Patterns of foliation drag near walls of reoriented dykes

Drag patterns of foliation are graphically constructed around very competent dykes under bulk strain of pure shear, simple shear and a combination of pure shear and simple shear. Four different types of drag patterns may be produced, depending on the nature of the bulk deformation and the initial orientations of the dyke and the foliation. The drag pattern can be symmetric or asymmetric, inward curving or outward curving. Both the magnitude and the sense of drag may vary along a dyke wall. A uniform sense of drag develops all along a dyke wall only in certain special situations. The type of foliation drag near a dyke may give us a rough idea of the nature of bulk deformation and the relative orientations of the dyke and the foliation with respect to the bulk strain axes.     

Testing models for the development of spiral-shaped inclusion trails in garnet porphyroblasts: to rotate or not to rotate, that is the question

Abstract The formation of spiral-shaped inclusion trails (SSITs) is problematical, and the two viable models for their formation involve opposite shear senses along the foliation in which the porphyroblasts are growing. One model argues for porphyroblast rotation, with respect to a geographically fixed reference frame, whereas the other argues for no such porphyroblast rotation, but instead rotation of the matrix foliation around the porphyroblast. Thus, porphyroblasts with SSITs cannot be used as shear-sense indicators until it is conclusively determined which model best explains them.
Any successful model must explain features associated with SSITs, including: (1) foliation truncation zones, (2) smoothly curving SSITs, (3) millipede microstructure, (4) total inclusion-trail curvature in median sections, (5) porphyroblasts with SSITs that have grown together, (6) evidence for relative porphyroblast displacements, (7) shear-sense indicators inside and outside porphyroblasts; (8) crenulations associated with porphyroblasts and (9) geometries in sections subparallel to spiral axes (axes of rotation). A detailed study of these features suggests that most, if not all, can be explained by both the rotational and non-rotational models, in spite of these models involving diametrically opposed movement senses. Therefore, geometrical analysis of individual porphyroblast microstructures may not determine which model best explains SSITs until the kinematics required to form these microstructures are better understood, in particular the sense of shear along a developing crenulation cleavage. Specific tests for determining the shear sense along crenulation cleavages are proposed, and results of such tests may conclusively resolve the debate over how SSITs form.     

Theoretical and natural strain patterns in ductile simple shear zones

A simple empirical model representing the variation of shear strain throughout a simple shear zone allows us to determine the evolution of finite strain as well as the progressive shape changes of passive markers. Theoretical strain patterns (intensity and orientation of finite strain trajectories, deformed shapes of initially planar, equidimensional and non-equidimensional passive markers) compare remarkably well with patterns observed in natural and experimental zones of ductile simple shear (intensity and orientation of schistosity, shape changes of markers, foliation developed by deformation of markers).The deformed shapes of initially equidimensional and non-equidimensional passive markers is controlled by a coefficient P, the product of

1. (1) the ratio between marker size and shear zone thickness

2. (2) the shear gradient across the zone.

For small values of P (approximately P < 2), the original markers change nearly into ellipses, while large values of P lead to “ retort” shaped markers.This theoretical study also allows us to predict, throughout a simple shear zone, various relationships between the principal finite strain trajectory, planar passive markers and foliations developed by deformation of initially equidimensional passive markers.     

The use of asymmetric pressure shadows in mylonites to determine the sense of shear

