What causes granite to be transformed into gneiss?How is sandstone transformed into quartzite?
Short, succinct and correct answer: HEAT and PRESSURE cause granite to become gneiss and change sandstone into quartzite. More fleshed out, fuller (and still correct) answer: Metamorphic rocks form from heat and pressure which changes the original or parent rock into a completely new rock. The parent rock can be either sedimentary, igneous, or even another metamorphic rock. The word “metamorphic” comes from Greek and means “To Change Form”. Solid rock can be changed into a new rock by stresses that cause an increase in heat and pressure. There are 3 main agents that cause metamorphism. Factors that cause an increase in Temperature, Pressure, and Chemical changes are the three agents that we are going to study. Temperature increases can be caused by layers of sediments being buried deeper and deeper under the surface of the Earth. As we descend into the earth the temperature increases about 25 degrees Celsius for every kilometer that we descend. The deeper the layers are buried the hott
