Metamorphism

What is metamorphism?
– is the change undergone by an existing rock (e.g. igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic), in the solid
state, to another rock
– a process that produce structural and mineralogical changes in any type of rock in response to physical
and chemical conditions differing from those under which the rocks are originally formed.
Why do rocks change?

heat, pressure, chemically active fluids

Agents of metamorphism
1. Heat
2. Pressure
3. Chemically active fluids
1. Heat
Sources of heat?
• Geothermal gradient - temperature increases with depth (20o – 30oC per km in the crust)
• Large bodies of molten rock or intrusive bodies
 Provides the energy to drive chemical reactions → recrystallization of minerals
2. Pressure

When subjected to confining pressure, minerals may recrystallize into more compact forms.
Confining pressure – equal stress in all directions; from overlying rock

Confining pressure (=hydrostatic pressure) – operating equally in all directions and determined largely by
depth
Directed pressure ( shear stress) – operating in one particular direction
Stress minerals - minerals stable in the extended range of temperature

Types of stress minerals:

 1. chloritoid 3. kyanite
2. staurolite

Anti-stress minerals:

1. cordierite 3. olivene
2. andalusite
Differential stress – unequal pressure in different directions
3. Chemically active fluids
Sources of fluids?
• Water trapped in pore spaces of the original rock.
• Water released during dehydration of minerals, such as amphibole or mica.
• Water from magmatic bodies (hydrothermal fluids).

Conditions controlling metamorphism

1. chemical composition of the metamorphic rock
2. temperature and pressure then prevailing

Changes in temperature are generally more effective than changes in pressure in bringing about mineralogical
changes in most rocks.
For metamorphism to be effective, especially at low temperature, some catalytic influence capable of
accelerating chemical reaction appears to be necessary.

Two such accelerating factors are:

1. chemically active fluids – passing in waves through the minute intergranular spaces of the rock
2. rock deformation – whereby grains are broken into smaller, more active particles, and contacts between
reacting surfaces are continuously renewed.

Types of metamorphism
1. Contact metamorphism
Contact metamorphism occurs when magma invades pre-existing rock. A zone of alteration called an
aureole (or halo) forms around the emplaced magma .
Takes place at shallow depths (0-6km) and low pressure.

Metamorphic rocks produced: non-foliated; fine-grained

2. Regional metamorphism
 Takes place at considerable depths over an extensive area (5-20 km,
sometimes more than 30 km) under high pressure and is associated
with the process of mountain building.

When continents collide (A) or oceanic crust subducts (B)

Foliation
Round grains can become flattened Sheet silicate minerals can have a preferred orientation

3. Hydrothermal metamorphism

Chemical alteration at high

temperatures and moderate pressures
by hot, ion-rich (hydrothermal) fluids
that circulate through fissures and
cracks.
 This is common in basaltic rocks where
hydrothermal metamorphism results in
alteration to such Mg-Fe rich hydrous
minerals as talc, chlorite, serpentine,
actinolite, tremolite, zeolites, and clay
minerals.
Rich ore deposits are often formed as a
result of hydrothermal metamorphism

4. Shock (impact) metamorphism

When an extraterrestrial body, such as a meteorite or comet impacts with the Earth or if there is a very
large volcanic explosion, ultrahigh pressures can be generated in the impacted rock. These ultrahigh
pressures can produce minerals that are only stable at very high pressure, such as the SiO 2 polymorphs
coesite and stishovite.

Protoliths
 Metamorphic grades

Major Metamorphic Rock Types

Temp Index
Temp C Coal Limestone Sandstone Basalt Shale
F Minerals

Lignite
Bituminous

500 Anthracite

300 600 Graphite Marble Slate Chlorite

700 Greenstone

800 Quartzite Phyllite Biotite

500 900 Schist Garnet

1000 Amphibolite Staurolite

600 1100 Gneiss Kyanite

1200 Sillimanite

Melting
700
Begins
Metamorphic environments associated with plate tectonics
Metamorphic Facies
Depth\Temp 300C 400C 500 C 600 C 700 C 800 C

