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How Is Marble Formed?
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Marble quarry
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Marble quarry
Marble quarry Blocks of marble, a metamorphic rock, are cut from a quarry in Carrara, Italy.

How Is Marble Formed?

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marble
metamorphism
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Marble is formed when limestone or dolomite (rocks composed of calcium magnesium carbonate) recrystallizes under the influence of intense heat, pressure, and chemical changes involving aqueous solutions, a process called metamorphism. This recrystallization produces a denser rock and gives marble its distinctive crystalline structure.

Significant heat and pressure are required for the formation of marble. The pressure comes from the weight of overlying rocks, which can be thousands of meters thick, or from large-scale tectonic movements, while the heat is often provided by intrusions of magma onto cooler rock. These conditions cause the calcite grains in the limestone to recrystallize and interlock, creating the characteristic texture of marble.

During metamorphism, silicate minerals (silicon-oxygen compounds) in limestone can color the marble produced, while fine scales of graphite can result in gray or black streaks.

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