Microstructural evidence of rotation and non-rotation of mica porphyroblasts

Abstract Mica porphyroblasts in schists from several regions show nearly planar inclusion trails that are parallel over areas much larger than the wavelengths of later folds. This indicates that the porphyroblasts have not rotated, with respect to geographical co-ordinates, during deformation. Instead, the matrix has rotated, as suggested by Ramsay (1962). Even in zones of marked shortening in the matrix adjacent to large rigid porphyroblasts (e.g. of cordierite or staurolite), small biotite porphyroblasts have not rotated, but have become thinned by solution, as indicated by parallelism of inclusion trails in separate biotite grains and by evidence of truncation of inclusion trails by the matrix foliation. Less common are biotite porphyroblasts that have single asymmetrical microfolds in the matrix adjacent to the porphyroblasts and so appear to have rotated; these porphyroblasts are characterized by kinking.