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Short circuits. Metamorphic Rocks. form beneath the Earth’s surface heat, pressure and/or fluids on pre-existing rocks exhumed by uplift and erosion Don’t Create / change metamorphism can be: regional fault-related (beside seismic zones) contact (adjacent to igneous rocks).
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Metamorphic Rocks • form beneath the Earth’s surface • heat, pressure and/or fluids on pre-existing rocks • exhumed by uplift and erosion • Don’t Create / change • metamorphism can be: • regional • fault-related (beside seismic zones) • contact (adjacent to igneous rocks)
Metamorphic rocks • "Changed form" rocks • Produced from preexisting • Igneous rocks • Sedimentary rocks • Other metamorphic rocks
Metamorphism • Original minerals become unstable • new stable minerals form • graphite ---> diamond (MR) • no change in chemistry • all changes occur in the solid state (no liquid involved)
The rock cycle Figure 3.2
“Shields” of the world Canadian Shield ~ 1-3 Ba Exposed now but once must have been 10-30 km below
Origin of pressure in metamorphism Directed stress Figure 3.20
Gneiss typically displays a banded appearance Figure 3.24
Metamorphic Rocks • form beneath the Earth’s surface • heat, pressure and/or fluids on pre-existing rocks • exhumed by uplift and erosion • metamorphism can be: • regional • contact (adjacent to igneous rocks) • fault-related (beside seismic zones)
Measuring stress directions Figure 3.22
Marble – a nonfoliated metamorphic rock Less directed stress Figure 3.24
Metamorphic rocks • Common metamorphic rocks • Nonfoliated rocks • Marble • Used as a building stone • Variety of colors • Quartzite • Parent rock – quartz sandstone • Quartz grains are fused
Metamorphic rocks • Metamorphic textures • Foliatedtexture • Minerals are in a parallel alignment • Minerals are perpendicular to the compressional force • Nonfoliated texture • Contain equidimensional crystals • Resembles a coarse-grained igneous rock
Metamorphism and Deformation • Metamorphism = new minerals replacing older ones • under these conditions, the rocks may behave plastically • they flow to form folds • metamorphism and deformation are “siblings”
Rock deformation Flowing New Minerals
metamorphism can be: • regional • fault-related (beside seismic zones) • contact (adjacent to igneous rocks)
Rock deformation Flowing New Minerals
Metamorphic minerals • Minerals reflect conditions of metamorphism • Mineral content reveal processes occurring within the Earth’s crust • Diamond / graphite • Reaction rates slow with temp
All minerals = Al2Si05 High pressures High T Low pressures
Increasing metamorphism • Increasing grain size, increasing temperature • slate (very fine grained) • schist (visible crystals, coarse grained)
DEFORMATION • accompanies metamorphism • change in shape, geometry • minerals oriented into “fabrics” • folds and fracture on all scales • outcrop to global scale