Quartz Regeneration and its Use as a Repository of Genetic Information

Quartz represents one of the most widespread minerals and is widely used in geosciences to reconstruct physic-chemical conditions of rock and mineral formation. However, interpretation of analytical data may be limited by the ability of quartz to regenerate during secondary alteration processes occurring under metamorphic or hydrothermal conditions. This behaviour distinguishes quartz from most minerals commonly associated with. Primary genetic information is obliterated during quartz regeneration. This includes features related to the real structure of quartz, but also to fluid and mineral inclusions. The present contribution examines examples covering various fields of mineral research, namely the genetic interpretation of trace element content in quartz, quartz provenance analysis using cathodoluminescence (CL) colour imaging, and the analysis of mineral and fluid inclusions in quartz. It is demonstrated in all cases that care needs to be taken when interpreting genetic information encoded. Distinction of features related to primary growth or secondary alteration is not simple and requires application of complementary analytical techniques.

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