Evidence for syntectonic crystallization for the mudstone to slate transition at Lehigh gap, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Abstract

Data primarily for phyllosilicates have been obtained for the continuous transitional sequence from mudstone to slate with well-developed slaty cleavage at Lehigh Gap, Pennsylvania, and for slates from quarries in the same area. Samples were studied by optical microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis, with emphasis on transmission and analytical electron microscopy. Mineral grains are virtually free of deformation-induced strain. Concomitant with the gradual development of cleavage normal to bedding the following changes are observed or confirmed: (1) the orientation of phyllosilicate grains changes discontinuously from being preferentially parallel to bedding to being parallel to cleavage; (2) crystal imperfections as expressed in layer terminations, low angle grain boundary-like features and other defects decrease in density; (3) complex mixed layering is replaced by homogeneous packets of layers of single phases and (4) illite transforms to muscovite, with increase in K + Al and change from a 1Md to 2M polytype. Slaty cleavage apparently develops due in part to pressure solution of phyllosilicates oriented parallel to bedding, mass transport of components, and crystallization to form new grains parallel to cleavage. It reflects transitions from imperfect, metastable phases toward ordered stable phases in a low temperature (~225[deg]C) metamorphic environment.