Affiliation:
1. School of Geography Geology and the Environment, Keele University Keele UK
2. Institute of Geosciences and Geography Martin‐Luther‐Universität Halle‐Wittenberg Halle (Saale) Germany
Abstract
The beauty of an eclogite is something to behold: any petrologist marvels in the combination of red garnet and green omphacite that are the main mineral constituents of the rock. But besides their stunning appearance, there is much more to eclogites: fundamental concepts in metamorphic petrology and geodynamics were developed based on scientific investigations of eclogites. It is well established that they derive from precursor rocks of basaltic composition and form under high‐pressure conditions at more than c. 45 km depth, but other aspects of their occurrences and geological significance remain debated. The relative scarcity of eclogites among crustal rocks renders them largely unknown to the layperson, so following the 200th anniversary of the term eclogite in 2022, there is an opportunity to take a closer look at this fascinating rock.