Asymmetric pressure shadows (APS) on both sides of a rigid porphyroclast are commonly observed in mylonites along the Median Tectonic Line (MTL) in Japan. It is one of the most noticeable asymmetric microstructures, showing that the porphyroclasts have rotated during non-coaxial laminar flow in a ductile shear zone. The shadow domains are filled with recrystallized quartz and K-feldspar. Excepting APS, various asymmetric microstructures in the mylonites indicate a sinistral sense of displacement throughout the ductile shear zone along the MTL.Based on the shape analysis of APS in XZ section (parallel to the mylonitic lineation and normal to the mylonitic foliation), the following results were obtained: (1) the relative position of the APS with respect to a porphyroclast is not a reliable criterion for deducing the sense of shear; and (2) the drag angle (β) of the shadow boundaries with respect to the mylonitic foliation in each quartered domain is diagnostic of the sense of shear; when the shearing is sinistral, β in upper right- and lower left-hand side of a porphyroclast is larger than β in upper left- and lower right-hand side, and vice versa for dextral shearing. These results demonstrate that the drag patterns of APS around porphyroclasts in mylonites are highly reliable indicators for the determination of the sense of shear.     

Foliation development and refraction in metamorphic rocks: reactivation of earlier foliations and decrenulation due to shifting patterns of deformation partitioning

Abstract Reactivation of early foliations accounts for much of the progressive strain at more advanced stages of deformation. Its role has generally been insufficiently emphasized because evidence is best preserved where porphyroblasts which contain inclusion trails are present. Reactivation occurs when progressive shearing, operating in a synthetic anastomosing fashion parallel to the axial planes of folds, changes to a combination of coarse- and finescale zones of progressive shearing, some of which operate antithetically relative to the bulk shear on a fold limb. Reactivation of earlier foliations occurs in these latter zones. Reactivation decrenulates pre-existing or just-formed crenulations, generating shearing along the decrenulated or rotated pre-existing foliation planes. Partitioning of deformation within these foliation planes, such that phyllosilicates and/or graphite take up progressive shearing strain and other minerals accommodate progressive shortening strain, causes dissolution of these other minerals. This results in concentration of the phyllosilicates in a similar, but more penetrative manner to the formation of a differentiated crenulation cleavage, except that the foliation can form or intensify on a fold limb at a considerable angle to the axial plane of synchronous macroscopic folds. Reactivation can generate bedding-parallel schistosity in multideformed and metamorphosed terrains without associated folds. Heterogeneous reactivation of bedding generates rootless intrafolial folds with sigmoidal axial planes from formerly through-going structures. Reactivation causes rotation or ‘refraction’of axial-plane foliations (forming in the same deformation event causing reactivation) in those beds or zones in which an earlier foliation has been reactivated, and results in destruction of the originally axial-plane foliation at high strains. Reactivation also provides a simple explanation for the apparently ‘wrong sense’, but normally observed ‘rotation’of garnet porphyroblasts, whereby the external foliation has undergone rotation due to antithetic shear on the reactivated foliation. Alternatively, the rotation of the external foliation can be due to its reactivation in a subsequent deformation event. Porphyroblasts with inclusion trails commonly preserve evidence of reactivation of earlier foliations and therefore can be used to identify the presence of a deformation that has not been recognized by normal geometric methods, because of penetrative reactivation. Reactivation often reverses the asymmetry between pre-existing foliations and bedding on one limb of a later fold, leading to problems in the geometric analysis of an area when the location of early fold hinges is essential. The stretching lineation in a reactivated foliation can be radically reoriented, potentially causing major errors in determining movement directions in mylonitic schistosities in folded thrusts. Geometric relationships which result from reactivation of foliations around porphyroblasts can be used to aid determination of the timing of the growth of porphyroblasts relative to deformation events. Other aspects of reactivation, however, can lead to complications in timing of porphyroblast growth if the presence of this phenomenon is not recognized; for example, D₂-grown porphyroblasts may be dissolved against reactivated S₁ and hence appear to have grown syn-D₁.     

How useful are ‘millipede’ and other similar porphyroblast microstructures for determining synmetamorphic deformation histories?

