When There Is Directed Pressure on a Rock?

When a rock is squeezed under directed pressure during metamorphism it is likely to be deformed, and this can result in a textural change such that the minerals appear elongated in the direction perpendicular to the main stress (Figure 6.2. 1). This contributes to the formation of foliation.

What happens when you put pressure on a rock?

Like heat, pressure increases with depth. This pressure can actually squeeze the spaces out of the minerals within the rock. This makes the rocks denser. The heat and pressure together cause the rock to flow instead of break or fracture.

What is it called when pressure is applied to a rock?

The word "Metamorphism" comes from the Greek: meta = after, morph = form, so metamorphism means the after form. In geology this refers to the changes in mineral assemblage and texture that result from subjecting a rock to pressures and temperatures different from those under which the rock originally formed.