Decussate (or diablastic) texture

Decussate (or diablastic) texture is a metamorphic rock texture comprising of equigranular, interlocking, randonly orientated platy, tabular, prismatic or elongate minerals. The texture arises to minimise surface energy in a rock with elongate crystals and is thus similar to a granoblastic texture. It is most commonly associated with thermal metamorphism.

Bibliography

• Bucher, K., & Grapes, R. (2011). Petrogenesis of metamorphic rocks. Springer Science & Business Media.
• Fossen, H. (2016). Structural geology. Cambridge University Press.
• Howie, R. A., Zussman, J., & Deer, W. (1992). An introduction to the rock-forming minerals (p. 696). Longman.
• Passchier, Cees W., Trouw, Rudolph A. J: Microtectonics (2005).
• Philpotts, A., & Ague, J. (2009). Principles of igneous and metamorphic petrology. Cambridge University Press.
• Shelley, D. (1993). Igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope: classification, textures, microstructures and mineral preferred-orientations.
• Vernon, R. H. & Clarke, G. L. (2008): Principles of Metamorphic Petrology. Cambridge University Press.
• Vernon, R. H. (2018). A practical guide to rock microstructure. Cambridge university press.

Photo
Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)
Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. PPL image, 2x (Field of view = 7mm)	Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. PPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Decussate texture in a non-foliated blueschit with stilpnomelane. XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Decussate texture in a altered peridotite with tremolite. XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Decussate texture in a altered peridotite with tremolite. XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)
Decussate texture in a altered peridotite with tremolite. XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Decussate texture in a altered peridotite with tremolite. XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)	Decussate texture in a altered peridotite with tremolite. XPL image, 10x (Field of view = 2mm)