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c. 3. Differential stress
i. Forces unequal in different stress
1. Stress are greater in one direction
2. Life continental collisions
ii. Compressional stress
d. Metaconglomerate- stretched conglomerate- vertical pressure
e. 4. Chemically active fluids
i. Enhances migration of ions
ii. Aids in recrystallization
f. Importance of parent rock
i. Know origin, infer rock types must form
ii. Same overall chemical composition as parent rock
3. Metamorphic Textures (relationship of size, shape, and arrangement of
mineral grains)
a. Types
i. Foliated- rock must show foliation (arrangements of flaky
mineral grains)
1. Must have flaky minerals grains
2. Limestone- will not foliate
3. Clay- foliated minerals
4. Two mechanisms of elongation
a. Particle will slip
b. Melt in the center- migrate to low pressure areas
5. Slate texture Cleavage- brittle- breaks in certain points
staty
6. Schistosity texture- shisty texture
7. Gneissic texture- light and dark bands
ii. Non-foliated- cant discriminate between light and dark bands,
or minerals
1. Mineral deformation environments
2. Particles are fused
iii. Porphyroblastic texture
1. Must be coarse grains or partial melt
2. Large grains- porphyroblasts surrounded by fine grained
matrix
4. Common Metamorphic Rocks
a. Two major groups- foliated vs. non-foliated rocks
i. No fol- marble, quartzite, hornfels (pressure)
ii. Fol- slate, phylite, schist, gneiss
5. Metamorphic Environments
a. Nature is more complex- not just temp and pressure- pattern not linear
b. 1.0-400 degrees- low pressure- hydrothermal
i. Need water; from ocean; circulate to chamber; then to ocean
surface; ocean floor black- smoke caused by circulation
ii. Continent- ground water circulation through shallow magma
chamber- forming geysers
c. 2.400-1000- low pressure- contact metamorphism
i. High temp / low pressure
ii. Source of heat- shallow magma chamber close to surface
iii. Happens with direct contact with old rock and source of heat
f.
6. Unconformities
i. Break in the rock record produced by no deposition- subject of
erosion
ii. Layers of rock that have been deposited without interruption are
called conformable layers
1. Types of unconformity
a. 1. Angular- tilted rocks overlain flat rocks
b. 2. Disconformity- sedimentary strata on either side
of the unconformity are parallel look for fossils,
radioactive dating
i. Difficult to discover in field
c. 3. Non conformity
i. Metamorphic or igneous intrusions with
sedimentary rocks
d. Grand canyon- all three types of unconformity are
present
3. Fossils: Evidence of Past Life
a. Traces of remains of prehistoric life preserved in rocks- cant be fully
decayed
b. Paleontology- study of fossils
c. Determining age sedimentary, low grade metamorphic
d. Types of fossils
i. 1. Permineralization
1. Groundwater rich in silica, precipitate and replace tissues
of plants or wood- petrified
ii. 2. Molds and Casts
1. Mold- shell, buried, dissolved in underground water, brand
of shell
2. Cast hollo spaces are filled
iii. 3. Carbonization and impressions
1. Buried, compressions, squeezes out gases and liquids
leaving a thin film of carbon
a. Leaves and delicate animals
2. Impressions- remain in the rock when the carbon film is
lost
iv. 4. Amber
1. Amber is hardened resin of ancient trees
a. Insects- common blood from ancient life nearly
impossible
v. 5. Trace Fossils rare
1. Indirect evidence of prehistoric life
a. Tracks: footprints of animals- shoreline, paleo
environment, abundancy
b. Burrows: animals tubes and holes in wood and
rocks filled with minerals and preserved
c. Coprolites: fossil dung and stomach content, size
and habits
d. Gastroliphs- food habits
vi. Conditions favoring preservation