Earth Science

Slate is a durable, attractive and useful type of rock that is mined in countries all over the world, including the US, Brazil, and China, as well as in Europe and most recently, in Australia. Slate is a metamorphic rock, which…
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Marble is one of the most widely used and widely distributed rocks in the world. Not only is marble used for expensive flooring within homes, but it is also used to tile walls and even to create fireplaces, ornaments and…
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Slate is a metamorphic rock. A rock that undergoes great heat and high pressure is changed into a metamorphic rock. The original rock was deep in the earth where it was exposed to magma which produces heat up to 800…
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Earth scientists classify igneous rocks, those which have cooled from molten magma, based on the minerals present and the size of the mineral crystals. The typical igneous rock is either made of crystals too small to identify with the naked…
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Phyllite or “leaf stone”, is a metamorphic rock made of mostly fine grained mica. Phyllite’s  protolyth, or parent rock,is shale. Millions of years ago, shale was exposed to the heat of magma (up to 800 degrees Celsius) and to the…
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Nature made marble is a rock created by a metamorphism process of sediment carbonate rocks, such as limestone and dolomite rocks.  When this change occurs, a recrystallization of the original rock occurs. The marble name was created from the Greek…
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Schists are a group of metamorphic rocks which are medium to coarse-grained and of a fissile nature, meaning that at least one of the minerals in the rock crystallizes in platy form.  Because of this, schists will split easily along…
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Quartzites are metamorphosed sedimentary quartz sandstones. Deep in the earth, rocks are heated by molten. Pressure comes from layer upon layer of rocks. Heat and pressure may cause chemical changes within the parent rock. The parent rock, sandstone, now becomes…
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The study of metamorphic rocks is extremely fascinating for people of all ages.  From professional geologists to children who monger rocks, it is always interesting to study and see how one type of rock can become another under the right…
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Slate is a metamorphic rock formed by shale-like sedimentary rocks made of clay or volcanic ash. According to Geology.com, slate is a fine-grained and layered rock that has many uses in construction because of its durability and appearance. Like other…
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