JARO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department
Fajardo Ext., Jaro, Iloilo City
Name: SCORES
Grade and Section: Activity:
Track and Strand: Quiz:
Content 2: Earth Materials and Processes
MODULE
7 Endogenic Processes
Lesson 2.5: Metamorphism
At the end of this module, the learner should be able to:
1. define metamorphism;
2. understand the different index minerals used for metamorphic rocks; and
3. understand what causes the metamorphic texture. (S11/12ES-Ic-17)
Questions:
1. What are the two main agents of metamorphism, and what are their respective roles in producing
metamorphic rocks?
2. What types of metamorphic rocks will form if a mudrock experiences very low, low, medium, and high -grade
metamorphism?
3. Why doesn’t granite change very much at lower metamorphic grades?
4. Describe the main process of foliation development in a metamorphic rock such as schist.
5. What process contributes to metamorphism of oceanic crust at a spreading ridge?
6. How do variations in the geothermal gradient affect the depth at which different metamorphic rocks form?
7. Blueschist metamorphism takes place within subduction zones. What are the particular temperature and
pressure characteristics of this geological setting?
8. Rearrange the following minerals in order of increasing metamorphic grade: biotite, garnet, sillimanite,
chlorite.
9. What is the role of magmatic fluids in the metamorphism that takes place adjacent to a pluton?
10. How does metasomatism differ from regional metamorphism?
11. How does the presence of a hot pluton contribute to metasomatism?
12. What determines whether metasomatism will produce skarn?
13. For each of the following metamorphic rocks, indicate the likely parent rock and the grade and/or type of
metamorphism: chlorite schist, slate, mica-garnet schist, amphibolite, marble.
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Prepared by: SIXTO B. SAPAN III & TERESA L. DACLAN
JARO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department
Fajardo Ext., Jaro, Iloilo City
Metamorphism is the change of minerals or geologic texture (distinct arrangement of minerals) in
pre-existing rocks (protoliths), without the protolith melting into liquid magma (a solid-
state change).
• Heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids are referred to as the "agents of metamorphism”. All
changes in the rock during metamorphism occur in the solid state (no melting involved).
Index Minerals for Metamorphic Rocks
• Minerals become unstable and change into another mineral without necessarily a
compositional change in response to heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids. Examples
include diamond and coal wherein only the mineral structure is affected.
• The mineral composition of the resulting metamorphic rock is influence by: the mineral
composition of the original rock, the composition of fluid phase that was present and the
attained pressure and temperature during metamorphism
• Certain minerals identified as index minerals are good indicators of the metamorphic
environment or zone of regional metamorphism in which these minerals are formed.
Textural Changes in Rocks that are Subjected to Metamorphism.
• In general, the grain size of metamorphic rocks tends to increase with the increasing
metamorphic grade. With the increasing metamorphic grade, the sheet silicates become
unstable and mafic minerals like hornblende and pyroxene start to grow. At the highest
grades of metamorphism all of the hydrous minerals and sheet silicates become unstable
and thus there are few minerals present that would show a preferred orientation.
• Most metamorphic textures involve foliation which is caused by differential stress. Sheet
silicates such as clay minerals, mica and chlorite tend to have a preferred orientation when
subjected to differential stress. Slate, phyllite, schist and gneiss are foliated rocks, texturally
distinguished from each other by the degree of foliation.
• Differential stress is formed when the pressure applied to a rock at depth is not equal in all
directions. Effects of differential stress in the rock’s texture if present during
metamorphism include
o Rounded grains can become flattened in the direction of the maximum
compressional stress.
o Minerals that crystallize or grow in the differential stress field may develop a
preferred orientation. Sheet silicates and minerals that have an elongated habit
will grow with their sheets or direction of elongation orientated perpendicular to
the direction of maximum stress.
• Non-foliated metamorphic rock is formed when heat is the main agent of metamorphism.
Generally, non-foliated rocks are composed of a mosaic of roughly equidimensional and
equi-granular minerals.
o Non-foliated metamorphic rocks are generally of two types: those made up of
mainly one mineral like quartzite (from medium- to high-grade metamorphism of
quartz-rich sandstone) and marble (from low- to high-grade metamorphism of
limestone or dolostone), and those in which the different mineral grains are too
small for the naked eye, such as hornfels (hornfels if the grain size is small and
granulite if the grain size is large such that individual minerals are easily identified
with a hand lens).
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Prepared by: SIXTO B. SAPAN III & TERESA L. DACLAN
JARO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department
Fajardo Ext., Jaro, Iloilo City
Direction: Answer the following:
1. Other than the attained temperature and pressure during metamorphism, what are the other
two factors that control the mineral composition of a metamorphic rock?
Answer:
2. Define metamorphism.
Answer:
3. Define metamorphic grade.
Answer:
4. True or false: There is a direct correlation between the grain size of metamorphic rocks and
the metamorphic grade.
Answer:
5. Is it possible to find fossils in metamorphic rocks?
Answer:
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Prepared by: SIXTO B. SAPAN III & TERESA L. DACLAN
