A Microstructural sequence of quartz schists in central Shikoku, south-west Japan

This paper describes a microstructural sequence of quartz schists (metamorphosed chert) in the Asemi river region of the Sambagawa metamorphic terrain in central Shikoku, southwest Japan. The Asemi river region is divided into three areas on the basis of characteristics of microstructures of quartz schists observed under the optical microscope: areas I, II and III, in ascending order of metamorphic grade. Microstructures in area I consist of finer, equant, equidimensional and polygonal quartz grains free from internal deformation features. Microstructures in area II are characterized by oblate or elliptical grains with remarkable undulatory extinction surrounded by serrated grain boundaries. Microstructures in area III consist mainly of coarser and equant grains without distinct internal deformation features.The formation conditions of these microstructures are discussed in the light of recent experimental results.