metamorphic rock
1
3.9
- noun
- /ˌmɛtəˈmɔrfɪk rɑk/
- Specialized
:
roca metamórfica
- What Are Metamorphic Rocks? (Let's Rock Series). Molly Aloian. Crabtree Publishing. 978-0-7787-7229-3.
- igneous and metamorphic rock
- sedimentary and metamorphic rock
- found in metamorphic rock
Examples
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Slate, known for its durability, is a common example of a metamorphic rock formed under extreme conditions.
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- It's a metamorphic rock.
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Classification methods might be the focus, which can help students understand, for example, the difference between igneous and metamorphic rocks.
Academic text (2001) -
Marble is a metamorphic rock formed by the recrystallization of sedimentary carbonate rocks, such as limestone.
Academic text (2007) -
What Tom's saying is that it doesn't matter if a person's a YEC, because that doesn't prevent them from distinguishing between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock.
Blog text (9) -
Marble is a type of metamorphic rock created from limestone when exposed to heat and pressure.
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Geologists study metamorphic rock to understand the effects of heat and pressure on Earth's crust.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is fully compositional: 'metamorphic' means 'changed in form' (by heat and pressure) and 'rock' is a solid mineral, so the combined meaning 'rock changed in form' is directly derivable from the parts. This follows a standard scientific modifier+noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand the MWE.
Etymology
Metamorphic rock comes from Greek parts: meta meaning 'change' and morphic meaning 'shape' or 'form'. Deep under the Earth, heat and pressure change a rock's shape and parts, so the name describes a rock that has been changed.