The Al2SiO5 Polymorphs

Book excerpt: Volume 22 of Reviews in Mineralogy is a book exclusively devoted to three minerals: the Al2SiO5 polymorphs - andalusite, sillimanite, and kyanite. It covers a wide variety of topics that must be considered in the analysis of metamorphic systems and illustrates the fact that modern metamorphic petrology demands an awareness of a wide spectrum of geologic variables and processes. This volume is intended to provide a comprehensive review, summarizing the methods, theories and pitfalls of the various contributions on the aluminum silicates. Several sections of this book present the chronological development of research on various topics, giving readers historical perspectives on the development of theories, models and biases on various problems regarding the aluminum silicates.