METAMORPHIC ROCKS

1. Each mineral is stable only over a particular range of pressures and temperatures

2. Beyond that range it will tend to break down or combine with neighbouring
minerals to form new minerals.

3. When a rock is subjected to high temperatures and/or pressures its constituent
minerals can change dramatically, and thus, completely alter the character of the
rock.

4. Metamorphism- Recrystalization under the influence of high temperature and or
pressure, but without melting.

5. Contact/Thermal metamorphism occurs in rocks surrounding a large intrusion.
These rocks show the effects of heating by the intrusion across a zone extending
hundreds of metres from the contact.

6. As an example, granitic magma intrudes fine grained muddy sedimentary rock.
Right against the contact with the granite, the mudrock becomes hard and splintery;
it also has clots of new minerals that grew within it as a result of contact
metamorphism.
This altered rock is shown as Hornfels.

7. Prominent miners in the Hornfels include Sillimanite

8. Further form the edge of the granite, mudrock becomes less splintery and its
spotty pattern is lost.
Sillimanite disappears and is replaced by ANSALUSITE
This mineral grows at lower temperatures and has a different crystal structure.

9. Even further from the edge of granite, the andalusite crystals become smaller
and finally, the surrounding country rock is unchanged.
This marks the edge of the granite intrusions metamorphic aureole.

.
.
.
.
.
.

22. Below the volcanic region of a subduction zone, the crust is heated on a regional
scale by a large number of igneous intrusions.
Thus, the temperatures will be higher than normal at shallow depths, but the
pressure wil be low and so the rocks experience high temperature, low pressure
metamorphism.

23. When a paired metamorphic belt like this is found in ancient rocks, it is a good
sign that there was once a destructive plate boundary there.

Metamorphic Facies

24. In any kind of metamorphism, the minerals that grow depend on the original
composition of the rock.

For example, a metamorphic mineral that is rich in iron CANNOT grow in a rock that
does not have this element.

25. Because of this, rocks can contain completely different sets of minerals (known
as facies), even though they have been metamorphosed under identical conditions.

26. Each facies represents a particular range of temperatures and pressures.
However, the minerals that develop in each facies differ according to the original
(parent) rock type.


Facies Originally Mudrock Originally Basaltic Rock
Greenschist Na-Rich Plagioclas
Feldspars,
Chlorite, Muscovite,
Quartz
Chlorite,
Epidote,
Albite
Amphibolite Plagioclase,
Feldspars,
Muscovite, Biotite,
garnets, quartz

Plagioclase,
Feldspars,
Amphibiles
(No quartz here)
Because basaltic rock is igneous
and molten and contains less than 45%
of silica




30. Textures of metamorphic rock

This is a means of classifying metamorphic rocks based on the size of the crystals
their shapes and relative orionations

31. This effect is mot visible in minerals ?