8 – Metamorphic Rocks

GEO1111 – Spring 2025

 Weathering

Transportation

Deposition
111
Uplift & Exposure

SEDIMENTS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
(EXTRUSIVE)

Lithification
(Compaction and
cementation)

SEDIMENTARY
ROCKS Consolidation

Metamorphism IGNEOUS ROCKS

(INTRUSIVE)

METAMORPHIC
ROCKS Crystallization

Melting
MAGMА

The Silver Cameleon

After Monroe & Wicander, 1992
 Metamorphism
Greek meta (to change) & morphe (form)
• Process by which T, P, & chemical reactions alter mineral
content & structure of pre-existing rock (without melting .. solid-
state only)
• Occurs when T & P break some atomic bonds
• Metamorphic rocks produced from:
• igneous rocks
• sedimentary rocks
• other metamorphic rocks

All metamorphic rocks start as some other rock, so 3 questions:

1) What is the rock now (mineralogy, texture)?

2) What was it before (protolith)?
3) What caused the change (tectonics)?
 Controls of metamorphism

1) Temperature
• Change in T
• Rocks under new environmental conditions come into
equilibrium with surrounding conditions
• Recrystallization results in new, stable minerals (at those new
conditions)
• Geothermal gradient varies from 10°C/km in stable parts of
continents to >100°C/km in tectonically active areas
 Controls of metamorphism
2) Pressure (stress)
lithostatic/confining
• pushes on rock equally from all directions
• rock becomes more dense; no shape change

directed (differential)
• pressure is greatest in one direction
• change in shape
• new mineral growth aligns perpendicular to stress =
foliation
There are two kinds of differential stress:
Normal stress: operates perpendicular to a surface
• Compression: push-together
• Tension: pull-apart

Shear stress: acts parallel to a surface. Here, shear

smears the dough ball parallel to the floor.
Differential stress in metamorphism
 Controls of metamorphism
3) Fluid activity
• H2O & CO2
• enhances migration of ions
• increases potential for reaction
• Hydrothermal alteration is called
metasomatism

quartz vein
indicates
hydrothermal
fluid action

All of these control the process (degree) of metamorphism, but

the composition of final rock is controlled by the protolith
 Example of metamorphism
At 200°C, sandy limestone is made of:
quartz & calcite
At 600°C, minerals no longer stable together - each can exist
alone, but together they form a new mineral:
wollastonite
SiO2 + CaCO3 = CaSiO3 + CO2
(volatile)
-relative amounts of elements do not change, only
restructuring and regrowth
-CO2 is released & can leave rock (usually involves
decarbonation; or H2O released in dehydration)
Metamorphic environments

at plate boundaries!
 Metamorphic environments

Impact Orogenic
metamorphism metamorphism Contact
metamorphism
Orogenic
Contact metamorphism
metamorphism

Seafloor metamorphism

Burial metamorphism
 Metamorphic environments

1) Regional metamorphism
a) Burial - T & lithostatic P within sedimentary basins
(Mississippi Delta, Bay of Bengal)
• progressive increase in P exerted by the growing pile of
overlying sediments & sedimentary rocks and the
increase in T with increased depth of burial
 Metamorphic environments
1) Regional metamorphism
b) Dynamothermal (orogenic) - occurs in
response to P&T changes induced by
large-scale tectonics; differential stress
(foliated rocks) (convergence:
Himalayas, Appalachians)
Metamorphic environments

metamorphic grade
 Metamorphic environments
2) Contact (thermal) metamorphism
• response to T change produced by intrusion of magma into cooler rock
• local in scale
• a zone of alteration (aureole), forms in the rock surrounding the magma
• not associated with differential stress
 Metamorphic environments
3) Hydrothermal metamorphism (a.k.a. metasomatism)
• Chemical alteration caused when hot, ion-rich fluids circulate through fissures &
cracks that develop in rock
• Most widespread along the axis of the mid-ocean ridge system