5 km Contact Metamorphism - Andalusite forms

Zeolite
10 km - 3 kb
Amphibolite
15 km Greenschist Garnet, Staurolite, Granulite
Chlorite, Biotite form Kyanite form Sillimanite forms
20 km - 6 kb • Slate • Schist Muscovite breaks
25 km Blueschist • Greenstone • Amphibolite down to K-feldspar
• Quartzite • Quartzite Partial Melting
30 km - 9 kb • Marble • Marble • Gneiss
• Gneiss
35 km

40 km - 12
Not Found Eclogite (Mantle)
kb

Textures of Contact Metamorphism

Textures of Regional Metamorphism
– Dynamothermal (crystallization under dynamic conditions)
– Orogeny- long-term mountain-building
• May comprise several Tectonic Events
– May have several Deformational Phases
May have an accompanying Metamorphic Cycles with one or more Reaction
Events
– Tectonite- a deformed rock with a texture that records the deformation
– Fabric- the complete spatial and geometric configuration of textural elements
• Foliation- planar textural element
• Lineation- linear textural element
• Lattice Preferred Orientation (LPO)
• Dimensional Preferred Orientation (DPO)
Types of foliations
a. Compositional layering
b. Preferred orientation of platy minerals
c. Shape of deformed grains
d. Grain size variation
e. Preferred orientation of platy minerals
in a matrix without preferred orientation
f. Preferred orientation of lenticular
mineral aggregates
g. Preferred orientation of fractures
h. Combinations of the above
 Symmetrical crenulation cleavages in amphibole-quartz-rich
schist. Note concentration of quartz in hinge areas.

Asymmetric crenulation cleavages in mica-quartz-rich schist. Note horizontal

compositional layering (relict bedding) and preferential dissolution of quartz from one
limb of the folds.
 Types of lineations
a. Preferred orientation of elongated
mineral aggregates

b. Preferred orientation of elongate

minerals

c. Lineation defined by platy minerals

d. Fold axes (especially of crenulations)

e. Intersecting planar elements.

Pre-kinematic crystals
a. Bent crystal with
undulose
extinction
b. Foliation
wrapped around
a porphyroblast
c. Pressure shadow
or fringe
d. Kink bands or
folds
e. Microboudinage
f. Deformation
twins

Typical textures of pre-kinematic crystals. From Spry (1969) Metamorphic Textures. Pergamon. Oxford.

Post-kinematic crystals
a. Helicitic folds b. Randomly oriented crystals c. Polygonal arcs
d. Chiastolite e. Late, inclusion-free rim on a poikiloblast (?)
f. Random aggregate pseudomorph

Syn-kinematic crystals
Spiral Porphyroblast
Syn-kinematic crystals
 Deformation may not be of the same style or
even coeval throughout an orogen

Stage I: D1 in forearc (A) migrates away from the arc

over time. Area (B) may have some deformation
associated with pluton emplacement, area (C) has no
deformation at all

Deformation may not be of the same style or

even coeval throughout an orogen

Stage II: D2 overprints D1 in forearc (A) in the form of

sub-horizontal folding and back-thrusting as pushed
against arc crust. Area (C) begins new subduction zone
with thrusting and folding migrating toward trench.

Deformation may not be of the same style or

even coeval throughout an orogen

Stage III: Accretion deforms whole package. More

resistant arc crust gets a D1 event. D2 overprints D1 in
forearc (A) and in pluton-emplacement structures in (B).
Area (C) in the suture zone gets D3 overprinting D2
recumbent folds on D1 foliations.
 Deformation may not be of the same style or
even coeval throughout an orogen

The orogen as it may now appear following uplift and

erosion.
 Portion of a multiple coronite developed as concentric rims due to reaction at what was initially the
contact between an olivine megacryst and surrounding plagioclase in anorthosites of the upper Jotun
Nappe, W. Norway. From Griffen (1971) J. Petrol., 12, 219-243.

Mantled porphyroclasts and “mica fish” as sense-of-shear indicators. After Passchier and Simpson (1986)
Porphyroclast systems as kinematic indicators. J. Struct. Geol., 8, 831-843.

Other methods to determine sense-of-shear. Winter (2010) An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic
Petrology. Prentice Hall.