ABSTRACT Oppositely concave microfolds (OCMs) in and adjacent to porphyroblasts can be classified into five nongenetic types. Type 1 OCMs are found in sections through porphyroblasts with spiral-shaped inclusion trails cut parallel to the spiral axes, and commonly show closed foliation loops. Type 2 OCMs, commonly referred to as ‘millipede’ microstructure, are highly symmetrical, the foliation folded into OCMs being approximately perpendicular to the overprinting foliation. Type 3 OCMs are similar to Type 2, but are asymmetrical, the foliation folded into OCMs being variably oblique to the overprinting foliation. Type 4 OCMs are highly asymmetrical, only one foliation is present, and this foliation is parallel to the local shear plane. Type 5 OCMs result from porphyroblast growth over a microfold interference pattern. Types 1 and 2 are commonly interpreted as indicating highly noncoaxial and highly coaxial bulk deformation paths, respectively, during porphyroblast growth. However, theoretically they can form by any deformation path intermediate between bulk coaxial shortening and bulk simple shearing. Given particular initial foliation orientation and timing of porphyroblast growth, Type 3 OCMs can also form during these intermediate deformation paths, and are commonly found in the same rocks as Type 2 OCMs. Type 4 OCMs may indicate highly noncoaxial deformation during porphyroblast growth, but may be difficult to distinguish from Type 3 OCMs. Thus, Types 1–3 (and possibly 4) reflect the finite strain state, giving no information about the rotational component of the deformation(s) responsible for their formation. Furthermore, there is a lack of unequivocal independent evidence for the degree of noncoaxiality of deformation (s) during the growth of porphyroblasts containing OCMs. Type 2 OCMs that occur independently of porphyroblasts or other rigid objects might indicate highly coaxial bulk shortening, but there is a lack of supporting physical or computer modelling. It is possible that microstructures in the matrix around OCMs formed during highly noncoaxial and highly coaxial deformation histories might have specific characteristics that allow them to be distinguished from one another. However, determining degrees of noncoaxiality from rock fabrics is a major, longstanding problem in structural geology.     

Foliations and shear sense: A modern approach to an old problem

Argument about shear on foliations began in the mid 19^th century and continues to the present day. It results from varying interpretations of what takes place during the development of different types of foliations ranging from slaty cleavages through differentiated crenulation cleavages, schistosity and gneissosity to mylonites. Computer modelling, quantitative microstructural work and monazite dating have provided a unique solution through access to the history of foliation development preserved by porphyroblasts. All foliations involve shear in their development and most can be used to derive a shear sense. The shear sense obtained is consistent between foliation types and accords with recent computer modelling of these structures preserved within porphyroblasts relative to those in the matrix. The asymmetry of curving foliation into a locally developing new one allows determination of the shear sense along the latter foliation in most rocks. The problem of shear on fold limbs and parallelism of foliation and the flattening plane of the strain ellipse is resolved through the partitioning of shearing and shortening components of deformation into zones that anastomose around ellipsoidal domains lying parallel to the XY plane. Conflicts in shear sense occur if multiple reuse or reactivation of foliations is not recognized and allowed for but are readily resolved if taken into account.     

Lack of porphyroblast rotation in the Otago schists, New Zealand: implications for crenulation cleavage development, folding and deformation partitioning

Porphyroblasts of garnet and plagioclase in the Otago schists have not rotated relative to geographic coordinates during non-coaxial deformation that post-dates their growth. Inclusion trails in most of the porphyroblasts are oriented near-vertical and near-horizontal, and the strike of near-vertical inclusion trails is consistent over 3000 km². Microstructural relationships indicate that the porphyroblasts grew in zones of progressive shortening strain, and that the sense of shear affecting the geometry of porphyroblast inclusion trails on the long limbs of folds is the same as the bulk sense of displacement of fold closures. This is contrary to the sense of shear inferred when porphyroblasts are interpreted as having rotated during folding.
Several crenulation cleavage/fold models have previously been developed to accommodate the apparent sense of rotation of porphyroblasts that grew during folding. In the light of accumulating evidence that porphyroblasts do not generally rotate, the applicability of these models to deformed rocks is questionable.
Whether or not porphyroblasts rotate depends on how deformation is partitioned. Lack of rotation requires that progressive shearing strain (rotational deformation) be partitioned around rigid heterogeneities, such as porphyroblasts, which occupy zones of progressive shortening or no strain (non-rotational deformation). Therefore, processes operating at the porphyroblast/matrix boundary are important considerations. Five qualitative models are presented that accommodate stress and strain energy at the boundary without rotating the porphyroblast: (a) a thin layer of fluid at the porphyroblast boundary; (2) grain-boundary sliding; (3) a locked porphyroblast/matrix boundary; (4) dissolution at the porphyroblast/matrix boundary, and (5) an ellipsoidal porphyroblast/shadow unit.     

