Geology St Michael's Mount
1 geology
1.1 granites
1.2 devonian pelites
1.3 mineralisation
geology
the rock exposures around st michael s mount provide opportunity see many features of geology of cornwall in single locality. mount made of uppermost part of granite intrusion metamorphosed devonian mudstones or pelites. granite mineralised well-developed sheeted greisen vein system. due geology island s seaward has been designated site of special scientific interest since 1995.
granites
there 2 types of granite visible on mount. of intrusion tourmaline muscovite granite variably porphyritic. separated biotite muscovite granite pegmatites.
devonian pelites
originally laid down mudstones these pelites regionally metamorphosed , deformed (mainly folded here) variscan orogeny. affected intrusion of granite, caused further contact metamorphism, locally forming hornfels, , mineralisation.
mineralisation
the best developed mineralisation found within uppermost part of granite in form of sheeted greisen veins. these steep w-e trending veins thought have formed hydraulic fracturing when fluid pressure @ top of granite reached critical level. granite fractured , fluids altered granite replacing feldspars quartz , muscovite. fluids rich in boron, tin , tungsten , tourmaline, wolframite , cassiterite common in greisen veins. area cooled veins became open fluids surrounding country rock , these deposited sulphides e.g. chalcopyrite , stannite. greisen veins locally developed within pelites.
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