Supplemental Notes:
2 major types of metamorphism may be distinguished on the basis of geological setting
 1) Local extent which includes thermal or contact metamorphism
2) Regional extent which refers to regional metamorphism
Metamorphic rocks
 are derived from pre-existing rock types and have undergone mineralogical, textural, and structural
changes.
 the changing conditions of temperature and/or pressure are the primary agents causing metamorphic
reactions in rocks.
 grade refers to the range of temperature under which metamorphism occurred.
 when metamorphism occurs there is usually little alteration in the bulk chemical composition of the rocks
involved with the exception of water and volatile constituents such as carbon dioxide. Little material is
lost or gained and this type of alteration is described as an isochemical change. By contrast, allochemical
changes are brought about by metasomatic processes which introduce or remove material from the rocks
they affect.
 metasomatic changes are brought about by hot gases or solutions permeating through rocks.
Metamorphic textures and structures
 Preferred orientation
 commonly exhibited as mesoscopic linear or planar structures which allow the rocks to split more
easily in one direction than another. (e.g. cleavage in a slate)
 slaty cleavage most familiar type and occurs in low metamorphic grade
 fracture cleavage is a parting defined by closely spaced parallel fractures which is usually
independent of planar preferred orientation
 Schistosity
 of higher grade
 was developed in a rock when it was subjected to increased temperatures and stress which
involved its reconstitution, which was brought about by localized solution of mineral material
and recrystallization.
 a preferred orientation of inequaint mineral grains or grain aggregates produced by
metamorphic processes
 aligned minerals are coarse grained enough to see with the unaided eye
 Gneissose structure
 Either a poorly-developed schistosity or segregated into layers by metamorphic processes
 Gneissose rocks are generally coarse grained
The formation of metamorphic rocks
 any type of rock can become a metamorphic rock if it is heated to temperatures of several hundred
degrees Celsius,
 and/or if subjected to high pressure (because of the weight of overlying rocks)
 during metamorphism, the minerals making up the rock become chemically unstable, meaning that their
constituent ions are redistributed. The result is that either large crystals grow at the expense of existing
smaller ones, or a new set of minerals is formed. Generally speaking, the overall chemical composition of
the rock remains about the same
 although igneous and metamorphic rocks both form at high temperatures, an important distinction is that
metamorphism occurs in the solid state, whereas igneous activity involves liquid rock (magma).
Causes of metamorphism
What natural process could cause a rock to be heated?
Answer
Heating can be caused when hot magma is intruded into a cool rock.
On the other hand, an increase in both pressure and temperature will come about if the rock becomes more
deeply buried as a result of Earth movements, particularly at convergent plate boundaries where continents
collide, or is covered by a deepening layer of sedimentary deposits.

Two settings where metamorphic rocks can be found

1. In the first, and simplest situation, a narrow zone around the edge of an igneous intrusion becomes
heated by the magma and undergoes metamorphic recrystallisation. This is known as contact
metamorphism because it is caused by hot magma coming in to contact with cold rocks; contact
metamorphism is due to heating alone.
 [Link] second common setting of metamorphism is far more extensive, and is caused by the deep burial of
crust at continental collision zones. In this setting, huge volumes of rock experience increases in
temperature and pressure, causing metamorphism on a regional scale; this is known as regional
metamorphism.
Metamorphic recrystallisation
To consider metamorphic recrystallization at its simplest, let's begin by imagining a sedimentary rock composed
entirely of quartz grains – a quartz sandstone. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock and so has a fragmental texture.
When it is subjected to high temperature and high pressure no new minerals can form because there are no other
minerals present with which the quartz grains could react. All that can happen is that the quartz grains recrystallize
and the rock known as quartzite is formed. The original fragmental texture is obliterated and replaced by a
crystalline texture. Likewise, when a pure limestone, comprising calcite (i.e. CaCO 3) is metamorphosed, the calcite
recrystallizes, and marble is produced. In these cases the rock adjusts to a high pressure or temperature by slowly
recrystallizing in a denser, more compact, form.
In most cases, however, we start with a rock containing several different minerals, giving a richer chemical mix for
metamorphic reactions to work with. At sufficiently high temperature or pressure, the original minerals react with
each other, and new mineral crystals grow. In order to do this the constituent atoms must diffuse at different rates
through the rock, but diffusion is extremely slow so atoms can move only very small distances in a given amount of
time. The chemical rearrangement of the rock therefore entails the growth of small crystals unless the
temperature is particularly high, in which case larger crystals can grow. Whenever metamorphism occurs in the
compressional environment of continental collision zones (regional metamorphism), the rock is also subject to
directed pressure and this also has an effect on the way the minerals crystallize. In the case of the metamorphism
of mudrocks, mica crystals are formed during metamorphism. Mica crystals are characteristically platy in shape,
reflecting the fact that the atoms in mica are arranged in layers or sheets. When platy minerals grow during
metamorphism the energetically most favorable pattern of growth is one in which their flat surfaces lie more or
less parallel, and at right angles to the main direction of imposed pressure (Fig below). Likewise, any elongate
crystals grow aligned parallel with each other.

