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Name: _________________ Grade & Section: _______________ Date: ___________

Topic: Endogenic Processes (Week 4A)

Learning Competencies: Describe the physical and chemical changes in rocks due to changes in
pressure and temperature (metamorphism). (S11/12ES-Ic-17)
What you are expected to learn?
After going through this worksheet, you should be able to:
1. Understand the different index minerals used for metamorphic rocks.
2. Understand what causes the metamorphic texture
Concept:
Heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids are referred to as the "agents of metamorphism”.
Changes in the rock during metamorphism occur in the solid state (no melting involved).

The index minerals for metamorphic rocks are the following:

a. Minerals become unstable and change into another mineral without necessarily a
compositional change in response to heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids. Examples include
diamond and coal wherein only the mineral structure is affected.
b. The mineral composition of the resulting metamorphic rock is influence by: the mineral
composition of the original rock, the composition of fluid phase that was present and the attained
pressure and temperature during metamorphism.
c. Certain minerals identified as index minerals are good indicators of the metamorphic
environment or zone of regional metamorphism in which these minerals are formed.

The typical transition of mineral content resulting from the metamorphism of shale (source: Tarbuck,
E.J. et al, Essentials of Geology, 11thed, p192.)
a. Fine grained sedimentary rocks (e.g. shale or mudstone) can transform into different
metamorphic rocks depending on the degree of metamorphism. At relatively low grade of
metamorphism (low temperature and pressure conditions), shale can metamorphose into slate. At a
still higher degree of metamorphism, slate can transform into phyllite. (A definite sequence of
metamorphic rocks can form with increasing degree of metamorphism). The resulting metamorphic
rock type is composed of minerals that are stable at the attained temperature, pressure, and chemical
condition of metamorphism.
b. Some rocks, however, such as pure quartz sandstone or pure limestone, provide no clue as
to the intensity of metamorphism (source: Monroe, J. S., et al, Physical Geology Exploring the Earth,
6th ed., 2007, p249).

The textural changes in rocks that are subjected to metamorphism are the following:
a. In general, the grain size of metamorphic rocks tends to increase with the increasing
metamorphic grade. With the increasing metamorphic grade, the sheet silicates become unstable and
mafic minerals like hornblende and pyroxene start to grow. At the highest grades of metamorphism
all of the hydrous minerals and sheet silicates become unstable and thus there are few minerals
present that would show a preferred orientation.
b. Most metamorphic textures involve foliation which is caused by differential stress. Sheet
silicates such as clay minerals, mica and chlorite tend to have a preferred orientation when subjected
to differential stress. Slate, phyllite, schist and gneiss are foliated rocks, texturally distinguished from
each other by the degree of foliation.
c. Differential stress is formed when the pressure applied to a rock at depth is not equal in all
directions. Effects of differential stress in the rock’s texture if present during metamorphism include
(http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens212/metatexture.htm)
i. Rounded grains can become flattened in the direction of the maximum
compressional stress.
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ii. Minerals that crystallize or grow in the differential stress field may develop a
preferred orientation. Sheet silicates and minerals that have an elongated habit will
grow with their sheets or direction of elongation orientated perpendicular to the
direction of maximum stress.

d. Non-foliated metamorphic rock is formed when heat is the main agent of metamorphism.
Generally, non-foliated rocks are composed of a mosaic of roughly equidimensional and
equigranular minerals.
i. Non-foliated metamorphic rocks are generally of two types: those made up of
mainly on mineral like quartzite (from medium- to high-grade metamorphism of quartz-rich
sandstone) and marble (from low- to high-grade metamorphism of limestone or dolostone),
and those in which the different mineral grains are too small for the naked eye, such as
hornfels (hornfels if the grain size is small and granulite if the grain size is large such that
individual minerals are easily identified with a hand lens).

In general, the chemical composition of metamorphic rocks does not drastically change
during metamorphism. Metamorphic grade pertains to the temperature and/or pressure condition(s)
to which a rock has been subjected during metamorphism.
Page 3 of 3 Please return this page to me

Name: _________________ Grade & Section: _______________ Date: ___________

Topic: Endogenic Processes

Learning Competencies: Describe the physical and chemical changes in rocks due to changes in
pressure and temperature (metamorphism). (S11/12ES-Ic-17)

Activity 1. Simple Report

Instruction. A simple report to be submitted after seven days (or over the weekend):
Explain the relationship of metamorphism and plate tectonics (i.e. expected metamorphic
grade in a specific tectonic setting).

Activity 2. Summary Questions

Instruction. Answer the following questions correctly. For those TRUE or FALSE, questions if your
answer is false change the statement to make it correct.

1. True or false. Chlorite is commonly found in high grade metamorphic rocks

2. Other than the attained temperature and pressure during metamorphism, what are the other two
factors that control the mineral composition of a metamorphic rock?
3. Define metamorphism.
4. Define metamorphic grade.
5. Define foliation.
6. Define the role of stress in the formation of foliation?
7. True or false: There is a direct correlation between the grain size of metamorphic rocks and the
metamorphic grade.
8. Is it possible to find fossils in metamorphic rocks?