Geological Observations on South AmericaDarwin, Charles
Science
Geological Observations on South America
Darwin, Charles
Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Geology -- South America; Mollusks, Fossil -- South America; Paleontology
most of the so-called beds are of the nature of complex folia, and have
not been separately deposited. Of course, this view cannot be extended
to THICK masses included in the metamorphic series, which are of
totally different composition from the adjoining schists, and which are
far extended, as is sometimes the case with quartz and marble; these
must generally be of the nature of true strata. (Macculloch
“Classification of Rocks” page 364, states that primary limestones are
often found in irregular masses or great nodules, “which can scarcely
be said to possess a stratified shape!”) Such strata, however, will
almost always strike in the same direction with the folia, owing to the
axes of elevation being in most countries parallel to the strike of the
foliation; but they will generally dip at a different angle from that
of the foliation; and the angle of the foliation in itself almost
always varies much: hence, in crossing a metamorphosed schistose
district, it would require especial attention to discriminate between
true strata of deposition and complex foliated masses. The mere
presence of true strata in the midst of a set of metamorphic schists,
is no argument that the foliation is of sedimentary origin, without it
be further shown in each case, that the folia not only strike, but dip
throughout in parallel planes with those of the true stratification.
As in some cases it appears that where a fissile rock has been exposed
to partial metamorphic action, for instance from the irruption of
granite, the foliation has supervened on the already existing
cleavage-planes; so perhaps in some instances, the foliation of a rock
may have been determined by the original planes of deposition or of
oblique current-laminae: I have, however, myself, never seen such a
case, and I must maintain that in most extensive metamorphic areas, the
foliation is the extreme result of that process, of which cleavage is
the first effect. That foliation may arise without any previous
structural arrangement in the mass, we may infer from injected, and
therefore once liquified, rocks, both of volcanic and plutonic origin,
sometimes having a “grain” (as expressed by Professor Sedgwick), and
sometimes being composed of distinct folia or laminae of different
compositions. In my work on “Volcanic Islands,” I have given several
instances of this structure in volcanic rocks, and it is not uncommonly
seen in plutonic masses—thus, in the Cordillera of Chile, there are
gigantic mountain-like masses of red granite, which have been injected
whilst liquified, and which, nevertheless, display in parts a decidedly
laminar structure. (As remarked in a former part of this chapter, I
suspect that the boldly conical mountains of gneiss-granite, near Rio
de Janeiro, in which the constituent minerals are arranged in parallel
planes, are of intrusive origin. We must not, however, forget the
lesson of caution taught by the curious claystone porphyries of Port
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account