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Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock ( protolith ) is subjected to temperatures greater than 150 to 200 °C (300 to 400 °F) and, often, elevated pressure of 100 megapascals (1,000 bar ) or more, causing profound physical or chemical changes.
This results in a banded, or foliated, rock, with the bands showing the colors of the minerals that formed them. Foliated rock often develops planes of cleavage . Slate is an example of a foliated metamorphic rock, originating from shale , and it typically shows well-developed cleavage that allows slate to be split into thin plates.
Evaporite – Water-soluble mineral deposit formed by evaporation from an aqueous solution; Flint – Cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz; Geyserite – Form of opaline silica often found around hot springs and geysers; Greywacke – Sandstone with angular grains in a clay-fine matrix; Gritstone – Hard, coarse-grained, siliceous ...
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains, cemented together by another mineral. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Psammite (Greek: psammitēs "(made) from sand", from psammos "sand") [1] is a general term for sandstone.It is equivalent to the Latin-derived term arenite [2] [3] and is commonly used in various publications to describe a metamorphosed sedimentary rock with a dominantly sandstone protolith. [4]
Quartzite can have a grainy, glassy, sandpaper-like surface. Quartzite is a hard, non-foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone. [1] [2] Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tectonic compression within orogenic belts.
Examples of lithologies in the second sense include sandstone, slate, basalt, or limestone. [ 4 ] Lithology is the basis of subdividing rock sequences into individual lithostratigraphic units for the purposes of mapping and correlation between areas.
Because metamorphism usually requires water in order to facilitate metamorphic reactions, metamorphism nearly always occurs with metasomatism. Further, because metasomatism is a mass transfer process, it is not restricted to the rocks which are changed by addition of chemical elements and minerals or hydrous compounds.