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The third category is rock that has been changed. The minerals in an igneous rock, or the particles in a sedimentary rock, may look fairly permanent, but in certain circumstances (under extreme conditions of pressure or temperature) they can change and recrystallize into something new. The new rock product is called a metamorphic rock.

There are two types of metamorphic rock. The first is regional metamorphic rock in which the altering force is one of pressure rather than of temperature. These are found deep within the interior of mountain chains and are believed to constitute the lower parts of the crust. Different degrees of pressure produce different grades of metamorphic rock. Slight pressure will produce a low-grade metamorphic rock, in which the only difference will be that the minerals will have been realigned in a different direction. Often this produces flat crystals of mica that are orientated perpendicular to the direction of the applied pressure. The result is a rock that has planes of weakness running in one direction and which can split easily into flat slabs. Slate and phyllite are typical low-grade metamorphic rocks. On the other hand, intense pressure will completely change the mineralogical makeup of the rock and produce a high-grade metamorphic rock. The chemical components may recrystallize into a totally different set of minerals from the original rock and the new minerals may form in distinct bands, often crumpled and contorted as evidence of the great pressures involved. Gneiss is the typical high-grade metamorphic rock showing distinct banding.

A typical sequence of rocks – from unconsolidated sediment, through sedimentary rock, through different grades of metamorphic rock, depending on the depth in the crust at which different conditions are found:

SURFACE – Mud (sediment)
Mudstone (sedimentary rock)
3 miles (5 km) deep
Shale
6 miles (10 km) deep
Slate (low-grade metamorphic rock) Different kinds of micas develop
9 miles (15 km) deep
Schist (medium-grade metamorphic rock)
12 miles (20 km) deep
Gneiss (high-grade metamorphic rock)
15.5 miles (25 km)
Migmatite (ultrametamorphic rock)





Дата публикования: 2014-11-03; Прочитано: 531 | Нарушение авторского права страницы | Мы поможем в написании вашей работы!



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