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Protolith

 
Sci-Tech Dictionary: protolith
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(′prōd·ə′lith)

(petrology) The original, unmetamorphosed rock from which a given metamorphic rock is formed.

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Wikipedia: Protolith
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Protolith refers to the precursor lithology of a metamorphic rock.

For example, the protolith of a slate is a shale or mudstone. Metamorphic rocks can be derived from any other rock and thus have a wide variety of protoliths. Identifying a protolith is a major aim of metamorphic geology.

Sedimentary rocks have no protolith because they are made of sediment. However the source of the sediment is termed its provenance.

Igneous rocks have no protolith because they form from magma.

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Sci-Tech Dictionary. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms. Copyright © 2003, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1978, 1976, 1974 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
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