Difference Between Foliated And Nonfoliated

Updated Oct xx, 2021

By 1000000 Schader

Reviewed by: Sylvie Tremblay, Thou.Sc. Molecular Biology and Genetics

What are some of the differences between foliated rocks and nonfoliated rocks? In geology, key terms related to metamorphic rocks include foliated and nonfoliated. Metamorphic rocks are those that brainstorm as some other kind of rock, whether it'south igneous, sedimentary or another metamorphic rock. The parent stone that undergoes metamorphism is called the protolith.

Protoliths are transformed chemically and physically by high temperatures, high pressures, hot fluids or some combination of these atmospheric condition. Foliated metamorphic rocks exhibit layers or stripes acquired past the elongation and alignment of minerals in the rock as it undergoes metamorphism. In contrast, nonfoliated metamorphic rocks practice not comprise minerals that align during metamorphism and do not appear layered.

Types of Foliated Metamorphic Rocks

A stone list of types of foliated metamorphic specimens includes gneiss, schist, phyllite and slate. Specific patterns of foliation depend on the types of minerals constitute in the original stone, the size of the mineral grains and the way pressure is applied to the stone during metamorphosis.

One kind of foliation is called gneissic banding, which looks like bands of light and dark layers. Any rock that contains more than one kind of mineral can exist the protolith for gneiss, which is the name for a metamorphic rock that exhibits gneissic banding.

Some other blazon of foliated metamorphic rock is called schist. With aligned minerals that are fibroid enough to run across, rocks that exhibit schistose foliation sparkle, because they comprise micas that reflect lite. The protolith for a schist is usually shale, a blazon of sedimentary rock.

Phyllite is a tertiary blazon of foliated metamorphic stone. With wavy layering known equally phyllitic foliation, these rocks frequently have a silky or satiny sheen, which is caused by the organisation of very fine minerals that class every bit a result of the force per unit area applied during metamorphism.

A quaternary type of foliated metamorphic rock is chosen slate. Slate exhibits slaty foliation, which is also called cleavage. In geology, cleavage refers to the tendency of a rock to break parallel to the alignment of the tiny mica minerals it is composed of. This means that slate breaks into sparse layers, which have economic value equally tiles and blackboards. The protolith for slate is shale, and sometimes fossils that were present in the original rock tin be seen in freshly sheared layers of slate.

Types of Nonfoliated Metamorphic Rocks

Equanimous of minerals that practise non elongate or align during metamorphosis, nonfoliated metamorphic rocks tend to be simpler than foliated rocks. Examples of nonfoliated metamorphic rocks include marbles, quartzites and soapstones. Granofels is a wide term for medium- to fibroid-grained metamorphic rocks that do not exhibit any specific foliation.

Marble is made of dolomite or calcite, and they result from the metamorphism of limestone or dolostone. A hard rock that is easy to carve, marble is often used to make flooring tiles, columns and sculptures.

A 2nd type of nonfoliated metamorphic rock, quartzite, is composed generally of silicon dioxide. The protolith for quartzite is quartz, and considering quartz is stable under high pressure level and high temperatures, metamorphism of this rock simply causes the reorganization of its crystals. A very hard stone, quartzite is often used to brand kitchen countertops and floor tiles.

Soapstones are another type of nonfoliated metamorphic stone. Rich in talc, soapstones feel greasy, like lather. Soapstone is a relatively soft metamorphic rock and absorbs and holds estrus well, so it is oft used around fireplaces and woodstoves. Like shooting fish in a barrel to carve, soapstone was traditionally used by Native Americans for making tools and implements.

There are many other types of specific nonfoliated metamorphic rocks, such equally greenstone, eclogites and serpentines. Created by unique combinations of minerals and metamorphic conditions, these rocks are classified by their chemical compositions.