Answer to Question 1
a. Heat is the most important agent of metamorphism. It causes recrystallization of minerals into new minerals that are stable under the conditions of metamorphism.
b. Confining pressure squeezes the rock, compacts it, makes it denser, and can cause recrystallization as well. Confining pressure applies forces equally in all directions.
c. Differential stress applies unequal forces in different directions, resulting in the elongation (lengthening) of rocks. Deformation caused by differential stress plays a major role in developing metamorphic texture.
d. Chemically active fluids can act as catalysts for recrystallization. The hotter the fluids, the more they influence recrystallization. The ions they contain can also result in changing the chemical composition of the rock during recrystallization.
Answer to Question 2
A metamorphic rock results from the transformation of another rock by a change in heat, pressure, and/or chemically active fluids. The rock that is being changed by these environmental conditions is the parent rock, or original rock that is undergoing metamorphosis.
The Role of Microglia as the Protector of Brain
Role of Monoamine Oxidase
Example of the Tabular List and instructional notes (conventions).
Cultures Ideal Body Types
The role of B12 as a methyl transferase in Met biosynthesis
Toxins and Chemical Agents Can Contaminate Foods