Research Article| December 01, 2013 Metamorphism as Garnet Sees It: The Kinetics of Nucleation and Growth, Equilibration, and Diffusional Relaxation Jay J. Ague; Jay J. Ague 1Department of Geology and Geophysics, Yale UniversityP.O. Box 208109, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8109, USAE-mail: jay.ague@yale.edu2Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William D. Carlson William D. Carlson 3Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at AustinAustin, Texas 78712, USAE-mail: wcarlson@jsg.utexas.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Elements (2013) 9 (6): 439–445. https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.9.6.439 Article history first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Jay J. Ague, William D. Carlson; Metamorphism as Garnet Sees It: The Kinetics of Nucleation and Growth, Equilibration, and Diffusional Relaxation. Elements 2013;; 9 (6): 439–445. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/gselements.9.6.439 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyElements Search Advanced Search Abstract Garnet bears witness to the importance of kinetics during metamorphism in its microstructural features, compositional zoning, and diffusional response to thermal events. Porphyroblastic textures carry quantitative signals of protracted nucleation and sluggish intergranular diffusion, key impediments to reaction progress that may result in crystallization under conditions well removed from equilibrium. Growth zoning in garnet reveals partial chemical equilibration with matrix minerals: intergranular transport keeps pace with garnet growth for some elements but not for others, leading to variable degrees and length scales of chemical equilibration. Partial relaxation of compositional zoning by intracrystalline diffusion is a sensitive and quantitative indicator of thermal history, constraining rates and timescales of peak metamorphic heating, processes of burial and exhumation, and retrogression on cooling. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.