2006-10-23 07:55:15 · 2 answers · asked by angie s 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Quartzite's parent rock is Sandstone. Sandstone is a Sedimentary rock which is made by compaction and cementation. Quartzite is a metamorphic rock and is made my heat and pressure. Heat and pressure cause a strong bond between the quartz minerals in the rock making it harder and more resistent to weathering. You can think of it like marshmellows. Get a bunch of marshmellows and squish them together. Most likely you'll still be able to separate them. Now melt those marshmellows, you won't be able to separate them so easily.
2006-10-23 08:29:52 · answer #1 · answered by dawn 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, quartzite is metamorphosed sandstone. Yes, sandstone is weathered and compacted quartz sediments. But the main reason why quartzite is harder than its parent rock has to do with the igneous process. When minerals form from a melt there are imperfections in the crystal lattice. These imperfections may be in the form of impurities or, more commonly, from vacancies. Metamorphic processes remove these vacancies, and in doing so, harden the rock.
2006-10-23 10:11:49 · answer #2 · answered by Amphibolite 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