Migmatite
metamorphic rock
Migmatite is a rock formed under high-grade metamorphism by partial melting (anatexis), producing a mixture of metamorphic and newly formed igneous material. It typically occurs in the deeper parts of the continental crust, commonly within Precambrian cratonic blocks, and represents a transitional stage between metamorphic and igneous rocks.
Migmatites form during prograde metamorphism when rocks reach temperatures and pressures sufficient for partial melting. The newly formed material, known as the neosome, commonly consists of light-coloured leucosome and darker melanosome, while remnants of the original rock form the paleosome; an intermediate mesosome may also be present.
Migmatites commonly display distinctive banding and folded structures, including ptygmatic folds, produced by melt migration and ductile deformation. They have long been regarded as linking regional metamorphism, crustal melting, and the origin of granitic rocks, and remain central to research on the evolution of the continental crust.
The diagenesis - metamorphism sequence
Migmatite is the penultimate member of a sequence of lithology transformations first identified by Lyell, 1837. Lyell had a clear perception of the regional diagenesis sequence in sedimentary rocks that remains valid today. It begins 'A' with deposition of unconsolidated sediment (protolith for future metamorphic rocks). As temperature and pressure increase with depth, a protolith passes through a diagenetic sequence from porous sedimentary rock through indurated rocks and phyllites 'A2' to metamorphic schists 'C1' in which the initial sedimentary components can still be discerned.
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The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 4, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q744630. The Library of Congress control number is sh85085063. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1837.
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This entry incorporates text from “Migmatite” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.