METAMORPHIS

M AND
METASOMATIS
M
 METAMORPHISM
• The term metamorphism refers to changes in a rock’s mineral compositions where
the geochemical composition stays mostly the same with the exception of volatile
losses (usually water is expelled or at least necessary to enable any sort of reaction
to take place).
• The metamorphic process causes changes to minerals that are within the rock.
Under heat and pressure minerals will recrystallize to form new ones that are stable
under those conditions. In general it is the same atoms just in new places or
configurations. This can happen in many environments where the heat and
pressure has been changed from an original emplacement.
 METASOMATISM
• Metasomatism is the chemical alteration of a rock by hydrothermal and other fluids.
Synonyms to the word metasomatism is metasomatic process.
• Metasomatism or (hydrothermal) alteration refers to changing a rock’s composition
in an open system, i.e. a system where mass can enter and leave, not just volatiles
but also refractory elements. 
•  According to Lindgren (1928) it is the practically simultaneous capillary solution and
deposition by which a new mineral of partly or wholly different chemical composition
may grow in the body of an old mineral or mineral aggregate.
• Metasomatism refers to the process whereby a preexisting igneous, sedimentary, or
metamorphic rock undergoes compositional and mineralogical transformations
associated with chemical reactions triggered by the reaction of fluids (so-called
metasomatic agents), which invade the protolith.
 METASOMATISM
• In the metamorphic environment, metasomatism is created by mass transfer from a
volume of metamorphic rock at higher stress and temperature into a zone with lower
stress and temperature, with metamorphic hydrothermal solutions acting as a
solvent. This can be envisaged as the metamorphic rocks within the deep crust
losing fluids and dissolved mineral components as hydrous minerals break down,
with this fluid percolating up into the shallow levels of the crust to chemically change
and alter these rocks.
• This mechanism implies that metasomatism is open system behavior, which is
different from classical metamorphism which is the in-situ mineralogical change of a
rock without appreciable change in the chemistry of the rock. Because
metamorphism usually requires water in order to facilitate metamorphic reactions,
metasomatism and metamorphism nearly always occur together.
 METASOMATISM
• Metasomatism can occur via the action
of hydrothermal fluids from an igneous or
metamorphic source. From the group of
processes including the infilling of
cavities or cracks, magma crystallization,
and magma-rock interactions, by the
preservation of rocks in the solid state
during replacement, which is the volume
of solution filling pores is negligible in
comparison with the total rock volume.
Hot water circulating through the
rocks and interacting chemically with
them can lead to significant changes
in the mineralogy of the rock,
including alteration of feldspars to
clays, and deposition of quartz,
calcite, and other minerals in
fractures and other open spaces.
Chemical change in rocks due to
interaction with hot water is
called hydrothermal alteration.
• A special type of metasomatism takes
place where a hot pluton intrudes into
carbonate rock such as limestone.
Magmatic fluids rich in silica, calcium,
magnesium, iron, and other elements
can dramatically change the chemistry
of the limestone, forming minerals that
would not normally exist in either the
igneous rock or limestone. A rock
called skarn results, containing
minerals such as garnet, epidote,
magnetite, and pyroxene, among
others.
 Thermal metamorphism only (within
the purple zone)
 Thermal metamorphism plus veining
(white) related to dispersal of magmatic
fluids into the overlying rock
 Thermal metamorphism plus veining from
magmatic fluids plus alteration and possible
formation of metallic minerals (hatched yellow
areas) from convection of groundwater.