Marble Contact Or Regional Metamorphism

The three types of metamorphism are contact regional and dynamic metamorphism.

Marble contact or regional metamorphism.

Contact metamorphism creates marble superior in every way to that of regional metamorphism by the very nature in which it was created. Metamorphism can be instantaneous as in the shearing of rocks at plate boundaries or can take millions of years as in the slow cooling of magma buried deep under the surface of the earth. Regional metamorphism causes a layered or platy structure in rocks called foliation. Regional pressure dominated metamorphism occurs over large areas during periods of mountain building.

Foliated rocks are the result of intense pressure and sometimes to a lesser degree are also the result of heat. Eclogites usually do not show foliation. The type and intensity of the metamorphism and width of the metamorphic aureole will depend on a number of factors including the type of country rock the. Any type of magma body can lead to contact metamorphism from a thin dyke to a large stock.

Regional metamorphism is associated with the major events of earth dynamics and the vast majority of metamorphic rocks are so produced they are the rocks involved in the cyclic processes of erosion sedimentation burial metamorphism and mountain building events that are all related to major convective processes in earth s mantle. Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms when limestone is subjected to the heat and pressure of metamorphism. It s no wonder marble is so widely used in buildings sculptures and anything else imaginable. Regional metamorphism by contrast takes place over large areas and is high grade metamorphism.

Marble is created from limestone that has been subjected to heat. An example of contact metamorphism is the metamorphic rock marble. There are three ways that metamorphic rocks can form. It is composed primarily of the mineral calcite caco 3 and usually contains other minerals such as clay minerals micas quartz pyrite iron oxides and graphite under the conditions of metamorphism the calcite in the limestone recrystallizes to form a rock that is.

Burial metamorphism differs from regional and contact metamorphism in that it is the result of rocks being buried deeper into the earth s crust through tectonic movements. The higher temperatures the pyrometamorphism effect as it is known whereby not just most but practically all the marble quarried is of fine commercial grade as i have found out and the new owners of the. Some foliation may be present if the marble contains micas.