Final answer:
Banding is a characteristic feature of metamorphic rocks, particularly gneiss, resulting from high-pressure and temperature conditions that cause minerals to separate into layers. Geologic cross sections can help identify these features.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rock that exhibits banding is known as a metamorphic rock. This type of rock has undergone a process of transformation due to high pressure and temperature conditions inside the Earth, which results in the formation of layers or bands. One of the most common examples of a metamorphic rock with distinct banding is gneiss. The banding occurs as minerals separate into different layers during the metamorphism process, often giving the rock a striped appearance. Banding is sometimes also referred to as foliation, which is particularly prominent in rocks like schist, which can form from shale as a result of regional metamorphism.
A familiar way to identify metamorphic rocks and their characteristics such as banding is by studying geologic cross sections, which can provide insight into the various layers and types of rocks found beneath the Earth's surface. As a point of interest, the seismic data obtained from geophysical surveys, similar to the investigations at the Hikurangi margin, often lead to the discovery of these rock structures and provide clues to their formation and history.