Numerical simulations of spiral‐shaped inclusion trails: can 3D geometry distinguish between end‐member models of spiral formation?

Numerical 3D simulations of the development of spiral inclusion trails in porphyroblasts were conducted in order to test the proposals that (a) 3D spiral geometry differs between the rotation and nonrotation end‐member models of spiral formation proposed in the literature, and (b) 3D spiral geometry can be used as a criterion to distinguish between the two end‐member models in rocks. Four principal differences are identified between the two sets of simulations: smoothness of spiral curvature; spacing of foliation planes; alignment of individual foliation planes either side of the sphere representing the porphyroblast; and spiral asymmetry with respect to matrix shear sense. Of these differences, only spiral asymmetry and possibly the alignment of individual foliation planes are diagnostic criteria for distinguishing between the end‐member models. In the absence of a readily applied test to distinguish the end‐member models, interpretation of spiral inclusion trails is problematic. It is necessary to determine complementary evidence to distinguish porphyroblast rotation or nonrotation during spiral formation.     

Rotated staurolite porphyroblasts in the Littleton Schist at Bolton, Connecticut, USA

Staurolite porphyroblasts, 1.5–8cm in length and 0.3–2cm in width, in the Littleton Schist at Bolton, Connecticut, contain curved quartz inclusion trails which document synkinematic rotations of at least 135°. The orientations of long axes of these staurolite crystals define a weak preferred orientation in a plane approximately parallel to the external foliation. Serial sections of four differently orientated crystals and U-stage measurements of the orientations of their inclusion trails demonstrate that the inflection hinge line and the statistical 'symmetry axis' characterizing the foliation within a porphyroblast are unrelated to the orientations of external crenulations and are, in all cases, parallel to the long axis of the porphyroblast. The cumulative rotation reflected in the curvature of the inclusion trails is a maximum in a c -axis section through the initial core of a crystal. The amount of rotation about the c -axis decreases linearly along the length of the crystal away from the nucleation site.
The sense and amount of rotation recorded by a porphyroblast is related to its orientation. A tightly constrained transition from clockwise to anticlockwise rotation defines a slip direction that coincides with the preferred orientation of the staurolite c -axes. The total rotation reflected by the inclusion trails increases as a function of the angle between the c -axes of the staurolite crystals and the slip direction.
Initially random staurolite porphyroblasts rotated during growth, as a consequence of laminar shear in the surrounding viscous matrix. This interpretation is quantitatively consistent with: the staurolite preferred orientation; its coincidence with the apparent slip direction; the correlation between both the sense and the amount of rotation and the orientation of the long axis of the porphyroblast; and the twisted conical shape of the family of surfaces defined by the inclusion trails.     