A sketch of the interlocking crystalline texture in a metamorphic rock formed by

regional metamorphism; mineral banding develops at right angles to
the direction of compression
The metamorphic rock has a crystalline texture, like igneous rocks. However, it also has mineral layering, or
alignment, whereas the crystals in igneous rocks have grown in random directions.
Alignment of platy minerals
 means that the rock has a series of closely spaced planes of weakness running through it, so it tends to
split apart into fairly flat pieces.
 the rock is said to have a foliation, because its mineral grains are aligned like a stack of leaves (foliage)
lying one on top of the other
 a classic example is slate, a metamorphic rock with an extremely fine grain size that can be split into thin
sheets used for roofing. Slate, and the coarser-grained metamorphic rock schist (pronounced ‘shh-ist’, to
rhyme with ‘mist’) (see figure) have marked foliation because they contain a lot of mica. But not all
metamorphic rocks are as rich in mica. In such cases metamorphism can still produce a banding effect,
but here the minerals grow segregated into alternating bands a few millimeters to centimeters thick.
Bands of light-colored minerals alternate with bands of dark-colored minerals, and the rock is known as
 gneiss (pronounced ‘nice’). In general, the coarser the grain size of a metamorphic rock, the higher the
temperature and/or pressure.

The metamorphic rock schist. The platy mica crystals

(dark) are arranged in undulating layers, defining a
foliation. The sample is about 6 cm long

In igneous rocks grain size is controlled by cooling rate (and crystals grow from a liquid); the slower the cooling, the
coarser the grain size. In metamorphic rocks grain size is controlled by pressure and temperature (and crystals
grow by transformation of existing minerals in the solid state); the higher the temperature and pressure, the
coarser the grain size.
The end product of metamorphism depends on two main variables:
1. the chemical composition of the starting rock, and
2. the pressure and temperature conditions under which metamorphism occurred.
A useful analogy is with cooking – the product of baking in an oven depends on the ingredients that went
in (chemical composition) and the temperature that the ingredients were subjected to in the oven. Just
as the shape, colour and taste of food from the oven gives us clues about the ingredients and the baking
conditions, so the texture and mineralogy of a metamorphic rock allow us to say something about the
original rock type and the temperature and pressure conditions in the crust where metamorphism
occurred.
Question
Compare and contrast contact metamorphism and regional metamorphism in terms of (a) the presence of foliation
and (b) the distribution of the affected rocks.
Answer
(a) Rocks formed by regional metamorphism possess a foliation due to the alignment of platy minerals that grew
during compression. Rocks formed by contact metamorphism do not show foliation.
(b) Contact metamorphic rocks are confined to a narrow band in the rocks surrounding an igneous intrusion.
Regional metamorphism occurs in vast tracts of land as a result of mountain building.

What term is used to describe the contact between the tilted and horizontal strata?
Answer
It is an unconformity.

