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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Environment

Take the Metamorphism Knowledge Test Now

Assess Your Metamorphic Rock Understanding Today

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art depicting elements related to Metamorphism Knowledge Test quiz

Ready to dive into the world of metamorphic rocks? This engaging geology quiz tests understanding of mineral transformations, textures, and pressure-temperature effects in metamorphism. Students or geology enthusiasts can explore core concepts and sharpen their skills, then customize any question in our editor for deeper practice. For a broader challenge, try the History Knowledge Test or the IT Fundamentals Knowledge Test. Discover more interactive quizzes to keep learning.

What term describes the process by which preexisting rocks change mineralogy and texture under heat and pressure?
Metamorphism
Sedimentation
Weathering
Erosion
Metamorphism refers to the solid-state transformation of rocks under changing pressure, temperature, and chemically active fluids. It does not involve melting or surface processes like weathering, erosion, or sedimentation.
Which metamorphic rock is formed by the recrystallization of limestone?
Schist
Slate
Quartzite
Marble
Marble is produced when limestone is subjected to heat and pressure, causing calcite crystals to recrystallize. Slate forms from shale, schist from higher-grade pelitic rocks, and quartzite from sandstone.
What texture is characterized by the planar alignment of platy minerals in a metamorphic rock?
Glassy
Foliation
Vesicular
Porphyritic
Foliation is the planar arrangement of mineral grains in metamorphic rocks caused by directed pressure. Vesicular and glassy textures are volcanic, and porphyritic is an igneous texture.
Which of the following is NOT a primary agent of metamorphism?
Heat
Pressure
Weather
Chemically active fluids
'Weather' (as in weathering) is a surface process that breaks down rocks rather than causing metamorphism. Heat, pressure, and fluids are the main agents driving metamorphic reactions.
Contact metamorphism typically occurs:
Along major fault zones
At subduction zones
In deep ocean trenches
Along the margins of igneous intrusions
Contact metamorphism is localized heating of country rock around an intrusive magma body. Fault-zone and subduction metamorphism are dynamic and regional processes, respectively.
Which metamorphic facies is characteristic of high pressure and low temperature, typical of subduction zones?
Granulite facies
Eclogite facies
Blueschist facies
Greenschist facies
Blueschist facies develops under elevated pressures and relatively low temperatures, conditions typical in subduction settings. Greenschist, granulite, and eclogite facies represent different P-T conditions.
What texture is defined by recrystallized, equidimensional grains without preferred orientation?
Lineated
Foliated
Porphyroblastic
Granoblastic
Granoblastic texture consists of equant grains without alignment, typical of non-foliated metamorphic rocks. Porphyroblasts are large crystals in a finer matrix, and lineation is directional alignment.
Serpentinite forms by the metamorphism of which ultramafic protolith?
Basalt
Diorite
Gabbro
Peridotite
Serpentinite originates from the hydration of peridotite, an ultramafic mantle rock. Basalt and gabbro are mafic but not ultramafic, and diorite is intermediate in composition.
Which index mineral first appears in pelitic rocks as metamorphic grade increases above greenschist facies?
Sillimanite
Garnet
Kyanite
Staurolite
Garnet commonly appears at medium grades above greenschist facies in pelitic rocks. Staurolite, kyanite, and sillimanite develop at still higher grades or pressures.
Which metamorphic rock is characterized by alternating dark and light mineral bands?
Slate
Hornfels
Gneiss
Quartzite
Gneiss displays gneissic banding, alternating dark mafic and light felsic mineral layers. Slates are fine foliated rocks, quartzite is non-foliated, and hornfels is a fine-grained contact rock.
What type of metamorphism produces mylonites?
Regional metamorphism
Dynamic metamorphism
Hydrothermal metamorphism
Contact metamorphism
Mylonites form in high-strain shear zones from dynamic metamorphism where deformation dominates. Contact, regional, and hydrothermal metamorphism involve different P-T-fluid regimes.
Which metamorphic facies is associated with high temperature and moderate pressure, typical of deep crustal levels?
Greenschist facies
Zeolite facies
Granulite facies
Blueschist facies
Granulite facies is defined by high temperatures (700 - 900°C) and moderate pressures in deep crustal conditions. Greenschist, blueschist, and zeolite facies occur at lower P-T regimes.
Which rock results from contact metamorphism of shale or mudstone?
Schist
Hornfels
Quartzite
Marble
Hornfels develops by heat from nearby intrusions acting on pelitic protoliths like shale. Schist is regional, marble from limestone, and quartzite from sandstone.
Hydrothermal metamorphism is most common at:
Mid-ocean ridges
Passive continental margins
Volcanic arcs
Mountain roots
Hydrothermal metamorphism occurs where hot fluids circulate through oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges. Mountain roots and arcs host regional or contact metamorphism, and passive margins are low-grade.