雪球状石榴子石变斑晶的形成机制:以南迦巴瓦地区雅鲁藏布江缝合带西侧石英片岩为例

雅鲁藏布江缝合带米林地区的石英片岩糜棱岩化强烈,线理及面理构造发育。S-C组构、"σ"残斑以及不对称褶皱等指示了上盘相对下盘向NW下滑的剪切运动趋势。电子背散射衍射(EBSD)测试结果表明:雪球状石榴子石变斑晶边部面理(S2)中石英包裹体晶格优选方位模式图指示的运动指向与石英岩基质面理(或外部面理;S3)中石英包裹体晶格优选方位模式图指示的运动指向一致,都是上盘向NW正滑。然而,雪球状石榴子石的核部(S1)石英包裹体优选方位(LPO)模式图指示相反运动指向。能量色散显微分析(EDS)测试结果表明石榴子石的成分环带显示连续生长环带特征。连接石榴子石核部面理(S1)可以恢复得到石英岩早期不对称褶皱形状的面理轨迹。这些说明文章样品中雪球状石榴子石变斑晶是生长在不对称褶皱之上的。此过程主要是剪切方向发生了旋转,而不是石榴子石自身旋转。这种雪球状石榴子石变斑晶的存在说明南迦巴瓦地区雅鲁藏布江缝合带西侧岩石最初经历向SE的逆冲作用,后期经历由SE向NW的拆离滑脱事件。     

Secondary cleavages in ductile shear zones

Secondary cleavages developed at late stages in ductile shear zones show several features that are inconsistent with progressive simple shear in the zone. These are: the orientation of a single secondary cleavage oblique to the shear zone boundaries; conjugate sets with opposite senses of shear, and multiple sets with the same sense of shear. These features can be explained if the bulk flow is partitioned into slip along discrete failure planes parallel to the primary foliation (S), coaxial stretching along the foliation, and spin.     

Early formed regional antiforms and synforms that fold younger matrix schistosities: their effect on sites of mineral growth

In the metamorphic cores of many orogenic belts, large macroscopic folds in compositional layering also appear to fold one or more pervasive matrix foliations. The latter geometry suggests the folds formed relatively late in the tectonic history, after foliation development. However, microstructural analysis of four examples of such folds suggests this is not the case. The folds formed relatively early in the orogenic history and are the end product of multiple, near orthogonal, overprinting bulk shortening events. Once large macroscopic folds initiate, they may tighten further during successive periods of sub-parallel shortening, folding or reactivation of foliations that develop during intervening periods of near orthogonal shortening. Reactivation of the compositional layering defining the fold limbs causes foliation to be rotated into parallelism with the limbs.Multiple periods of porphyroblast growth accompanied the multiple phases of deformation that postdated the initial development of these folds. Some of these phases of deformation were attended by the development of large numbers of same asymmetry spiral-shaped inclusion trails in porphyroblasts on one limb of the fold and not the other, or larger numbers of opposite asymmetry spirals on the other limb, or similar numbers of the same asymmetry spirals on both limbs. Significantly, the largest disparity in numbers from limb to limb occurred for the first of these cases. For all four regional folds examined, the structural relationships that accompanied these large disparities were identical. In each case the shear sense operating on steeply dipping foliations was opposite to that required to originally develop the fold. Reactivation of the folded compositional layering was not possible for this shear sense. This favoured the development of sites of approximately coaxial shortening early during the deformation history, enhancing microfracture and promoting the growth of porphyroblasts on this limb in comparision to the other. These distributions of inclusion trail geometries from limb to limb cannot be explained by porphyroblast rotation, or folding of pre-existing rotated porphyroblasts within a shear zone, but can be explained by development of the inclusion trails synchronous with successive sub-vertical and sub-horizontal foliations.     

Quartz microfabric of the Laxfordian Canisp Shear Zone,NW Scotland

The Canisp Shear Zone transects layered Lewisian gneisses near Lochinver, NW Scotland. It is a vertical ductile shear zone with a dextral shear sense, formed during Laxfordian amphibolite facies metamorphism, transposing the layering to new foliation and linear structures. Minerals in the layered gneisses show little or no shape fabric, while a strong shape fabric defines the foliation. For quartz, this shape fabric is accompanied by development of a preferred crystal orientation with fabric patterns reflecting the geometry of the shear deformation. The quartz fabric shows a pole-free area around the lineation with the c-axes concentrated in an asymmetric cross-girdle or a point maximum perpendicular to the shear plane, and a monoclinic symmetry consistent with the shear sense.     

