Classification of

Metamorphic Rocks
Classification of Metamorphic Rocks

• Foliated metamorphic rocks ( mineral alignment)

• Non foliated metamorphic rocks (no mineral alignment)
Types of Foliated metamorphic rocks
• Four common types of foliated metamorphic rocks, listed in order of
metamorphic grade or intensity of metamorphism are:
• slate,
• phyllite,
• schist
• gneiss
Each of these has a characteristic type of foliation
Slate

Slate (Figure) forms from the low-grade

metamorphism of shale. Slate has
microscopic clay and mica crystals that have
grown perpendicular to the maximum stress
direction. Slate tends to break into flat sheets
or plates, a property described as slaty
cleavage.

Figure : Slate, a low-grade foliated metamorphic rock. Left- Slate fragments resulting from rock
cleavage. Right- The same rock type in outcrop. Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photos: Left- Vincent Anciaux (2005) CC BY-SA 3.0 view source; Right- Gretarsson (2006) CC
BY-SA 3.0 view source
Phyllite

Phyllite (Figure) is similar to slate,

but has typically been heated to a
higher temperature. As a result, the
micas have grown larger. They still
are not visible as individual crystals,
but the larger size leads to a satiny
sheen on the surface. The cleavage
of phyllite is slightly wavy compared
to that of slate.

Figure: Phyllite, a fine-grained foliated metamorphic rock. Left- A hand

sample showing a satin texture. Right- The same rock type in outcrop in
the city of Sopron, Hungary. Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY-SA
4.0. Photos: Left- Chadmull (2006) Public Domain view source; Right-
Laszlovszky András (2008) CC BY-SA 2.5 view source
 Schist

Schist (Figure) forms at higher

temperatures and pressures and
exhibits mica crystals that are large
enough to see without
magnification. Individual crystal
faces may flash when the sample is
turned in the light, making the rock
appear to sparkle. Other minerals
such as garnet might also be visible,
but it is not unusual to find that
schist consists predominantly of a
single mineral.

Figure: Schist, a medium- to high-grade foliated metamorphic rock. Top- Hand

sample showing light reflecting off of mica crystals. Bottom- Close-up view of
mica crystals and garnet. Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
Photos by R. Weller/ Cochise College. Click the image for photo sources and
terms of use.
 Gneiss

Gneiss (Figure) forms at the highest

pressures and temperatures, and has
crystals large enough to see with the
unaided eye. Gneiss features minerals
that have separated into bands of
different colours. The bands of colours
are what define foliation within gneiss.
Sometimes the bands are very obvious
and continuous (Figure 10.17, upper
right), but sometimes they are more
like lenses (upper left). Dark bands are
largely amphibole while the light-
coloured bands are feldspar and quartz.
Most gneiss has little or no mica
because it forms at temperatures higher
than those under which micas are
stable.
Figure 10.17 Gneiss, a coarse-grained, high grade metamorphic rock, is
characterized by colour bands. Top- Hand samples showing that colour bands
can be continuous (left) or less so (right). Bottom- Gneiss in outcrop at Belteviga
Bay, Norway. Notice the light and dark stripes on the rock. Source: Karla
Panchuk (2018) CC BY-SA 4.0. Click the image for more attributions.
Gneiss
While slate and phyllite typically form only
from mudrock protoliths, schist and
especially gneiss can form from a variety of
parent rocks, including mudrock, sandstone,
conglomerate, and a range of both volcanic
and intrusive igneous rocks.
Schist and gneiss can be named on the basis
of important minerals that are present: a
schist derived from basalt is typically rich in
the mineral chlorite, so we call it chlorite
schist. One derived from shale may be a
muscovite-biotite schist, or just a mica schist,
or if there are garnets present it might be
mica-garnet schist. Similarly, gneiss that
originated as basalt and is dominated by
amphibole, is an amphibole gneiss Figure: Amphibolite in thin section (2mm field of view), derived from
or amphibolite (Figure). metamorphism of a mafic igneous rock. Green crystals are the amphibole
hornblende, and colourless crystals are plagioclase feldspar. Note horizontal
crystal alignment. Source: D.J. Waters, University of Oxford view source/
view context. Click the image for original figure caption and terms of use .
Types of Non-foliated Metamorphic Rocks

• Metamorphic rocks that form under low-pressure conditions or under

the effects confining pressure, which is equal in all directions, do not
become foliated. In most cases, this is because they are not buried
deeply enough, and the heat for the metamorphism comes from a body
of magma that has moved into the upper part of the crust.
Metamorphism that happens because of proximity to magma is
called contact metamorphism. Some examples of non-foliated
metamorphic rocks are marble, quartzite, and hornfels.
 Marble

Marble (Figure) is metamorphosed limestone.

When it forms, the calcite
crystals recrystallize (re-form into larger
blocky calcite crystals), and any sedimentary
textures and fossils that might have been
present are destroyed. If the original
limestone is pure calcite, then the marble will
be white. On the other hand, if it has
impurities such as clay, silica, or magnesium,
the marble could be “marbled” in appearance
(Figure).