Classification of Metamorphic Rocks

Classification of metamorphic rocks is based on:
1. mineral assemblage
2. texture
 in metamorphic rocks, individual minerals may or may not be bounded by crystal faces
 those that are bounded by their own crystal faces are termed idioblastic
  those that show none of their own crystals are termed xenoblastic.
From examination of metamorphic rocks, it has been found that metamorphic minerals can be listed in a
generalized sequence, known as the crystalloblastic series, listing minerals in order of their tendency to be
idioblastic. In the series, each mineral tends to develop idioblastic surface against any mineral that occurs
lower in the series.
This series is listed below:
a) rutile, sphene, magnetite
b) tourmaline kyanite, staurolite, garnet, andalusite
c) epidote, zoisite, lawsonite, forsterite
d) pyroxenes, amphiboles, wollastonite
e) micas, chlorites, talc, stilpnomelane, prehnite
f) dolomite, calcite
g) scapolite, cordierite, feldspars
h) quartz
 The series can, in a rather general way, enable the determination of the origin of a given rock.
For example, a rock that shows euhedral plagioclase crystals in contact with anhedral amphibole,
likely had an igneous origin, since a metamorphic rock with the same minerals would be
expected to show euhedral amphibole in contact with anhedral plagioclase.
 Another aspect of the crystalloblastic series is that minerals high on the list tend to form
porphyroblasts (the metamorphic equivalent of phenocrysts), although K-feldspar (a mineral that
occurs lower in the list) may also form porphyroblasts. Porphyroblasts are often riddled with
inclusions of other minerals of other minerals that were enveloped during growth of the
porphyroblast. These are said to have poikiloblastic texture.
 Most metamorphic textures involve foliation
 Foliation is generally caused by a preferred orientation of sheet silicates
 If a rock has a slaty cleavage as its foliation, it is termed a slate
 If it has a phyllitic foliation, it is termed a phyllite
 if it has schistose foliation, it is termed a schist
 a rock that shows a banded texture without a distinct foliation, it is termed a gneiss. All
of these could be porphyroblastic (i.e. could contain porphyroblasts)
 A rock that shows no foliation is called a hornfels if the grain size is small,
 and a granulite, if the grain size is large and individual minerals can be easily
distinguished with a hand lens.
3. protolith
 refers to the original rock, prior to metamorphism
 In low grade metamorphic rocks, original textures are often preserved allowing one to determine
the likely protolith
 as the grade of metamorphism increases, original textures are replaced with metamorphic textures
 other clues, such as bulk chemical composition of the rock, are used to determine the protolith.
4. bulk chemical composition
The mineral assemblage that develops in a metamorphic rock is dependent on:
a) the pressure and temperature reached during metamorphism
b) final phase present during metamorphism
c) bulk composition of the rock

Some terms which describe the general bulk chemical composition are as follows:
1) perlitic
 derivatives of aluminum sedimentary rocks like shale and mudrocks
 recognized by an abundance of aluminous minerals like clay minerals, micas, kyanite, sillimanite,
andalusite and garnet
2) quartzo-feldspathic
– originally contained mostly quartz and feldspar like granitic rocks and arkosic sandstones will also
contain an abundance of quartz and feldspar as metamorphic rocks since these minerals are stable
over a wide range of temperature and pressure. Those that exhibit mostly quartz and feldspar with
only minor amounts of aluminous minerals are termed quartzo-feldspathic.
3) Calcareous
– calcium-rich
 – usually derivatives of carbonate rocks although they contain other minerals that result from reaction
of the carbonates with associated siliceous detrital minerals that were present in the rock
– at low grades of metamorphism calcareous rocks are recognized by their abundance of carbonate
minerals like calcite and dolomite
– with increasing grade of metamorphism these are replaced by minerals like brucite, phlogopite(Mg-
rich biotite), chlorite, and tremolite.
– At even higher grades anhydrous minerals like diopside, forsterite, wollastonite, glossurite, and calcic
plagioclase
4) Basic
 just like in igneous rocks, the general term basic refers to low-silica content
 generally derivatives of basic igneous rocks like basalts and gabbros
 have an abundance of Fe-Mg minerals like biotite, chlorite, and hornblende, as well as calcic
minerals like plagioclase and epidote
5) magnesian
 rich in Mg with relatively less Fe
 contain Mg-rich minerals like serpentinite, brucite, talc, dolomite, and tremolite
 in general, usually have an ultrabasic protolith, like peridotite, dunite, or pyroxenite
6) ferrigenous
 rich in Fe with little Mg
 could be derivatives of Fe-rich cherts or ironstones
 characterized by the abundance of Fe-rich minerals like greenlite (Fe-rich serpentinite), minnesotaite
(Fe-rich talc), ferroactinolite, ferrocummingtonite, hematite, and magnetite at low grades
 abundant of ferrosilite, fayalite, ferrohedenbergite, and almandine garnet at higher grades
7) manganiferrous
 characterized by the presence of Mn-rich minerals
 characterized by such minerals as stilpnomelane and spessartine
Underlying principles
Metamorphic facies
 defined by the mineralogical composition of a rock
 when the temperature or pressure in a rock body change, the rock can cross into a different facies and
some minerals become stable while others become unstable or metastable. Whether minerals really react
depends on the reaction kinetics, the activation energy of the reaction and how much fluid is present in
the rock.
 the minerals in a metamorphic rock and their age relations can be studied by optical
microscopy or Scanning Electron Microscopy of thin sections
 apart from the metamorphic facies of a rock, a whole terrane can be described by the abbreviations LT,
MT, HT, LP, MP, HP (from low, medium or high; pressure or temperature). Since the 1980s the term UHP
(ultra high pressure) is used for rocks that saw extreme pressures.
 which minerals grow in a rock is also dependent of the original composition of the protolith (the original
rock before metamorphosis)
 carbonate rocks have a different composition from say a basaltic lava, the minerals that can grow in them
are different too. Therefore a metapsammite and a metapelite will have different mineralogical
compositions even though they were in the same metamorphic facies.
Index mineral
 every metamorphic facies has some index minerals by which it can be recognized. That does not mean
these minerals will necessarily be visible with the naked eye, or even exist in the rock; when the rock did
not have the right chemical composition they will not grow.
 typical index minerals are the polymorphs of aluminosilicate (Al2SiO5, all are nesosilicates)
 andalusite is stable at low pressure
 kyanite is stable at high pressure but relatively low temperature
 sillimanite is stable at high temperature.
Metamorphic facies and their mineral assemblages

