Copy of Metamorphic Rocks Lab
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School
Mesa Community College *
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Course
101
Subject
Geology
Date
Apr 3, 2024
Type
Pages
4
Uploaded by ahmadatris13
Metamorphic Rock Lab
Name ______ahmad atris
_________________________
Use the
metamorphic identification key
and other information on the last two pages to answer the following.
Column A
- Circle whether the rock appears to be
non-foliated
or
foliated
.
Column B
- Using your eyes, loupes and scopes, record at least 2 observations. Zoom in. Describe color, appearance, apparent density, patterns, etc. If foliated, tell if the mineral grains are
very fine, fine-grained, coarse-grained, or banded
. If non-foliated, does the rock react w/ HCl? Scratch the rock to check its hardness (quartz is hard, H=7; calcite is soft, H=3).
Column C
-
Choose from these.->
gneiss
/
marble
/
phyllite
/
quartzite
/
schist
/
slate
. Use this
identification table
.
These SketchFab images may be handy. ->
gneiss
/
marble
/
phyllite
/
quartzite
/
schist
/
slate
Column D
- Record the protolith (A.K.A. the ‘parent’ rock) from which this rock may have been
most recently
metamorphosed. (In some cases, there may be more than one correct answer.)
Column E
- What type of metamorphism likely formed this rock? Regional, Contact or either
A. Foliated
or Non
Foliated
B. Observations
C. Rock Name
D. Protolith
E. Type of metamorphism
Foliated/
Non
foliated
Fine grained, gray color with dark mineral streaks
quartzite
sandstone
Regional metamoprhism
Foliated /
Non
Non foilated
Course grained
white with occasional dark specs
No visible patterns
Marble
limestone
Contact metamophism
Foliated /
Non
foilated
phyllite
Shale
Foliated /
Non
Foliated /
Non
Foliated /
Non
Foliated /
Non
marble
Part 2 -
Write the name of the met rock from the above lab.
1. Two samples with a
sedimentary
parent rock (protolith) are __________marble_____________________________________ &
__________quartzite_________________________________________.
2. The rock in this lab that formed by metamorphosing calcite is_ ___marble___________________________________. I could impress my family by proving this in the geology lab
by…
3. The rock in this lab that would be best for sculpting or carving statues is _______marble_______________________________. This is because….
4. The rock from this lab that would be good for floor or roof tiles is ______quartize____________________________ . This is because…
5. Why does
quartzite
(<-SketchFab image - look at that) scratch
marble
(<-look at that SketchFab)? (Consider what each is made of.)
Quartzite can scratch marble because quartzite is much harder than marble due to their differing mineral compositions. Quartzite is primarily composed of hard quartz grains, while
marble is mainly composed of soft calcite. When the harder quartzite comes into contact with the softer marble, it can physically abrade or scratch the marble's surface, leaving
visible scratches. This is a result of the significant difference in hardness between the two rocks.
17. Would you expect to find
fossils
in these samples? YES / NO (Circle one.) Why?
No, because the process of metamorphism typically destroys any pre-existing fossils in the rocks.
Summary -
Share something
specific
that you learned, a suggestion to improve the lab, or a question you still have. When sharing what you learned, do not write, “I learned
about… “. We
know
what you learned about since we wrote the lab. Share exactly what was new to you.
A: I learned that the hardness of minerals in rocks plays a crucial role in their ability to scratch or be scratched by other materials, and this principle is used in mineral identification.
B: I would suggest incorporating more detailed information about the geological history or significance of each rock type in the lab instructions to provide a broader understanding
of why these rocks are important in geology.
9/18/23 JS
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Important Terms
foliated / non foliated / regional / contact / protolith