contact metamorphism

noun Geology.

localized metamorphism resulting from the heat of an igneous intrusion.

Origin of contact metamorphism

First recorded in 1875–80

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

contact metamorphism in Science

contact metamorphism

A type of metamorphism in which the mineralogy and texture of a body of rock are changed by exposure to the pressure and extreme temperature associated with a body of intruding magma. Contact metamorphism often results in the formation of valuable minerals, such as garnet and emery, through the interaction of the hot magma with adjacent rock. See also aureole. Compare regional metamorphism.