Zeolite facies (LP/LT)

 with the lowest metamorphic grade. At lower temperature and pressure processes in the rock are
called diagenesis.
  named for zeolites, strongly hydrated tectosilicates. It can have the following mineral assemblages:
1. In meta-igneous rocks and greywackes:
a) heulandite + analcime + quartz ± clay minerals
b) laumontite + albite + quartz ± chlorite
2. In metapelites:
a) muscovite + chlorite + albite + quartz
Prehnite-pumpellyite-facies (LP/LT)
 a little higher in pressure and temperature than the zeolite facies
 named for the minerals prehnite (aCa-Al-phyllosilicate) and pumpellyite (a sorosilicate)
 characterized by the mineral assemblages:
1. In meta-igneous rocks and greywackes:
a) prehnite + pumpellyite + chlorite + albite + quartz
b) pumpellyite + chlorite + epidote + albite + quartz
c) pumpellyite + epidote + stilpnomelane + muscovite + albite + quartz
2. In metapelites:
a) muscovite + chlorite + albite + quartz
Greenschist facies (MP/MT)
 at medium pressure and temperature
 named for the typical schistose texture of the rocks and green colour of the
minerals chlorite, epidote and actinolite
 characteristic mineral assemblages are:
1. In metabasites:
a) chlorite + albite + epidote ± actinolite, quartz
2. In metagreywackes:
a) albite + quartz + epidote + muscovite ± stilpnomelane
3. In metapelites:
a) muscovite + chlorite + albite + quartz
b) chloritoid + chlorite + muscovite + quartz ± paragonite
c) biotite + muscovite + chlorite + albite + quartz + Mn-garnet (spessartine)
4. In Si-rich dolostones:
a) dolomite + quartz
Amphibolite-facies (MP/MT-HT)
 of medium pressure and average to high temperature
 it is named after amphiboles that form under such circumstances. It has the following mineral
assemblages:
1. In metabasites:
a) hornblende + plagioclase ± epidote, garnet, cummingtonite, diopside, biotite
2. In metapelites:
a) muscovite + biotite + quartz + plagioclase ± garnet, staurolite, kyanite/sillimanite
3. In Si-dolostones:
a) dolomite + calcite + tremolite ± talc (lower pressure and temperature)
b) dolomite + calcite + diopside ± forsterite (higher pressure and temperature)
Granulite facies (MP/HT)
 highest grade of metamorphism at medium pressure
 the depth at which it occurs is not constant
 characteristic mineral for this facies and the pyroxene-hornblende facies is orthopyroxene. The granulite
facies is characterized by the following mineral assemblages:
1. In metabasites:
a) orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + hornblende + plagioclase ± biotite
b) orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± quartz
c) clinopyroxene + plagioclase + garnet ± orthopyroxene (higher pressure)
2. In metapelites:
a) garnet + cordierite + sillimanite + K-feldspar + quartz ± biotite
b) sapphirine + orthopyroxene + K-feldspar + quartz ± osumilite (at very high temperature)
Blueschist facies (MP-HP/LT)
  at relatively low temperature but high pressure, such as occurs in rocks in a subduction zone
 named after the schistose character of the rocks and the blue minerals glaucophane and lawsonite
 forms the following mineral assemblages:
1. In metabasites:
a) glaucophane + lawsonite + chlorite + sphene ± epidote ± phengite ± paragonite, omphacite
2. In metagreywackes:
a) quartz + jadeite + lawsonite ± phengite, glaucophane, chlorite
3. In metapelites:
a) phengite + paragonite + carpholite + chlorite + quartz
4. In carbonate-rocks (marbles):
a) aragonite
Eclogite facies (HP/HT)
 at the highest pressure and high temperature
 named for the metabasic rock eclogite. The eclogite facies had the mineral assemblages:
1. In metabasites:
a) omphacite + garnet ± kyanite, quartz, hornblende, zoisite
2. In metagranodiorite:
