Ultra-high-temperature metamorphism
Okay kiddo, so you know that rocks can be made of different things like minerals, right? Well, sometimes when these rocks are deep underground and the temperature and pressure get really, really high, something special happens. It's called ultra-high-temperature metamorphism (UHT for short!).
During UHT metamorphism, some rocks can actually melt and become liquidy! But even if they don't melt, the minerals in the rocks can change into different ones that can only form at super high temperatures like 1,000-1,500 degrees Celsius (that's way hotter than your oven at home!).
This whole process can happen over millions of years as the rocks slowly move deeper underground and the temperature and pressure keep increasing. Eventually, these rocks will either get pushed up to the surface by tectonic forces or eroded away by wind and water.
Scientists study UHT metamorphism to learn about the conditions deep inside the earth's crust and how rocks can change over time. Pretty cool, huh?
During UHT metamorphism, some rocks can actually melt and become liquidy! But even if they don't melt, the minerals in the rocks can change into different ones that can only form at super high temperatures like 1,000-1,500 degrees Celsius (that's way hotter than your oven at home!).
This whole process can happen over millions of years as the rocks slowly move deeper underground and the temperature and pressure keep increasing. Eventually, these rocks will either get pushed up to the surface by tectonic forces or eroded away by wind and water.
Scientists study UHT metamorphism to learn about the conditions deep inside the earth's crust and how rocks can change over time. Pretty cool, huh?