regional metamorphism

/ rē′jə-nəl /

1. A type of metamorphism in which the mineralogy and texture of rocks are changed over a wide area by deep burial and heating associated with the large-scale forces of plate tectonics. In regional metamorphism, rocks that form closer to the margin of the tectonic plates, where the heat and pressure are greatest, often differ in their minerals and texture from those that form farther away.
2. Compare contact metamorphism

Example Sentences

Regional metamorphism may subsequently induce new structures or minimize the effects of the old.

From Project Gutenberg