most of ocean crust is metamorphosed

1 Influx of cold seawater
2°C
1 7
1 2 3 Alteration of oceanic crust at <150°C

4 pH drops to ~3 (acidic)
2
60°C

3
5 Heating of seawater to ~450°C

6 Leaching of Cu, Zn, Fe, Au

150°C 6
4 and S from surrounding rocks

5
Formation of hydrothermal
400-450°C
7 precipitates in contact
Magma with cold seawater
1200°C
 Classification

• Degree of metamorphism reflected in texture

– metamorphism increases grain size (in the absence of deformation,
differential stress; deformation decreases grain size)
• Composition of rock reflected in mineralogy
 Classification of metamorphic rocks based on texture

Granoblastic rocks
• rocks that are non-foliated
• classification is based exclusively on mineral composition
• crystals that grow in interlocking equant (equidimensional)
shapes
• typical of monomineralic rocks:
- calcite = marble
- quartz = quartzite

Porphyroblasts may occur in all metamorphic rocks; a

porphyroblast is a new metamorphic mineral that grows into
large crystals surrounded by fine matrix (name of the
porphyroblastic mineral is added to the rock name)
 Classification

Granoblastic metamorphic rocks

Hornfels - high-T contact

metamorphic rock of uniform grain
size that has undergone little
deformation

• Typified by a granular texture, but

commonly contains some
pyroxene & mica
 Classification

Granoblastic metamorphic rocks

Quartzite - very hard, nonfoliated

white rock derived from quartz-
rich sandstone
• Massive, may contain
preserved bedding
• Commonly contains thin bands
of slate or schist (relicts of clay
or shale layers)
 Classification

Granoblastic metamorphic rocks

Marble - metamorphic products of T

& P acting on limestone or dolostone
• White & smooth, even textures,
banded, or mottled
• White & pure marbles (e.g. Carrara
marbles, Italy) are prized by sculptors
 Classification of metamorphic rocks based on texture

Foliated rocks
Platy minerals: mica
• Latin folium, for leaf
• most common textural feature
• nature of foliation (flat or wavy
parallel planes)
• minerals are rotated or
recrystallized
• size of crystals
• degree to which light
& dark minerals Needle-like
are segregated minerals:
amphibole
Classification of metamorphic rocks based on texture

Platy minerals: mica

Needle-like
minerals:
amphibole
 Foliated metamorphic rocks

Slate - foliated rock that forms at

low T & P

• Very fine-grained – individual

minerals cannot be seen w/o a
microscope

• Typically forms from shales or

200-300°C volcanic ash

• Used for roofing tiles and flag stones

 Foliated metamorphic rocks

Phyllite - forms at slightly higher

T & P than slate

• Characterized by a
glossy sheen resulting
from mica crystals that are larger
than those in slates

• In contrast to shales, phyllite

cannot be split into sheets
300-400°C
 Classification

slate

phyllite
 Classification
Foliated metamorphic rocks

Schist - more intensely

metamorphosed rock with platy
crystals that are large enough to
be visible to the naked eye

• Minerals are typically segregated

in lighter & darker bands

400-600°C • Characterized by a pervasive

coarse, wavy foliation referred to
as schistosity
 Classification

Biotite schist Garnet-mica schist

 Foliated metamorphic rocks

Gneiss - coarse grained rock that

forms under high T & P

• Consists of light & dark layers

resulting from segregation of
minerals

>650°C • Granular : platy mineral ratio is

higher than in schists

• Poor schistosity & little tendency

to split
Compositional banding can develop by metamorphic differentiation

During solid-state
differentiation, chemical
reactions segregate light
and dark layers to create
compositional banding.
 Foliated metamorphic rocks

Migmatite - forms at very

high T where parts of the
precursor rock begin to melt

• Typically highly deformed &

contorted – contain many veins,
small pods & lenses that
represent solidified partial melts

>750°C
migmatite
formation
 Rocks can be described with respect to
metamorphic grade

Regional Metamorphism

low-grade

high-grade
The Rock Cycle