Virtual Vista: Photomicrographs of Metamorphic Rocks The Virtual Vistas on this page are photomicrographs
of thin-sections of metamorphic rocks linked to the website Dr.
Allen Glazner at the University of North Carolina
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA. Each photomicrograph shows a representative texture and mineral composition
of a common metamorphic rock type that you learned about in Chapter 7 of your
text. ![](http://www.geolab.unc.edu/Petunia/IgMetAtlas/meta-micro/slate.UX.jpg) Slate (937.8K)Slate
The image of slate above illustrates the very fine-grained nature of this low
grade metamorphic rock. ![](http://www.geolab.unc.edu/Petunia/IgMetAtlas/meta-micro/phyllite.X.jpg) Phyllite (969.2K)Phyllite
Note in this image of phyllite above that the size of individual crystals is
somewhat larger than in the preceding image of slate. ![](http://www.geolab.unc.edu/Petunia/IgMetAtlas/meta-micro/crenulation.X.jpg) Schist (105.5K)Schist
Foliation is evident in this photomicrograph of a muscovite-biotite garnet
schist. ![](http://www.geolab.unc.edu/Petunia/IgMetAtlas/meta-micro/gneiss.X.jpg) Gneiss (563.4K)Gneiss
The photomicrograph above shows the coarse grain size and texture of a gneiss.
Note that the interlocking crystals composing this rock are reminiscent of the
interlocking texture of crystals in an igneous rock. Why might this be so?
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