Learning about rocks can give much pleasure to anyone interested in Earth and its development. I hope that readers of this book will share my enthusiasm for examining rocks with the microscope. I planned the book to be an introductory review of the main processes responsible for the microstructures of Earth rocks. However, I soon realized that if I did that, the book would be a collection of half-truths, with little scientific value. Though many rock microstructures are understood fairly well, the interpretation of many others involves considerable controversy, and new ideas are being published all the time. So, I have felt compelled to mention problems of interpretation and to present alternative views, where appropriate. Thus, the book has evolved into (1) a basic explanation of the main processes, (2) an introduction to more complex issues of interpretation and especially to the relevant literature, and (3) an outline of modern approaches and techniques, in order to emphasize the ongoing, dynamic nature of the study of rock microstructure. Because complicated problems cannot be discussed in detail in a book of this kind, I have tried to provide a sufficient number of references to enable the reader to delve more deeply. <...>

Rocks in natural outcrops, in samples knocked off these outcrops and in drill cores, are beautiful and instructive. We can see different minerals, and identify many of them with the aid of a hand lens. We can also see some of the more obvious structures in the rocks. However, cutting a slice (section) through a rock with a diamond-impregnated circular saw and polishing the sawn surface shows us the various minerals alongside each other, rather than piled confusingly all around each other. This reveals the structure even more clearly, as can be seen in the polished facing slabs on many buildings and bench tops.

В книге излагаются теоретические основы и геологические приложения нового направления микроструктурного анализа, пришедшего на смену описательно-кинематической характеристике ориентировок минералов и являющегося одним из главных методов решения петрогенетических и тектонофизических задач. Рассматриваются ориентировки минералов метаморфических тектонитов (карбонаты, слюды, диопсид, роговая обманка, плагиоклазы, кварц).

Атлас предваряет монографию авторов "Седиментогенез и ранний литогенез голоценных отложений в областях приморского торфонакопления (Колхида, Южная Прибалтика, Западная Куба, Флорида)”, которая будет издана в 1996 г. Атлас иллюстрирует микроструктуру фациальных типов торфоносных континентальных и морских осадков и вмещающих пластов торфа. При установлении фациальных типов осадков основное внимание обращено на микроструктуры, которые в сочетании с макроструктурами и текстурами дали возможность судить о генетической природе изученных отложений.
Для геологов, биологов, преподавателей и студентов вузов

Grey and white carbonate mylonites were collected along thrust planes of the Helvetic Alps. They are characterised by very small grain sizes and non-random grain shape (SPO) and crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO). Presumably they deformed in the field of grain size sensitive flow by recrystallisation accommodated intracrystalline deformation in combination with granular flow. Both mylonites show a similar mean grain size, but in the grey mylonites the grain size range is larger, the grain shapes are more elongate and the dynamically recrystallised calcite grains are more often twinned. Grey mylonites have an oblique CPO, while the CPO in white mylonites is symmetric with respect to the shear plane. Combustion analysis and ТЕМ investigations revealed that grey mylonites contain a higher amount of highly structured kerogens with particle sizes of a few tens of nanometers, which are finely dispersed at the grain boundaries.

During deformation of the rock, nano-scale particles reduced the migration velocity of grain boundaries by Zener drag resulting in slower recrystallisation rates of the calcite aggregate. In the grey mylonites, more strain increments were accommodated by individual grains before they became refreshed by dynamic recrystallisation than in white mylonites, where grain boundary migration was less hindered and recrystallisation cycles were faster. Consequently, grey mylonites represent 'deformation' microfabrics while white mylonites are characterised by 'recrystallisation' microfabrics. Field geologists must utilise this different deformation behavior when applying the obliquity in CPO and SPO of the respective mylonites as reliable shear sense indicators

Изложены закономерности формирования микроструктуры глинистых пород, процессов структурообразования в глинистых системах, описаны современные методы изучения микроструктуры глинистых осадков. Показано влияние микроструктуры глин на их физические, механические и коллекторские свойства. Рассмотрены тиксотропные й реологические процессы в глинах, природа анизотропии их свойств. Приведены примеры практического использования микроструктурных данных при оценке глинистых пород. Для геологов, изучающих литологию и петрографию осадочных пород, а также специалистов в области коллоидной химии, керамики, физико-химической механики дисперсных систем.