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Metamorphic rock, any rock that results from the alteration of preexisting rocks in response to changing conditions, such as variations in temperature, pressure, and mechanical stress, and the addition or subtraction of chemical components.
Metamorphic rocks represent one of the three major classes of rocks, the others being igneous and sedimentary. Each class has its unique formation processes, characteristics, and significance in Earth’s geology.
Any type of rock—igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic—can become a metamorphic rock. All that is needed is enough heat and/or pressure to alter the existing rock’s physical or chemical makeup without melting the rock entirely.
Metamorphic rocks form when rocks are subjected to high heat, high pressure, hot mineral-rich fluids or, more commonly, some combination of these factors. Conditions like these are found deep within the Earth or where tectonic plates meet.
The study of metamorphic rocks (now exposed at the Earth's surface following erosion and uplift) provides information about the temperatures and pressures that occur at great depths within the Earth's crust. Some examples of metamorphic rocks are gneiss, slate, marble, schist, and quartzite.
Even rocks, a seemingly constant substance, can change into a new type of rock. Rocks that undergo a change to form a new rock are referred to as metamorphic rocks. In the rock cycle, there are three different types of rocks: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic. Sedimentary and igneous rocks began as something other than rock.
Properties and Characteristics of Metamorphic Rocks. The most distinctive feature of metamorphic rocks is their ability to withstand great heat and pressure without melting. Instead, they usually deform their shapes and textures. Metamorphic rocks can have both coarse and fine-grained textures, depending on the parent rock and the rate of ...