No, it's simple. The decimals divide petrologic type 3 into ten finer divisions. They are meant to convey a sense of relative metamorphic grade, just as the original 3-4-5-6 numbers did. The reason this was done for type 3 and not for 4-5-6 is that the differences between a low-type-3 (now 3.0) and a high-type-3 (now 3.9) are as important as the differences between a type 4 and a type 6. So it was decided that subdivision was needed to make these distinctions (I was a coauthor on that original Nature paper proposing this scheme back in 1980). You are correct that the scale should not be thought of as linear.

jeff

At 02:18 PM 3/13/2003, E.L. Jones wrote:
Hello Gents, List

To my best recollection, the decimal value is not a scale from 3 to 4, such that 3.5 is "half way" would be between the two grades. It is an index for another characteristic peculiar to feldspathic minerals , I believe.

The value after the decimal (e.g. 3."X", 3.5, 3.7 etc.) is a index of the degree to which some feldspar content fluoresces, indicating another, specific type of metamorphic process beyond the equilibration( comingling/co-melting) of all types of chondrites as they move from 3-4-5-6 etc. I infer that the process is lost after stage 3 and may be insignificant(???)

Perhaps someone else would offer the specifics as to who designed the index and what its significance is. We have discussed this before perhaps it is in the archives.

Regards,
Elton

Lars Pedersen wrote:

<snip>?
But what is the "tecknical" background for 3.2 - 3.8 ?
I would like to dig a litle bit deeper.

Thanks
Lars



Hei Lars,
Even finer grading, lowest value of 3.x means the chondrules
are the most distinct, higher values that they become
more 'blured'. But even 3.8 are quite distinct since
it's 3,  not 4,5,6 in the first place.






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