| Metamorphic facies are groups of minerals found together in metamorphic rocks. Facies groups, such as hornfels facies and blueschist facies, form within the earth at specific depths, temperatures, and pressures. Four processes affect the formation of metamorphic facies: contact metamorphism, in which heat from magma changes the rocks; burial metamorphism, in which heat from the earth's interior causes metamorphism; subduction of rock, in which a tectonic plate sinks under another tectonic plate, causing metamorphism; and volcanic arc metamorphism, in which the formation of volcanoes near a plate boundary causes metamorphism. The partial melt zone is an area of extreme temperature and pressure where rocks begin to melt. |
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