a) quartz + phengite + jadeite/omphacite + garnet
3. In metapelites:
a) phengite + garnet + kyanite + chloritoid (Mg-rich) + quartz
b) phengite + kyanite + talc + quartz ± jadeite
Albite-epidote-hornfels facies (LP/LT-MT)
 at low pressure and relatively low temperatures
 named for the two minerals albite and epidote
 Hornfels is a rock formed in contact metamorphism, a process that characteristically involves high
temperatures but low pressures/depths. This facies is characterized by the following minerals:
1. In metabasites:
a) albite + epidote + actinolite + chlorite + quartz
2. In metapelites:
a) muscovite + biotite + chlorite + quartz
Hornblende-hornfels facies (LP/MT)
 with the same low pressures but slightly higher temperatures as the albite-epidote facies
 though named for the mineral hornblende, the appearance is not constrained to this facies. The
hornblende-hornfels facies has the following mineral assemblages:
1. In metabasites:
a) hornblende + plagioclase ± diopside, anthophyllite/cummingtonite, quartz
2. In metapelites:
a) muscovite + biotite + andalusite + cordierite + quartz + plagioclase
3. In K2O-poor sediments or meta-igneous rocks:
a) cordierite + anthophyllite + biotite + plagioclase + quartz
4. In Si-rich dolostones:
a) dolomite + calcite + tremolite ± talc
Pyroxene-hornfels facies (LP/MT-HT)
 contact-metamorphic facies with the highest temperatures and is, like the granulite facies, characterized
by the mineral orthopyroxene. It is characterized by the following mineral assemblages:
1. In metabasites:
a) orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + plagioclase ± olivine or quartz
2. In metapelites:
a) cordierite + quartz + sillimanite+ K-feldspar (orthoclase) ± biotite ± garnet
(If the temperature is below 750 there will be andalusite instead of sillimanite)
b) cordierite + orthopyroxene + plagioclase ± garnet, spinel
3. In carbonate rocks:
a) calcite + forsterite ± diopside, periclase
b) diopside + grossular + wollastonite ± vesuvianite
Sanidinite facies (LP/HT)
  rare facies of extremely high temperatures and low pressure
 can only be reached under certain contact-metamorphic circumstances
 due to the high temperature the rock experiences partial melting and glass is formed
 named for the mineral sanidine. It is characterized by the following mineral assemblages:
1. In metapelites:
a) cordierite + mullite + sanidine + tridymite (often altered to quartz) + glass
2. In carbonates:
a) wollastonite + anorthite + diopside
b) monticellite + melilite ± calcite, diopside (also tilleyite, spurrite, merwinite, larnite and
other rare Ca- or Ca-Mg-silicates.

Examples of Metamorphic Rocks

Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
1. Slate
 compact, very fine-grained, metamorphic rock with a well-developed cleavage. Freshly cleaved
surfaces are dull

Slate
2. Phyllite
 a rock with a schistosity in which very fine phyllosilicates (sericite/phengite and/or chlorite),
although rarely coarse enough to see unaided, impart a silky sheen to the foliation surface
 with both a foliation and lineation are very common

Phyllite
3. Schist
 exhibits schistosity. By this definition, term is a broad, and slates & phyllites are types of schists
 In common usage, schists restricted to those metamorphic rocks in which the foliated minerals are
coarse enough to see easily in hand specimen.
 rock of intermediate metamorphic grade between phyllite and gneiss
 Schist
4. Gneiss
 a metamorphic rock displaying gneissose structure
 typically layered (also called banded), generally with alternating felsic and darker mineral layers
 may also be lineated, but must also show segregations of felsic-mineral-rich and dark-mineral-rich
concentrations.

