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For instance, the small calcite crystals in the sedimentary rocks limestone and chalk change into larger crystals in the metamorphic rock marble. [13] In metamorphosed sandstone , recrystallization of the original quartz sand grains results in very compact quartzite , also known as metaquartzite, in which the often larger quartz crystals are ...
In geology, solid-state recrystallization is a metamorphic process that occurs under high temperatures and pressures where atoms of minerals are reorganized by diffusion and/or dislocation glide. During this process, the physical structure of the minerals is altered while the composition remains unchanged.
Some form of recovery process, such as dislocation climb or grain-boundary migration must also be active. Slipping of the dislocation results in a more stable state for the crystal as the pre-existing imperfection is removed. It requires much lower differential stress than that required for brittle fracturing. This mechanism does not damage the ...
These rocks are fine-grained and sometimes cool so rapidly that no crystals can form and result in a natural glass, such as obsidian, however the most common fine-grained rock would be known as basalt. Any of the three main types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks) can melt into magma and cool into igneous rocks. [2]
As it moves, it cools and various rock types will form through a process known as fractional crystallisation. Igneous rocks can be seen at mid-ocean ridges, areas of island arc volcanism or in intra-plate hotspots. Metamorphic rocks once existed as igneous or sedimentary rocks, but have been subjected to varying degrees of pressure and heat ...
Geologists use rock geometry measurements to understand the history of strain in rocks. Strain can take the form of brittle faulting and ductile folding and shearing. Brittle deformation takes place in the shallow crust, and ductile deformation takes place in the deeper crust, where temperatures and pressures are higher.
Fractional crystallization, or crystal fractionation, is one of the most important geochemical and physical processes operating within crust and mantle of a rocky planetary body, such as the Earth. It is important in the formation of igneous rocks because it is one of the main processes of magmatic differentiation . [ 1 ]
Inversion is a complex form of neomorphism in which the recrystallization process transforms polymorphs into different polymorphs. Polymorphs, to be clear, are minerals that differ from one another in their crystalline structures but are otherwise composed of identical quantities and types of elements.