Which Al2SiO5 polymorph is stable at high pressures and relatively low temperatures?
Kyanite
Chalcedony
Sillimanite
Andalusite
Kyanite is the high-pressure, low-temperature polymorph of Al2SiO5. Andalusite forms at low pressures, and sillimanite at high temperatures regardless of pressure.
What do metamorphic isograds represent on a geologic map?
Contacts between intrusive bodies
Lines marking first appearance of an index mineral
Boundaries between sedimentary layers
Fault zones in metamorphic belts
Isograds delineate where a particular metamorphic index mineral first appears in outcrop, indicating changes in metamorphic grade. They are not structural or intrusive contacts.
In migmatites, the leucosome represents:
Original sedimentary layering
Metamorphic foliation
Partial melt segregations
Hydrothermal veining
Leucosome bands in migmatites are light-colored layers formed by segregation of partial melts. They differ from foliation, veins, and sedimentary bedding.
Which rock type is produced by high-strain, brittle-ductile deformation in fault zones?
Marble
Quartzite
Mylonite
Slate
Mylonites form in ductile to brittle-ductile shear zones where intense deformation grains down the rock. Marble, slate, and quartzite form through different metamorphic processes.
The garnet-biotite geothermometer is used to estimate:
Degree of foliation
Peak metamorphic temperature
Original protolith composition
Depth of burial
The garnet-biotite exchange reaction is temperature-sensitive and is used to estimate the maximum temperature reached during metamorphism. It does not directly yield pressure, composition, or foliation details.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse mineral transformations under varied conditions.
  2. Interpret pressure and temperature influences on rock formation.
  3. Identify types of metamorphism and their features.
  4. Apply knowledge to classify metamorphic textures.
  5. Demonstrate understanding of metamorphic processes in geologic contexts.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Understand the role of heat and pressure in metamorphism - Think of heat and pressure as Earth's secret ingredients that transform ordinary rocks into brand-new characters with different textures and mineral combos. These forces squeeze and bake the parent rock, causing minerals to rearrange and form dazzling new metamorphic wonders. Britannica: Metamorphic Rock
  2. Learn about the different types of metamorphism - Metamorphism has two main flavors: contact and regional. Contact metamorphism is like a spa day near a magma intrusion, heating rocks locally, while regional metamorphism is a mega pressure cooker over huge zones, squeezing rocks deep in mountain roots. Britannica: Metamorphic Rock
  3. Recognize foliated and non-foliated textures - Foliation gives rocks that cool, layered look, like pages stacked in a book, seen in schist and gneiss. Non-foliated rocks, like marble, go au naturel without any layers, showing off uniform grains. Wikipedia: Foliation (Geology)
  4. Identify common metamorphic rocks and their parent rocks - Every metamorphic rock has an origin story: limestone turns into elegant marble under heat and pressure, while shale tightens up into slate during low-grade metamorphism. Spot these geological transformations in outcrops and see the rock cycle live in action. Britannica: Metamorphic Rock
  5. Understand metamorphic grade - Metamorphic grade is the rock's report card for temperature and pressure - low grades give you slate and phyllite, while high grades result in gneiss and migmatite. It's a spectrum that tells you how intense the rock's makeover was. OpenGeology: Metamorphic Rocks
  6. Learn about index minerals - Index minerals are the VIPs of metamorphism, emerging only under specific heat-pressure combos; think garnet and staurolite as your geological thermometers. Geologists use these mineral markers to gauge the metamorphic grade like pros reading a map. OpenGeology: Metamorphic Rocks
  7. Explore metamorphic facies - Metamorphic facies group together minerals that formed under similar conditions, acting like rock-based detective kits to decode Earth's history. By identifying a facies, you can rewind the geologic tape and see the pressure-temperature path the rock walked. OpenGeology: Metamorphic Rocks
  8. Understand the concept of recrystallization - Recrystallization lets minerals grow new, stable crystals without melting, tweaking a rock's texture and composition like a sculptor refining marble. This process can make grains larger and more interlocked, giving rocks their signature strength and shine. OpenGeology: Metamorphic Rocks
  9. Recognize the significance of metamorphic textures - Textures such as schistosity (flaky alignment) or gneissic banding (striped patterns) are like the fingerprints of metamorphic conditions. They record the directional stress and thermal history, helping geologists tease apart the rock's epic journey. Wikipedia: Foliation (Geology)
  10. Apply knowledge of metamorphic processes to real-world examples - Next time you hike through mountain trails or examine a road cut, bring your metamorphic lens to spot real-life examples of these processes. By linking theory with field observations, you become a rock detective unlocking Earth's dynamic story. Britannica: Metamorphic Rock
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