Metamorphic rocks

Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic rocks are produced from preexisting igneous,
sedimentary, or from other metamorphic rocks. Every metamorphic
rock has a parent rock – the rock from which it was formed.

Metamorphism, which means to “change form,” is a process that

leads to changes in the mineralogy, texture, and sometimes the
chemical composition of rocks. Factors that might cause a rock to
alter from one form to another includes changes in temperature,
pressure (stress), and the introduction to chemically active fluids.

Metamorphism often progresses incrementally, from slight changes

(low-grade metamorphism) to substantial changes (high-grade
metamorphism). An example of low-grade would be shale turning
into slate when put under pressure (stress). In high-grade changes,
slight melting may occur, as well as folds or demolition of fossils in
the parent rock.
 Metamorphic rocks
• In metamorphic process volatile fluids (H2O) tend to move around
or even escape. Minerals originally present tend to break down
and react with one another to form new minerals better suited to
the new conditions
• Different from weathering, diagenesis and melting
• By these, both the minerals and texture of the rock are
transformed
• Generally the bulk chemical composition of the rock is not
changed but a rock may gain or lose some of the volatile
compounds
• Alterations that involve substantial changes in the chemical
composition are called metasomatic
 Physical range of metamorphism
• Temperature range 100° C to 800° C
• Pressure at earth’s surface to 10 kilobars
• Metamorphism is not seen as it occurs unlike in
sedimentary and igneous processes and hence it is
difficult to assess. Metamorphic rocks that we see
today is due to them being exposed by erosion.
Conclusions of origin of metamorphism is drawn
from their compositional texture, occurrence and
combination of this information with experimental
data gathered in the laboratory.
Pressure temperature phase diagram for
Al2SiO5
Pressure temperature phase diagram for
CaCO3
 Polymorphism
• Minerals form polymorphs because they are
trying to be more stable
• High pressure favours structures with
ions/atoms more tightly packed
• High temperature tends to favour open lower
density structures
• Presence of a given polymorph in a rock indicate
the conditions under which the rock was formed
 Reconstructive Polymorphism
• In diamonds each carbon atom • Reconstructive
is bounded with a covalent polymorphism is the
bond to four other carbons conversion from one
• Graphite has sheets held polymorph to another
together by van der Waals involving a major
bonds reorganization of the crystal
• Diamond cannot be derived structure
from graphite except by
breaking chemical bonds and
then reassembling the carbon
atoms completely to a
different structure
 Reconstructive Polymorphism
• Diamond is stable in • The reactions that convert
pressures found in the one polymorph to another
mantle and graphite is are quenchable, do not
stable at the Earth’s surface automatically convert from
• Kimberlite therefore structure to another with
originates from mantle changing conditions
• Diamond found on Earth’s
surface is metastable –
persists outside its normal
stability field
 Displacive polymorphism
• With displacive polymorphism the difference
between polymorphs is simply a distortion or
bending of the crystal structure without
breaking of chemical bonds
• α-quartz and β-quartz
• β-quartz are stable above 573°C with a
structure of 6 fold spirals but on cooling it goes
through immediate unquenchable conversion
to α-quartz (3 fold symmetry)
Displacive Polymorphism
 Order-Disorder Polymorphism
• Mineral structure remains the same, what
changes is the cation distribution within
structural sites
• KAlSi3O8
 Polytypism
• A variety of polymorphism in which the
polymorphs differ only in the stacking
sequence of identical sheets
• The sheet silicates include micas and clay
 Conditions that cause rock to undergo
metamorphism include:

• Heat - Under conditions of high temperature

from magma contacting pre-existing rock.
• Pressure - Deep burial and pressure from
mountain formation.
Types of Metamorphism

1. Contact Metamorphism

2. Regional Metamorphism
 Contact Metamorphism

• The main metamorphic agent is heat.

• forms when pre-existing rock comes into

contact with molten lava or magma. The
heat from the molten material is hot
enough to cause the minerals in the
original rock to re-crystallize, but not
melt.
 Regional Metamorphism

• Covers large areas typically associated with

mountains

• Deep burial and pressure from mountain

formation.

• Heat and Pressure change the rock

 Metamorphic Environments

Regional metamorphism occurs where rocks are squeezed

between two converging lithospheric plates during mountain
building.
 Metamorphic Rock Textures
Texture is used to describe the size,
shape, and arrangement of grains
within a rock.
Most igneous and sedimentary rocks
consist of mineral grains that have a
random orientation. By contrast,
deformed metamorphic rocks that Mica Schist
contain platy minerals (micas) and/or
elongated minerals (amphiboles)
typically display some kind of
preferred orientation in which the
mineral grains exhibit a parallel or
specific alignment. This preferred
orientation of a rock’s minerals is
called a foliated texture.
 Examples of Foliated Textures
Various types of foliation exist, depending largely upon the grade
of metamorphism and the mineralogy of the parent rock. We’ll look
at three main types of foliation: rock or slaty cleavage; schistosity;
and gneissic texture.

Rock or Slaty Cleavage:

This type of foliated texture
describes a rock’s tendency
to break or cleave along a
specific crystal plane. Slate
is a rock with excellent rock
cleavage, as it breaks in flat
slabs.
 Examples of Foliated Textures
Schistosity: This type of
foliated texture describes a
rock created with large,
platy minerals (such as
mica and chlorite) that
have grown large enough to
be seen by the unaided eye.
In addition to platy
minerals, schist often
contains deformed quartz
and feldspar grains that
appear as flat, or lens-
shaped, grains hidden
among the mica grains.
 Examples of Foliated Textures

Gneissic Texture: During

high-grade metamorphism,
ion migrations can result in
the segregation of minerals.
Although foliated, gneisses
will not usually split as
easily as slates and schists.
Gneisses that do cleave
tend to break parallel to
their foliation and expose
mica-rich surfaces that
resemble schist.
The typical transition in mineralology that results from progressive
metamorphism of shale.
 Shale
(Sedimentary Rock)

Heat Slate
& (Metamorphic Rock)
Pressure
 Slate
(Metamorphic Rock)

Heat
& Phyllite
Pressure (Metamorphic Rock)
 Phyllite
(Metamorphic Rock)

Heat
& Schist
Pressure (Metamorphic Rock)
With even more heat & pressure
(High-Grade Metamorphism)

Gneiss
Nonfoliated Metamorphic Rocks

Marble Quartzite
Metamorphic facies diagram
Metamorphic facies diagram