Gneiss
Non-Foliated Metamorphic Rocks
 simpler than for foliated rocks
1. Granofels
 a comprehensive term for any isotropic rock (a rock with no preferred orientation)

Granofels
2. Hornfels
 type of granofels that is typically very fine-grained and compact, and occurs in contact aureoles.
 tough, and tend to splinter when broken.
 Hornfels
Specific Metamorphic Rock Types
1) Marble
 a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of calcite or dolomite. The protolith is typically
limestone or dolostone

Marble
2) Quartzite
 a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of quartz. The protolith is typically sandstone. Some
confusion may result from the use of this term in sedimentary petrology for a pure quartz sandstone

Quartzite
3) Greenschist/Greenstone
 a low-grade metamorphic rock that typically contains chlorite, actinolite, epidote, and albite
 first three minerals are green, w/c imparts color to the rock. Called greenschist if foliated, and
greenstone if not.
 the protolith is either a mafic igneous rock or graywacke.
 Greenschist
4) Amphibolite
 a metamorphic rock dominated by hornblende + plagioclase.
 amphibolites may be foliated or non-foliated
 the protolith is either a mafic igneous rock or greywacke

Amphibolite
5) Serpentinite
 an ultramafic rock metamorphosed at low grade, so that it contains mostly serpentine

Serpentinite
6) Blueschist
 a blue amphibole-bearing metamorphosed mafic igneous rock or mafic greywacke
 this term is so commonly applied to such rocks that it is even applied to non-schistose rocks
 Blueschist

7) Eclogite
 a green and red metamorphic rock that contains clinopyroxene and garnet (omphacite + pyrope)
 the protolith is typically basaltic

Eclogite
8) Skarn
 a contact metamorphosed and silica metasomatized carbonate rock containing calc-silicate
minerals, such as grossular, epidote, tremolite, vesuvianite, etc
 tactite is a synonym

Skarn
9) Granulite
 a high grade rock of pelitic, mafic, or quartzo-feldspathic parentage that is predominantly composed
of OH-free minerals
 muscovite is absent
 plagioclase and orthopyroxene are common
 Granulite
10) Migmatite
 a composite silicate rock that is heterogeneous on the 1-10 cm scale, commonly having a dark
gneissic matrix (melanosome) and lighter felsic portions (leucosome)
 migmatites may appear layered, or the leucosomes may occur as pods or form a network of cross-
cutting veins

Migmatite
Additional Modifying Terms:
1) Porphyroblastic
 a metamorphic rock has one or more metamorphic minerals that grew much larger than the others
 each individual crystal is a porphyroblast
 Some porphyroblasts, particularly in low-grade contact metamorphism, occur as ovoid “spots”
If such spots occur in a hornfels or a phyllite (typically as a contact metamorphic overprint over a
regionally developed phyllite), the terms spotted hornfels, or spotted phyllite would be appropriate

2) Auge (German word)(pl. augen)

  common on some gneisses
 large eye-shaped grains (commonly feldspar) that are derived from pre-existing large crystals by
shear
 an augen gneiss is a gneiss with augen structure

augen gneiss is a gneiss with augen structure

3) Other modifying terms emphasizing some aspect of a rock may concern such features as grain-size, color,
chemical aspects, (aluminous, calcareous, mafic, felsic, etc.)
 as a general rule, use these when the aspect is unusual
 obviously a calcareous marble or mafic greenschist is redundant, as is a fine grained slate
4) Ortho- a prefix indicating an igneous parent, and
5) Para- a prefix indicating a sedimentary parent
 The terms are used only when they serve to dissipate doubt. For example, many quartzo-
feldspathic gneisses could easily be derived from either an impure arkose or a granitoid rock. If
some mineralogical, chemical, or field-derived clue permits the distinction, terms such as
orthogneiss, paragneiss, or orthoamphibolite may be useful.