Here's a more detailed explanation:
* Starting Point: The process begins with carbonate rocks like limestone or dolostone.
* Heat & Fluids: These rocks are then subjected to high temperatures and chemically active fluids, usually from nearby igneous intrusions or hydrothermal systems.
* Chemical Reactions: The hot fluids react with the carbonate minerals, causing them to break down and form new minerals, often silicates like garnet, pyroxene, and epidote.
* Skarn Formation: These newly formed silicate minerals create a distinctive rock type called skarn, characterized by its layered and banded structure.
So, while skarn itself is a metamorphic rock, it forms from the transformation of pre-existing carbonate rocks.
