Zircon crystal morphology and its application to earth science

Abstract

Zircon is found as a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks as well as sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The mineral remains stable during the process of weathering or alteration, or even through low-grade metamorphism. There is a wide variety of zircon crystal forms, depending on the different physical and chemical conditions of its host rock. Almost all of zircon crystal forms can be described using four indexes, all ranging from zero to one: flatness, elongation, prism and pyramid. The PPEF diagram in which relations among the four indexes are shown will be of great use in the study of earth science; stratigraphic correlation of igneous formations, petrogenesis of igneous and metamorphic rocks, radiometric age determination, exploration of natural resources, etc. -English summary