Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Glendale Community College Earth Science Image Archive: Foliated
Glendale Community College Earth Science Image Archive: Foliated
Page 1 of 3
Under the influence of heat, pressure and chemically active fluids, rocks will
change or METAMORPHOSE into new rocks with minerals that are in
equilibrium with these altered environmental factors.
Two basic types of metamorphic rocks are recognized: FOLIATED and NON
FOLIATED. Foliated metamorphic rocks have some parallel structure induced
by the pressures attendant upon metamorphism. This foliation can be
observed in the field by parallel bands within the rocks or it can often be
observed on a smaller scale in the hand specimen. This foliation can also be
seen microscopically by the alignment of platy minerals.
NON FOLIATED as the name implies, does not have any parallel orientation
of the grains within the metamorphic rock. Non foliated rocks have
recrystallized without producing parallel structures. This can be done in the
absence of pressure but more commonly by the lack of elongate or tabular
grains. For example sandstone is metamorphosed into quartzite by the
normal agents of metamorphism (heat and pressure), but because of the
equidimensional nature of the quartz grains, no alignment or parallel
structure can take place.
Following is the basic classification of metamorphic rocks.
FOLIATED
Rock breaks into very thin layers, usually looks smooth
but not polished, no crystals visible, harder than shale
and commonly black, gray or reddish (sometimes
greenish)
SLATE
file://D:\ILANK%20POENYA\BACKUP%20DATA%20ILANK\Literatur%20Batauan%20... 6/5/2006
Metamorphic
Page 2 of 3
PHYLLITE
SCHIST
GNEISS
NON FOLIATED
MARBLE
QUARTZITE
file://D:\ILANK%20POENYA\BACKUP%20DATA%20ILANK\Literatur%20Batauan%20... 6/5/2006
Metamorphic
Page 3 of 3
METACONGLOMERATE
SERPENTINE
file://D:\ILANK%20POENYA\BACKUP%20DATA%20ILANK\Literatur%20Batauan%20... 6/5/2006