7/22/2019 Gneiss: Metamorphic Rock - Pictures, Definition & More

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Gneiss
Article by: Hobart M. King, Ph.D., RPG

Steel Fiber What is Gneiss?

Manufacturer
Gneiss is a foliated metamorphic rock identified by
Zhangcheng®
its bands and lenses of varying composition, while
other bands contain granular minerals with an
Supply Various interlocking texture. Other bands contain platy or
Of Steel Fiber, elongate minerals with evidence of preferred
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orientation. It is this banded appearance and texture -
Steel Fiber
rather than composition - that define a gneiss.
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How Does Gneiss Form?

Gneiss: The specimen shown is about two inches (five
Gneiss usually forms by regional metamorphism at centimeters) across. It is easy to see the "salt and pepper"
convergent plate boundaries. It is a high-grade banding of this rock.
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metamorphic rock in which mineral grains
recrystallized under intense heat and pressure. This
alteration increased the size of the mineral grains and
segregated them into bands, a transformation which
made the rock and its minerals more stable in their
metamorphic environment.

Categories Gneiss can form in several different ways. The most

Astronomy
Diamonds common path begins with shale, which is a
Earth Science News sedimentary rock. Regional metamorphism can Quality Steel Fiber Concrete
Earthquakes
Energy transform shale into slate, then phyllite, then schist, Quality Guaranteed, Reasonable Price, Good
Fossils and finally into gneiss. During this transformation, clay Customer Service, High Reviews By Our Clients!
Gemstones Zhangcheng®
General Geology particles in shale transform into micas and increase in
Geologic Hazards size. Finally, the platy micas begin to recrystallize into
Geologist Information
Geology Dictionary granular minerals. The appearance of granular
Geology Tools minerals is what marks the transition into gneiss.
Gold
Igneous Rocks
Landslides Intense heat and pressure can also metamorphose granite into a banded rock known as "granite gneiss." This
Metals transformation is usually more of a structural change than a mineralogical transformation. Granite gneiss can
Metamorphic Rocks
Meteorites also form through the metamorphism of sedimentary rocks. The end product of their metamorphism is a
Minerals banded rock with a mineralogical composition like granite.
Oceanography
Oil and Gas
Plate Tectonics
Rocks
Rock Tumblers Composition and Texture of Gneiss
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7/22/2019 Gneiss: Metamorphic Rock - Pictures, Definition & More
Satellite Images Although gneiss is not defined by its composition,
Sedimentary Rocks
Teacher Resources most specimens have bands of feldspar and quartz
U.S.A. Maps grains in an interlocking texture. These bands are
Volcanoes
World Maps usually light in color and alternate with bands of
World Records darker-colored minerals with platy or elongate habits.
From Our Store The dark minerals sometimes exhibit an orientation
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Field Books determined by the pressures of metamorphism.
Fossil Fish
Gem & Mineral Books Some specimens of gneiss contain distinctive
Gfeller Leather Cases
Gold Books & Maps minerals characteristic of the metamorphic
Rock Hammers environment. These minerals might include biotite,
Rock & Mineral Kits
Roadside Geology Guides cordierite, sillimanite, kyanite, staurolite,
Topographic Maps andalusite, and garnet. Gneiss is sometimes named Gneissic Granodiorite: An outcrop of gneissic
Tumbled Stones
Wall Maps for these minerals, examples of which include "garnet granodiorite in the Zarembo Island area of southeastern
Waterproof Paper gneiss" and "biotite gneiss." Alaska.
Map Collections
Alabama Map
Alaska Map
Arizona Map
Arkansas Map
California Map
Colorado Map
Connecticut Map
Delaware Map
Florida Map
Georgia Map
Hawaii Map
Idaho Map
Illinois Map
Indiana Map
Iowa Map
Kansas Map
Kentucky Map
Louisiana Map
Maine Map
Folded Gneiss: A photograph of polished gneiss from the
Maryland Map
stock of a countertop vendor. The view shown in the photo
Massachusetts Map Garnet Gneiss: A cabochon cut and polished from garnet
Michigan Map is about 12 inches across. Click to enlarge.
gneiss. A cabochon cut from this type of material is rarely
Minnesota Map
seen, but it would be an interesting gem for a geologist.
Mississippi Map
Missouri Map
The stone is approximately 38 x 27 millimeters in size.
Montana Map
Nebraska Map
Nevada Map
New Hampshire Map
New Jersey Map Uses of Gneiss
New Mexico Map
New York Map Gneiss usually does not split along planes of
North Carolina Map
North Dakota Map weakness like most other metamorphic rocks. This
Ohio Map allows contractors to use gneiss as a crushed stone
Oklahoma Map
Oregon Map in road construction, building site preparation, and
Pennsylvania Map landscaping projects.
Rhode Island Map
South Carolina Map
South Dakota Map Some gneiss is durable enough to perform well as a
Tennessee Map dimension stone. These rocks are sawn or sheared
Texas Map Garnet Gneiss: A coarse-grained gneiss composed
Utah Map into blocks and slabs used in a variety of building, mainly of hornblende (black), plagioclase (white), and
Vermont Map paving, and curbing projects. garnet (red) from Norway. Public domain photo by
Virginia Map
Woudloper.
Washington Map
West Virginia Map Some gneiss accepts a bright polish and is attractive
Wisconsin Map enough for use as an architectural stone. Beautiful
Wyoming Map
floor tiles, facing stone, stair treads, window sills, countertops, and cemetery monuments are often made from
polished gneiss.

Commercial Terminology

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7/22/2019 Gneiss: Metamorphic Rock - Pictures, Definition & More

Don't be surprised if you see gneiss labeled as

"granite" at a cabinet shop or monument company. In
the dimension stone trade, any rock with visible,
interlocking grains of feldspar is considered to be
"granite" in that industry. Seeing gneiss, gabbro,
labradorite, diorite, and other types of rock marketed
as "granite" disturbs many geologists. However, this
long-time practice of the dimension stone trade
simplifies discussions with customers since not
everyone knows the technical names of unusual
igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Garnet Gneiss: A photograph of polished garnet gneiss

from the stock of a countertop vendor. The view shown in
Gneiss in the Classroom
the photo is about 12 inches across. Click to enlarge.

Small rock and mineral specimens about one inch in

size are usually adequate for student examination and
identification. However, many rock units, identified as
gneiss in the field, have bands that are thicker than
one inch. If samples of these rock units are broken
into one-inch pieces, many of them will be too small to
exhibit the banding features of gneiss. This will
confuse many students and cause others to
incorrectly identify the rock.

Teachers can avoid these problems by collecting

specimens that clearly display a banded structure.
Teachers who purchase specimens must examine
them carefully before they are presented to students. Corundum Gneiss: This is a specimen of corundum
gneiss from Gallatin Valley, Montana. This specimen is
After students have learned to identify gneiss and about four inches across and has a round blue sapphire
crystal on the left side.
many other rock types, presenting specimens of
gneiss that do not exhibit banding can be a
challenging way to have students: A) consider
possibilities that are not obvious, and, B) realize that a
single rock specimen may not adequately represent a
rock unit.

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