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REGIONAL METAMORPHISM
Alters rocks over a large geographic region.
Appalachians of New England
North Cascades of Washington-British Columbia
REGIONAL METAMORPHISM
BURIAL METAMORPHISM
Occurs deep in sedimentary basins.
Requires depths > 10 km
At these depths and greater, lithostatic pressure and
geothermal heat drive metamorphic reactions and
recrystallization.
Does not require a tectonic process.
Does not create mountain belts.
Generally no foliation because no directed pressure.
REGIONAL METAMORPHISM
BURIAL METAMORPHISM
REGIONAL METAMORPHISM
DYNAMOTHERMAL METAMORPHISM
Affected by pressure (squeezing) and heat (magma).
Occurs when converging plates squeeze rock caught
between the plates.
Crust generally thickens.
Surface rocks get taken deep into the Earth.
Rocks are subjected to high temperatures, lithostatic
pressure and directed pressure.
Rocks become foliated.
REGIONAL METAMORPHISM
DYNAMOTHERMAL METAMORPHISM
Produced metamorphic rocks found in the Alps,
Himalaya, and Appalachian Mountains.
Also produced the greatly eroded metamorphic rocks
in the Great Lakes region.
These rocks are exposed by uplift (faulting) and rapid
erosion.
The process doesnt reverse itself.
Stishovite
Coesite
Fulgurite
Gneiss
Foliated
Quartzite
Nonfoliated
Foliated
Nonfoliated
Metamorphic
Rock
Parent Rock
GrainSize
Metamorphic
Grade
Slate
Shale
Fine
Low
Phyllite
Shale
Fine
Low
Schist
Basalt, greywacke,
Shale, impure ls.
Medium
Medium to High
Gneiss
Coarse
High
Marble
Limestone or
Dolomite
Varies
Low
Quartzite
Quartz
Sandstone
Varies
Low to High
Anthracite
Coal
Peat
Varies
Low to High
Greenstone
Basalt
Varies
Low to High