Crack-fill porphyroblastesis

Garnet‐mica schists from the Scottish Highlands provide new insight into an important mechanism of phyllosilicate growth, termed ‘crack‐fill porphyroblastesis’. It is shown that grain boundary dilatancy, microcracking and porphyroblast‐matrix decoupling all play a significant role in facilitating growth in regimes of noncoaxial shear. With respect to chlorite porphyroblasts, there are three growth stages. Following nucleation, the initial phase of growth is by progressive matrix replacement, to preserve inclusion trails of fine carbonaceous material. The second growth stage produced new optically continuous inclusion‐free chlorite on the {001} margins of those crystals at a high angle to the schistosity. This growth results from decoupling at the porphyroblast–matrix contact on those margins at a high angle to the principal axis of extension. The development of dilatant cracks at porphyroblast margins provides a sink for material migrating down P_f and chemical potential gradients. This causes precipitation of new optically continuous ‘clear’ chlorite on the pre‐existing, heavily included core. The porphyroblast–matrix boundary continues to dilate after porphyroblast growth had terminated, producing plano‐convex quartz‐rich strain shadows. Similar growth behaviour is recognised in biotite porphyroblasts, indicating that ‘crack‐fill porphyroblastesis’ is an important growth mechanism for phyllosilicates in actively deforming metamorphic rocks. It also indicates that decoupling and crack‐fill development at porphyroblast margins could be important in controlling the pattern of material transfer, and may have significant implications for matrix permeability and fluid‐flow characteristics.     

Episodic metamorphic reactions during orogenesis: the control of deformation partitioning on reaction sites and reaction duration

Abstract Textural ‘unconformities’or truncations are common in porphyroblasts with complex inclusion trails. They reflect cycles of successive foliations that develop against competent porphyroblasts during orogenesis and are preserved by successive growth increments. Their truncational character results from shear and dissolution along a particular foliation generating a differentiated crenulation cleavage. The increment of porphyroblast growth that follows a textural ‘unconformity’may or may not mark a significant compositional change, depending on the amount of movement of the rock through P–T space between cleavage-forming events. Although historically interpreted to result from a significant metamorphic hiatus, most textural unconformities indicate that the reactions involved in the formation of these minerals are episodic during continuous prograde metamorphism, starting and stopping as a function of the stage of crenulation of the matrix foliation and the pattern of deformation partitioning. Such episodic reaction behaviour can only occur for multivariant reactions, or successive but different univariant reactions. The reason why garnet is the most common porphyroblast to exhibit evidence for episodic reactions is probably the fact that it grows by multivariant reactions over a much wider P–T range than most other common porphyroblast phases. Porphyroblast growth is micrometasomatic. It is episodic because a significant reduction of strain occurs within domains of progressive shortening each time continuous progressive shearing domains form on their margins. This stops microfracture development across the progressive shortening domains, thereby preventing rapid access and interaction of fluid, ions and complexes with porphyroblast boundaries. Shifting patterns of deformation partitioning and resulting small-scale juxtaposition of different compositional layers spreads the duration and location of multivariant reactions and causes differential timing of porphyroblast growth along a particular stratigraphic horizon. It may also locally preserve metastable metamorphic assemblages. In regionally metamorphosing/deforming pelites, near-simultaneous cessation of porphyroblast growth on all rims, once continuous differentiated progressive shearing domains have formed nearby, precludes fluid recirculation as a significant process for removal of material during cleavage development. Alternatively, diffusion of simple molecules and dissociated ions along actively shearing and micro-gaped phyllosilicates, with recomplexing in fluid-filled microfractures, readily explains the control of deformation partitioning on reaction site and reaction duration.     

