Eclogite-facies mineral assemblages are commonly preserved in mafic protoliths within continental terranes. It is widely accepted that the entirety of these continental terrains must also have been subducted to eclogite-facies conditions. However, evidence that the felsic material transformed at eclogite-facies conditions is lacking. Low-strain metagranites of the ultrahigh-pressure Tso Morari
Ultra high pressure (UHP) metamorphism observed in continental terranes implies that continental crust can subduct to ~40 kbar before exhuming to the surface. This process is one of the least understood and widely debated parts of the orogenic cycle. The dominantly felsic composition of UHP continental terranes means that many petrology‐based techniques for determining peak pressures and temperatures are often not possible. In such cases, the detection of UHP conditions depends on the preservation of coesite, a rarely preserved mineral in exhumed UHP terranes as it rapidly transforms to quartz on decompression. Consequently, the qualitative identification of palisade quartz microstructures that form during the retrograde transformation of coesite to quartz is often used to identify UHP terranes. In this study, we conduct electron backscatter diffraction and misorientation analysis of palisade quartz inclusions in the coesite‐bearing pyrope quartzite from the Dora Maira massif in the Alps, and matrix‐scale palisade quartz in the Polokongka La granite from Tso Morari in the Ladakh Himalaya, in order to quantitatively define crystallographic characteristics of quartz after coesite. The repeatability of our observations in two unrelated occurrences of UHP rocks supports our interpretation that the following features provide a systematic and predictable set of criteria to identify the coesite to quartz transition: (1) Quartz crystallographic orientations define spatially and texturally distinct subdomains of palisade quartz grains with ‘single crystal’ orientations defined by distinct c‐axis point maxima. (2) Adjacent subdomains are misorientated with respect to each other by a misorientation angle/axis of 90°/. (3) Within each subdomain, palisade quartz grain boundaries commonly have intra‐ and inter‐granular misorientations of 60°/[0001], consistent with the dauphiné twin law. Our observations imply that the coesite‐quartz transformation is crystallographically controlled by the epitaxial nucleation of palisade quartz on the former coesite grain, specifically on potential coesite twin planes such as (true1‐01) and (021).
<p>In early 2020, a group of geoscientists and other experts came together, within the framework of the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geoscience (iCRAG), to learn about the challenges experienced by researchers in iCRAG, and to identify ways to work together to create a more inclusive environment. However, it was swiftly realised that these issues were manifest across the geosciences, and that any meaningful changes would need to be structural and widespread. This led to the formation of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Geoscience (EDIG) project: a volunteer-led, virtual initiative, aiming to make geoscience more inclusive, accessible, and equitable. The EDIG project strives to improve awareness of the impact of prejudice, bias, exclusion, discrimination and other experiences within the larger geoscience community and to create strategies and networks to tackle inequities within geoscience.</p><p>To help us better understand the challenges faced across the geoscience community, we ran an anonymous&#160;survey&#160;asking people about their experiences (or lack of) with equality, diversity, and inclusion related topics. The results of the survey helped to structure an online, free conference run over three days in December 2020. This inaugural event aimed to amplify the voices and experiences of underrepresented groups in geoscience in regard to equity, diversity and inclusion, drawing on the knowledge of 17 speakers from geoscience communities around the world.</p><p>From the conversations at the 2020 event, we decided to expand outwards, opening our committee up to new volunteers and developing new projects to address barriers and challenges holistically. Many of these projects have involved collaborations with other initiatives and groups, including focused workshops (e.g., early career researcher barriers in Ireland) and are leading to new resources to help reach a wider network. In November 2022, we ran our second virtual conference, which sought to shift the conversation beyond increasing awareness toward strategies for action, and along with our original focus on improving awareness included sessions on data (collection, use, challenges) and how we might influence the future of equity, diversity and inclusion in geoscience.</p><p>Going forward, our focus is to grow our network by building greater international links with other like-minded organisations (we&#8217;ve discovered that many people want to be involved, which is great!). We want to create a platform for us all to come together to work towards a more equitable and just geoscientific community. We also aim to raise awareness of the vital contributions of minoritized groups to geoscientific knowledge and the damaging consequences of their marginalisation and oppression in the history of our science. Only by creating a global network of supporters and activists can we hope to improve the diversity and inclusivity of our science. Let&#8217;s all come together to listen, learn and move forward together.</p>
<p>The Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Geoscience (EDIG) initiative was created to better understand the experiences of the geoscience community with respect to prejudice, inequity, bias, exclusion, sexism, and discrimination. EDIG aims to provide a platform for learning for the wider geoscience community and promote progressive action to make geoscience more inclusive and equitable.</p><p>As part of our initiatives, we organised the virtual EDIG conference in December 2020 entitled: A time to listen, learn, and act. This virtual event aimed to facilitate learning on equality, diversity, and inclusion related topics relevant to the geosciences. It hosted sessions on where we have come from, where we are now, and where we are going. The conference especially focused on raising awareness around the challenges experienced by minoritized geoscientists, helping to involve more people in these conversations. The conference hosted 17 speakers on a range of different topics, from the history of diversity in geoscience, to how we can become more inclusive, to how we can move forward together, as well as a workshop on unconscious bias sponsored by the Institute of Geologists of Ireland (IGI) and the Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geology (iCRAG).</p><p>Prior to the EDIG conference, we launched a global survey to carry out research on equality, diversity, and inclusion in the geosciences. The survey asked people about their own experiences (or lack of) around EDI related topics.&#160;The survey received a large response, with 708 participants from 58 countries.&#160;The main themes from the survey data were used to structure our conference programme.</p><p>We will present the results of this survey, and our experiences of the EDIG conference. With these and future events we hope to bring together several online initiatives, establish a community of support and learning, and to help us all come together to make the geosciences more welcoming, accessible, inclusive, and equitable.</p>
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