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Texture
1) Foliated (foliation): The tendency of some metamorphic rock to peel or split into layers when they weather. Both slate and phyllite show this property. Mineral alignment and banding are types of foliation.
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2) Alignment of minerals: Under certain conditions the pressure associated with regional metamorphism causes the crystals of the minerals in the rocks to align themselves along an axis. This may occur in slate, phyllite, and schist.
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Phyllite |
Alignment of minerals |
Alignment of minerals |
Alignment of minerals |
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3) Banding: Rocks that show banding show distinct bands (or layers) of different minerals. Usually each band will be composed of mainly one type of mineral. The most commonly banded metamorphic rock is Gneiss (pronounced 'nice').
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4) Nonfoliated: Rocks which do not show the tendency to split (weather) into layers. These rocks do not show mineral alignment or banding of minerals.
