P–T–X Conditions of metamorphic systems

Constraining physical and chemical information from metamorphic rocks is crucial for our understanding of the geochemical and geodynamic processes governing the Earth's evolution through time. This chapter presents an overview of the methods currently available for extracting quantitative information from metamorphic rocks, in terms of their pressure-temperature (P-T) evolution, changes in the fluid composition (XFLUID) and dependence of the observed assemblages on the composition of the system (XSYSTEM). The review discusses two main targets: (1) constraining the P-T conditions experienced by metamorphic rocks, and (2) constraining the fluid production processes and how its composition evolves as a function of P and T. At the end, possible future perspectives are also mentioned.