Objectives:
The course reviews igneous activity in different tectonic environments, including continental rifts, oceanic spreading ridges and subduction zones as well as within tectonic plates. The second part of the course will familiarize with principles of metamorphic petrology with emphasis on the importance of fluid-rock interactions.
Content:
After a short introduction, the course describes igneous phase diagrams and mineral phase relationships. This theoretical knowledge is put in use to explain melting and crystallization of magmatic liquids and portrays these processes in various magmatic environments related to plate tectonic on Earth. Subsequently, the course will introduce metamorphic petrology, metamorphic textures, and nomenclature, familiarize with the interpretation of metamorphic phase diagrams, and discuss metamorphism of different rock types and in different geodynamic settings. Fundamental principles of geothermobarometry, reactive fluid flow, and hydrothermal mineral deposits will be discussed in the final part of the course. The theoretical lectures will be accompanied by practical exercises including petrological observations in thin sections of selected samples, CIPW norms, simple igneous and metamorphic phase diagrams.
Knowledge
The student can
Skills
The student can
General competence
The student can
The students must complete 4 tasks in order to be allowed get final assessment in the course:
- Rock description in thin section and hand sample (1 in igneous and 1 in metamorphic petrology)
- Excel based practical, calculating a petrogenetic model
- Exercise on metamorphic phase diagram calculation
Course portfolio with assessment of the three tasks during the semester:
- Assessment of the rock descriptions
- Assessment of the seminar
- Assessment of the excel-practical.
All parts of the course must be handed in and evaluated to get final assessment in the course.