrate that the most interesting field of application of the method is that of authigenic quartz formation in sediments and soils. The characterization of metamorphic quartz is more complicated. Four fields of study are chosen to demonstrate the possible application of the quartz inversion characterization for petrogenetic interpretations: (1) the differentiation between authigenic and inherited quartz crystals in sediments, (2) the characterization of the contact-metamorphic aureoles around granites, (3) special regional-metamorphic terrains and (4) (from a few so far unpublished studies) the differentiation between sedimentary and soil silcretes.