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5.2: Investigation - Comparing Marble and Quartzite

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    53246
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    Differentiation is a fundamental process in Earth science. Separation by kind makes Earth materials distinctive in property and robust in function. Metamorphism can be described as a from of structural differentiation on minerals down to the molecular level. Driven by pressure and enabled by heat and chemically active fluids, atoms and molecules migrate to find their most geometrically compatible neighbors. Molecules of matching structures come together; molecules of different structures move apart. Through this "like attracts like" phenomenon, domains of distinctive chemical composition and physical property emerge. The cumulative result of this process on the macroscopic scale is the densification of molecular packing, which in turn increases the strength of the rock. Structural differentiation leaves visible marks on the rock, such as distinctive color, enlarged crystal grain sizes, and foliation. Metamorphic rocks can be identified according to these visual features.

    Marble
    Quartzite
    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Marble (left) and quartzite (right). Note that the shininess in marble comes from the cleavage planes of calcite minerals, a feature absent in quartzite. (James St. John; CC.)
    Comparison in rock characteristics between marble and quartzite.
    Characteristics Marble Quartzite
    Parent rock    
    Type of rock of parent rock    
    Setting of metamorphism    
    Mineral composition    
    Type of mineral    
    Hardness    
    Cleavage planes in mineral    

    This page titled 5.2: Investigation - Comparing Marble and Quartzite is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Likwan Cheng.

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