Amphibolite

Metamorphic rocks composed primarily of amphibole, plagioclase, with subordinate epidote, zoisite, chlorite, quartz, titanite, and accessory leucoxene, ilmenite and magnetite which have a protolith of an igneous rock are known as Orthoamphibolite. Para-amphibolite will generally have the same equilibrium mineral assemblage as orthoamphibolite, with more biotite, and may include more quartz, plagioclase, and depending on the protolith, more calcite/aragonite and wollastonite.

While amphibolite can be used like many other rocks for construction materials, occasionally it also contains a significant amount of garnets. The garnet mined from amphibolite then can be cut and polished for gemstones, or it can be ground into smaller pieces to be used as an abrasive.

Amphibolite as a rock defines a particular set of temperature and pressure conditions known as the amphibolite facies. However, caution must be applied here before embarking on metamorphic mapping based on amphibolite alone. Firstly, for an orthoamphibolite or amphibolite to be classed as a metamorphic amphibolite, it must be certain that the amphibole in the rock is a prograde metamorphic product, and not a retrograde metamorphic product. For instance, actinolite amphibole is a common product of retrograde metamorphism of metabasalt at (upper) greenschist facies conditions. Often, this will take on the crystal form and habit of the original protolith assemblage; actinolite pseudomorphically replacing pyroxene is an indication that the amphibolite may not represent a peak metamorphic grade in the amphibolite facies. Actinolite schist is often the result of hydrothermal alteration or metasomatism, and thus may not, necessarily, be a good indicator of metamorphic conditions when taken in isolation. Secondly, the microstructure and crystal size of the rock must be appropriate. Amphibolite facies conditions are experienced at temperatures in excess of 500 °C and pressures less than 1.2 GPa, well within the ductile deformation field. Gneissic texture may occur nearby, if not then mylonite zones, foliations and ductile behaviour, including stretching lineations may occur. While it is not impossible to have remnant protolith mineralogy, this is rare. More common is to find phenocrysts of pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase and even magmatic amphibole such as pargasite rhombohedra, pseudomorphed by hornblende amphibole. Original magmatic textures, especially crude magmatic layering in layered intrusions, is often preserved.