greenschist facies

geology

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greenschist facies, one of the major divisions of the mineral facies classification of metamorphic rocks, the rocks of which formed under the lowest temperature and pressure conditions usually produced by regional metamorphism. Temperatures between 300 and 450 °C (570 and 840 °F) and pressures of 1 to 4 kilobars are typical. The more common minerals found in such rocks include quartz, orthoclase, muscovite, chlorite, serpentine, talc, and epidote; carbonate minerals and amphibole (actinolite) may also be present. The green colour of many of these minerals and their platy habit cause the rocks to be greenish and schistose (having a tendency to split).

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.