Skip to main content
metasedimentary

metasedimentary

9.9
A rock made from mud and sand that changed by heat or pressure deep underground
  • noun
  • /ˌmɛtəˈsɛdɪˌmɛnˌtɛri/
  • Specialized
translation icon : roca metasedimentaria
  • Geologists collected samples of metasedimentary rocks to study their mineral composition.

Examples

  • The mountain range is largely composed of ancient metasedimentary formations.

  • Researchers identified a layer of metasedimentary material beneath the volcanic deposits.

  • The metasedimentary rocks were formed under high pressure.

  • Can you identify the metasedimentary layers in this core sample?

  • Geologists collected samples of metasedimentary rocks to study their mineral composition.

  • The mountain range is largely composed of ancient metasedimentary formations.

  • Researchers identified a layer of metasedimentary material beneath the volcanic deposits.

How Metamorphosed

gneiss
  • Specialized
1 9.9
schist
  • Specialized
2 9.6
slate
61 5.7
metasedimentary
  • Specialized
9.9
sedimentary rock
  • Specialized
3 3.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

metasedimentary = sedimentary (opaque) = meta + sediment + ary

The noun is the same specialized geological formation used substantively, so the meaning remains hard to infer without domain knowledge.

Etymology

Metasedimentary (as a noun) names a rock that began as sedimentary material but was later changed; the meta- part means 'change', so the name tells you the rock was altered by heat, pressure, or chemicals deep underground.