Los esquistos (del griego σχιστός, ‘escindido’) constituyen un grupo de rocas caracterizados por la preponderancia de minerales laminares que favorecen su fragmentación en capas delgadas. Los esquistos metamórficos son rocas metamórficas de grado medio, notables principalmente por la preponderancia de minerales laminares tales como la mica, la clorita, el talco, la hornblenda, grafito y otros. El cuarzo se halla con frecuencia en granos estirados al extremo que se produce una forma particular llamada cuarzo esquisto. Por definición, el esquisto contiene más de un 50% de minerales planos y alargados, a menudo finamente intercalado con cuarzo y feldespato. Los esquistos sedimentarios o esquistos arcillosos se refieren a rocas clásticas de grano fino y no metamorfizadas que presentan la misma propiedad de laminación. Es en este tipo de roca, concretamente en el esquisto bituminoso se forma el gas explotado mediante el fracking.

Leer el artículo completo en Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA

Schist (pronounced /ʃɪst/ SHIST) is a medium-grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet-like grains in a preferred orientation (nearby grains are roughly parallel). It is defined by having more than 50% platy and elongated minerals, often finely interleaved with quartz and feldspar. These lamellar (flat, planar) minerals include micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is produced. Schist is often garnetiferous. Schist forms at a higher temperature and has larger grains than phyllite. Geological foliation (metamorphic arrangement in layers) with medium to large grained flakes in a preferred sheetlike orientation is called schistosity. The names of various schists are derived from their mineral constituents. For example, schists rich in mica are called mica schists and include biotite or muscovite. Most schists are mica schists, but graphite and chlorite schists are also common. Schists are also named for their prominent or perhaps unusual mineral constituents, as in the case of garnet schist, tourmaline schist, and glaucophane schist. The individual mineral grains in schist, drawn out into flaky scales by heat and pressure, can be seen with the naked eye. Schist is characteristically foliated, meaning that the individual mineral grains split off easily into flakes or slabs. The word schist is derived ultimately from the Greek word σχίζειν schízein meaning "to split", which is a reference to the ease with which schists can be split along the plane in which the platy minerals lie. Most schists are derived from clays and muds that have passed through a series of metamorphic processes involving the production of shales, slates and phyllites as intermediate steps. Certain schists are derived from fine-grained igneous rocks such as basalts and tuffs. Schists are frequently used as dimension stone, which is stone that has been selected and fabricated to specific shapes or sizes.

Leer el artículo completo en Wikipedia · CC-BY-SA