LECTURE 7

METAMORPHIC ROCKS
SÉRGIO LOURENÇO, HKU
OUTLINE
1. Metamorphic rocks

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LAST LECTURE
FAULTS AND FOLDS
Structures associated with tectonic activity
• Earth movements involve plastic folding (folds) and brittle
fracture (faults) of rocks
• Faults are fractures in rocks which have had displacement
along them

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LAST LECTURE
FAULTS AND FOLDS
Faults

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LAST LECTURE Faults commonly create zones
of broken rock - weaker and
FAULTS AND FOLDS less stable than the adjacent
rock - with Implications for
foundations, slope stability and
Fault zone composition tunnels.

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LAST LECTURE
FAULTS AND FOLDS
Folds

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
ROCKS

Sedimentary Igneous Metamorphic

Clastic Chemical Biologic Intrusive Extrusive Foliated Non-foliated

Conglomerate/
Limestone Coal Gabro Basalt Slate Quartzite
Breccia

Sandstone Evaporites Chert Diorite Andesite Schist Marble

Siltstone/
Granodiorite Rhyolite Gneiss
mudstone

Shale Granite

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Metamorphism is the process by which rocks within the
Earth are changed by heat and pressure.
What drives metamorphism?
• The internal heat of the Earth. The average increase in
continental crust temperature with depth is 30°C/km.
• The weight of overlying rock. Pressure increases at 27-33
MPa/km.
• Directed pressures e.g. those produced when one plate
collides with another to produce an orogenic belt.
The minerals that grow in metamorphic rocks depend
primarily on variations in Temperature & Pressure.

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Igneous and sedimentary rocks changed by heat (>200°C)
and pressure; Think of them as recycled rocks
Three main types of metamorphic rocks:
• Contact metamorphism
• Regional metamorphism

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Regional and contact metamorphism
• REGIONAL METAMORPHISM occurs over wide areas.
• The world’s great mountain belts such as the Alps, the
Pyrenees, and the Himalayas form as a result of continental
plate collisions: in such regions the crust is thickened by
thrust faulting.

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Regional and contact metamorphism
• CONTACT METAMORPHISM occurs next to igneous
intrusions where the surrounding rocks (known as the
“country rock” or “host rock”) become locally heated. The
closer they are to the intrusion, the hotter they are. Therefore
metamorphic zones develop around the intrusion.
COMMON IN HONG KONG.

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Mineral Composition Colour Hardness
Quartz SiO2 Clear 7

Feldspar (K,Na,Ca)(Al,Si)4O8 White/Pink 6

Muscovite KAl2AlSi3O10(OH)2 Clear 2.5

Biotite K(Mg,Fe)3AlSi3O10(OH)2 Black 2.5

Chlorite Mg5Al2Si3O10(OH)8 Blue-green 2

Epidote Ca2(Al,Fe)3Si3O12.OH Green 6

Calcite CaCO3 White 3

Kaolinite Al4Si4O10(OH)8 White 2

Limonite FeO.OH Brown 5

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Features
• Because metamorphic rocks are commonly subjected to
directed pressures, the minerals within them are usually
oriented within one plane. This is a METAMORPHIC
FOLIATION.
• Most metamorphic rocks are foliated, unlike most igneous
rocks. This is a key difference between the two rock groups.

gneiss

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Features
• altering or replacing constituent minerals, or
• aligning constituent minerals along a preferred orientation,
i.e. foliation …implies anisotropy in terms of engineering
behaviour
• planar weaknesses …implies anisotropy

gneiss

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Engineering implications
• hardening of the material whereby the resulting metamorphic
rock has a stronger material structure.
• alignment of minerals due to stress, forming a continuous or
discontinuous penetrative planar fabric. This results in
anisotropic material properties relative to the alignment of
the fabric.

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Gneiss
• Derives from sedimentary or igneous rocks, rich in quartz and
feldspar; shows foliation

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Schist
• Highly developed schistosity, or tendency to split into layers

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Marble
• Pure limestones are made of calcium carbonate (calcite).
Recrystallises to form MARBLE. Pure marble is white.

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong
• The clastic sedimentary rocks and adjacent tuff of the
northern New Territories have been affected by contact
metamorphism to varying degrees

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong (Northwest New Territories)
Carboniferous metamorphosed sedimentary rocks
Lok Ma Chau Formation

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong - Marble
(metamorphic rock from
limestone)
Karst development included the
formation of a highly irregular
rockhead with pinnacles,
overhangs and depressions,
cavities (linear and spheroidal),
cavity infill deposits, and
collapsed cavity features
Voids/cavities commonly infilled
with unconsolidated deposits.

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong –
Marble
Yuen Long
Ma On Shan
Tung Chung

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong
Yuen Long
Ma On Shan
Tung Chung

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong – Yuen Long

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CIVL7010 Advanced Engineering Geology
METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Hong Kong – Ma On Shan

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METAMORPHIC
ROCKS
Sample identification

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