Yadanbon University

YADANBON UNIVERSITY
DEPERMENT OF GEOLOGY
CONTACT METAMORPHISM
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Roll No. Name
4/Geol.49 Mg Toe Tat Htut
December 2023
Contact Metamorphism
Lecture Goals:
(A) Metamorphic Aureoles
(B) Isograds
(C) Index minerals and metamorphic grade
(A) Metamorphic Aureoles
Contact metamorphism is induced by plutons as they pass upward through the

lithosphere and crust toward the surface of the Earth, or by other magma-filled instructions
like dikes and sills. These bodies all contain molten rock (magma) which heats the
enclosing parent rock to high temperatures and therefore induces heat only metamorphism.
As previously discussed, heat only metamorphism is called contact metamorphism.
Figure (1)
Figure (2)
Unlike regional metamorphism, contact metamorphism is generally localized to
the immediate vicinity of the intrusion. In fact, there is a zone of metamorphism that
surrounds the intrusion like a halo or an envelope which is officially called a
metamorphic aureole (see cartoon at the top of the next page and the image to the left
from http://newterra.chemeketa.edu). Within the aureole, metamorphic grade of the
parent rock varies from high nearest the intrusion, to low someway from the contact. The
width of the metamorphic aureole (or the width of the zone of contact metamorphism)
depends on several factors such as the size and GY 111 Lecture Notes D. Haywick
(2008-09) 2 temperatures of the intrusion (dikes and sills are small and therefore induce
“thin” aureoles whereas large bodies like plutons and batholiths induce “thick” aureoles),
the amount of time the parent rocks were in contact with the intrusion and the type of
parent rock. Some rocks conduct heat more readily or are more susceptible to heat than
others.
Figure (3)
Contact metamorphism is relatively easy to understand because it is heat only
driven. However, the rocks that are produced via this process are not so easy to identify.
Because there is no pressure involved in this type of metamorphism, no foliation can
develop, even in rocks that initially contained a lot of clays and platy minerals like the
micas. Instead, the rocks just get “cooked”. A slightly cooked shale or a slightly cooked
sandstone look pretty much the same as their uncooked equivalents, but if the
temperature was high enough (say equivalent to med-high grade metamorphism), then
metamorphic minerals like chlorite, muscovite, biotite and even garnet might form in the
metamorphic aureole. They just will not develop a foliation. There are a couple of things
that we must address at this point. The first is how do we classify (or name) non-foliated
“cooked” rocks. Fortunately, you do not need to remember a separate name for a cooked
sandstone or a cooked shale or a cooked anything. Instead, we will group them all
together and refer to them collectively as hornfels. It is obvious that the highest
metamorphic grade occurs nearest the intrusion and that the lowest metamorphic grade
occurs away from the intrusion. Doesn’t it stand to reason that the minerals that form
under the highest-grade conditions will grow nearest the intrusion and that the minerals
that form under the lowest grade conditions will grow well away from the contact? If you
predict that there will be zones of different minerals within the metamorphic aureole, pat
yourself on the back. There are and they are called isograds.
Figure (4)
(B) Isograds
Isograds are defined as lines that represent the same pressure/temperature

conditions (think of them as being combinations of isotherm and isobars). And with this
definition, I need to stress that isograds are not restricted to contact metamorphism.
Isograds, as you will see shortly, are also associated with regional metamorphism.
However, discussing the isograds for contact metamorphism first is desirable because it is
easier to envision a heat-only situation than one involving heat and pressure. Consider a
close view of a metamorphic aureole (i.e., the cartoon below). In this situation, the
highest-grade metamorphism (where the heat is the greatest) that occurs in direct contact
with the pluton is forming biotite. The red band in the diagram below is called the biotite
isograd because these are the perfect conditions for biotite to grow. The next band
(orange) is the interval where muscovite is most likely to form (medium grade
metamorphism) and is called the muscovite isograd. The yellow band is the chlorite
isograd and it marks the other edge of the metamorphic aureole where the metamorphic
grad was the lowest. Regional metamorphism is more complex because there are many
more minerals that form when pressure and heat are affecting rocks. The diagram at the
top of the next page which comes from the 2004 version of your textbook shows you
what I am talking about. Here you see isograds for minerals like kyanite, staurolite,
sillimanite and garnet. The region defined by the sillimanite is the highest metamorphic
grade.
Figure (5)
(C) Index Minerals and Metamorphic Grade
Okay, we are just about done for today’s lecture. All that is left is relate
minerals to metamorphic grade. By now you should understand that there are some
minerals like chlorite that only form under minimal metamorphism (i.e., low grade) and
some minerals like garnet that only form during high grade metamorphism. Geologists
use this knowledge to map out the extent of metamorphism around intrusions (contact
metamorphism), across faults (catacaustic metamorphism) and throughout mountain belts
(regional metamorphism). There are many different index minerals that indicate the grade
of metamorphism that parent rocks have experienced. The figure below that comes from
the GY 111 lab manual relates those index minerals to metamorphic grade and
metamorphic rock types. It is important for you to remember that the minerals that form
during metamorphism are dependent on the starting composition of the rock. The
diagram below shows the index minerals that form from a shale or a felsic igneous rock
like rhyolite. You get a substantially different set of index minerals if you metamorphose
a mafic igneous rock like basalt.
Figure (6)
Reference – 111-32.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/contact-
metamorphism
https://study.com/academy/lesson/contract-metamorphism-vs-regional-metamorphism-
definition-differences.html

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YADANBON UNIVERSITY

Roll No. Name

4/Geol.49 Mg Toe Tat Htut

(A) Metamorphic Aureoles

(C) Index minerals and metamorphic grade

(A) Metamorphic Aureoles

Contact metamorphism is induced by plutons as they pass upward through the

Isograds are defined as lines that represent the same pressure/temperature

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