The rotation of garnet porphyroblasts around a single fold, Lukmanier Pass, Central Alps

The orientation of the straight internal foliation S_i within large ( 5 mm) garnet porphyroblasts has been measured relative to the orientation of the external foliation S_e around a single antiform of 0.5 m wavelength, which folds the dominant regional foliation. The internal foliation is not constant in orientation, but varies consistently both with position around the fold and with the porphyroblast ellipticity. The dip of S_i (hinge dip taken as zero) is consistently less than the dip of S_e; it increases with increasing dip of S_e and with increasing ellipticity of the porphyroblasts. S_i effectively defines a fold with an opening angle greater than that in the external foliation. The opening angle of this fold in S_i decreases with increasing porphyroblast ellipticity. The observed variation in the orientation of S_i can be explained qualitatively by a flattened flexural flow model for fold development, as could be expected for folding of a pre-existing, strongly anisotropic foliation. The measurements clearly demonstrate that rotation of porphyroblasts relative to geographical co-ordinates did occur during the development of this fold and that a model based on the classical theories of rotation of stiff inclusions in a weaker viscous matrix is most appropriate.     

Progressive deformation and reorientation of fold axes in a ductile mylonite zone: the woodroffe thrust

The structural geometry of a mylonite zone (the Woodroffe thrust) and the country rock in its immediate vicinity is described. Mylonitic schistosity formed axial planar to folds in country rock foliation and contains a mineral elongation lineation which is constant in orientation. However, the fold axes (and associated intersection lineation) spread in orientation within the mylonitic schistosity but with a strong maximum parallel to the mineral elongation lineation. It is demonstrated that the fold axes formed initially at approximately 90° to mineral elongation but rotated with increase in strain towards it. Where this phenomenon was homogeneous on a macroscopic scale, rotation of large blocks of country rock across zones of mylonitization accompanied reorientation of fold axes within the mylonite.The controversy of progressive simple versus progressive pure shear for mylonite zones is discussed in the light of recent fabric and other evidence. It is concluded that the inhomogeneous forms of both progressive pure shear and progressive simple shear played a part and that the former dominated initially but gradually gave way to the latter until brittle rupture with large simple-shear displacements on a zone lubricated by the formation of pseudotachylite, brought granulite over amphibolite facies rocks.     

Microstructural features of albite porphyroblasts as indicators of sequential Barrovian metamorphic mineral growth in the Caledonides of the SW Scottish Highlands

Inclusion – porphyroblast and porphyroblast – porphyroblast relationships show that abundant albite in mica schists in the Caledonides of the SW Scottish Highlands are part of the Barrovian metamorphic assemblage. Growth early in the D2 deformational phase of porphyroblast cores followed the growth of Mn‐rich garnet but preceded the growth of porphyroblasts of the index mineral almandine. Two sets of inclusion trails in the albite correspond to the regionally expressed S1 and S2. Straight trails of muscovite, chlorite, quartz, epidote and the earliest growth of biotite make up S1. Crenulated trails express deformation of S1 early in D2 with muscovite, chlorite, biotite, quartz, epidote and the Mn‐rich garnet associated with the development of S2 crenulation cleavage. The geometries of these trails uniquely record early stages of D2 deformational history. An _0?3 growth is related to the temporal coincidence of the formation of S1–S2 crenulation cleavage hinges as favourable sites for nucleation and the release of large amounts of water from prograde reactions during tectonothermal reconstitution of first cycle immature sediments with a volcanic component. The main characteristics of the regionally expressed D2 schistosity were developed during the major grain coarsening that followed both albite and almandine porphyroblast growth. Essentially inclusion‐free An _4?19 rims grew on the inclusion‐containing cores in the almandine zone in the later stages of schistosity growth and unoriented porphyroblasts of muscovite, biotite and chlorite indicate that mineral growth extended from the later stages of D2 to post‐D2. Previous interpretations of the albite porphyroblast growth having been during D4 to post‐D4 contemporaneous with retrogression are inconsistent with the microstructural evidence.