This course on metamorphic rocks aims to teach students about the textures and origins of metamorphic rocks, the minerals commonly found within them, and the environments that lead to their formation. Students will learn about metamorphic grade, the driving forces behind metamorphism, and various metamorphic textures such as foliation and porphyroblasts. The course covers different types of metamorphic rocks, both foliated and nonfoliated, and explores various metamorphic environments like contact metamorphism, burial metamorphism, and subduction zone metamorphism. The intended audience for this course includes geology enthusiasts, students, and professionals looking to deepen their understanding of metamorphic rocks and processes. The teaching method involves a lecture format with visual aids and examples to enhance learning.
Overview
Syllabus
Intro
What Is Metamorphism?
Metamorphic Grade
What Drives Metamorphism?
Confining Pressure and Differential Stress
Metamorphic Rocks and Minerals
Metamorphic Textures Foliation describes any planar arrangement of mineral grains or structural features within a rock - Examples of folation
Solid State Flow
Excellent Slaty Cleavage
Porphyroblasts Other metamorphic textures
Common Metamorphic Rocks
Nonfoliated Metamorphic Rocks
Types of Metamorphic Environments TEMPERATURE INCREASES CENTIGRADE
Contact Metamorphism Aureole
Roof Pendants
Metasomatism • Hydrothermal metamorphism
Black Smokers
Geysers and Hot Springs
Rock Veins
Burial Metamorphism Associated with very thick sedimentary strata in a subsiding basin
Subduction Zone Metamorphism
Pressure-Temperature (P-T) Timepaths
Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism - Occurs when meteorites strike Earth's surface • Product of these impacts are fused fragmented rock plus glass-rich
Quartz polymorphs help identify impacts
Shocked Quartz
Chelyabinsk Meteor (2013)
Index Minerals - Changes in mineralogy scour from regions of low-grade metamorphism to regions of high-grade metamorphism - Index minerals are good indicators of metamorphic environments
Taught by
Earth and Space Sciences X