Figure: Marble is a non-foliated metamorphic rock with a

limestone protolith. Left- Marble made of pure calcite is white.
Upper right- microscope view of calcite crystals within marble
that are blocky and not aligned. Lower right- A quarry wall
showing the “marbling” that results when limestone contains
components other than calcite. Source:.
 Quartzite

Quartzite (Figure) is metamorphosed

sandstone. It is dominated by quartz, and in
many cases, the original quartz grains of the
sandstone are welded together with additional
silica. Sandstone often contains some clay
minerals, feldspar or lithic fragments, so
quartzite can also contain impurities.
Even if formed under directed pressure,
quartzite is generally not foliated because
quartz crystals do not normally align with the
directional pressure. On the other hand, any
clay present in the original sandstone is likely Figure: Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock with a
to be converted to mica during metamorphism, sandstone protolith. Left- Quartzite from the Baraboo Range,
and any such mica is likely to align with the Wisconsin. Right- Photomicrograph showing quartz grains in
directional pressure.
quartzite from the Southern Appalachians. In the upper left
half of the image, blocky quartz crystals show some evidence
of alignment running from the upper right to the lower
left. Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photomicrograph: Geologian (2011) CC BY-SA 3.0
Hornfels
Hornfels is another non-foliated metamorphic
rock that normally forms during contact
metamorphism of fine-grained rocks like
mudstone or volcanic rocks. Hornfels have
different elongated or platy minerals (e.g., micas,
pyroxene, amphibole, and others) depending on
the exact conditions and the parent rock, yet
because the pressure wasn’t substantially higher
in any particular direction, these crystals remain
randomly oriented.

The hornfels in Figure 10.21 (left) appears to have

gneiss-like bands, but these actually reflect the Figure: Hornfels, a non-foliated metamorphic rock formed from a fine-grained
beds of alternating sandstone and shale that protolith. Left- Hornfels from the Novosibirsk region of Russia from a sedimentary
were in the protolith. They are not related to protolith. Dark and light bands preserve the bedding of the original sedimentary
alignment of crystals due to metamorphism. On rock. The rock has been recrystallized during contact metamorphism and does not
the right of Figure is a microscopic view of display foliation. (scale in cm). Right- Hornfels in thin section from a sedimentary
another sample of hornfels, also from a protolith. Note that the brown mica crystals are not aligned. The dark band at the
sedimentary protolith. The dark band at the top is top reflects the layering within the sedimentary parent rock, similar to the way
from the original bedding. Here you can see that those layers are preserved in the sample on the left. Source: Left- Fedor (2006)
the brown mica crystals (biotite) are not aligned.
Public Domain view source; Right- D.J. Waters, University of Oxford view source
/ view context. Click the image for terms of use.
What Happens When Different
Rocks Undergo
Metamorphism?

The nature of the parent rock

controls the types of
metamorphic rocks that can
form from it under differing
metamorphic conditions
(temperature, pressure,
fluids). The kinds of rocks
that can be expected to form
at different metamorphic
grades from various parent
rocks are listed in Table Source: Karla Panchuk (2018) CC BY 4.0, modified after Steven Earle (2015) CC BY 4.0
view source. Click the table for a text version.
presented
What Happens When Different Rocks Undergo Metamorphism?

• Some rocks, such as granite, do not change much at the lower

metamorphic grades because their minerals are still stable up to several
hundred degrees. Sandstone and limestone don’t change much either
because their metamorphic forms (quartzite and marble, respectively) have
the same mineral composition, but re-formed larger crystals.
• On the other hand, some rocks can change substantially. Mudrock (e.g.,
shale, mudstone) can start out as slate, then progress through phyllite,
schist, and gneiss, with a variety of different minerals forming along the
way. Schist and gneiss can also form from sandstone, conglomerate, and a
range of both volcanic and intrusive igneous rocks.
Migmatite: Both
Metamorphic and
Igneous

If a metamorphic rock is heated enough, it

can begin to undergo partial melting in the
same way that igneous rocks do. The more
felsic minerals (feldspar, quartz) will melt,
while the more mafic minerals (biotite,
hornblende) do not. When the melt
crystallizes again, the result is light-coloured
igneous rock interspersed with dark-coloured
metamorphic rock. This mixed rock is
called migmatite (Figure). Note that the
foliation present in the metamorphic rock is
no longer present in the igneous rock. Liquids
cannot support a differential stress, so when
the melt crystallizes, the foliation is gone.
Figure:Migmatite photographed near Geirangerfjord in
Norway. Source: Siim Sepp (2006) CC BY-SA 3.0 view source
Migmatite
A fascinating characteristic of migmatites is
ptygmatic (pronounced “tigmatic“) folding.
These are folds look like they should be
impossible because they are enveloped by rock
which does not display the same complex
deformation (Figure) How could those wiggly
folds get in there without the rest of the rock
being folded in the same way?
The answer to the ptygmatic fold mystery is that
the folded layer is much stiffer than the
surrounding layers. When squeezing forces act
on the rock, the stiff layer buckles but the Figure: Ptygmatic folding from Broken Hill, New South Wales,
surrounding rock flows rather than buckling, Australia. Ptygmatic folding happens when a stiff layer within a rock is
because it isn’t strong enough to buckle. surrounded by weaker layers. Folding causes the stiff layer to crinkle
while the weaker layers deform around it. Source: Roberto Weinberg
([Link] view source. Click the image
for terms of use.
• [Link]
n-of-metamorphic-rocks-2/