Petrology

The petrology part of the course includes igneous and metamorphic processes and rocks. The geochemical part of the course focuses on isotope geochemistry and application of isotopes to the understanding of age and origin of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The compulsory exercises are rock microscopy (2E) and hand-specimen petrography, interpretation of phase diagrams and geochemical data processing (1E). One excursion is included in the course. More information will be provided at the start of the course.

Competences

After completing the course, the student should be able to

• Use geochemical and geochronological data to understand the history of an igneous rock as the source of the melt, i.e. the tectonic environment in which it was formed
• Use the skills of metamorphic petrology to determine the tectometamorphic evolution of an area
• Understand how we can use petrological tools and which ones are relevant to solve and understand different geological problems

Knowledge and skills

After fulfilling the course, the student should be able to:

Metamorphic petrology:

• You should understand and be able to use fase grids, inclusive petrogenetic grids, chemographic projections and pseudosections to interpret mineral reactions and metamorphic PT conditions in the earth.
• You should also understand and be able to explain the advantages / disadvantages and limitations of the various methods.
• The student should be able to explain metamorphosed mafic rocks and pelitic rocks. These include not only the formation of new mineral assemblages but also changes in mineral chemistry as a function of pressure, temperature and fluid composition.

Igneous petrology:

• You will be able to give an overview of the main and trace element geochemistry and isotopes (Rb / Sr, Sm / Nd, U / Pb) to understand the origin, age and development of various types of magma. These methods form the foundation for the introduction of magmatic activity in different tectonic environment, with emphasis on mid-ocean ridges and oceanic and continental subduction zones.
• You will also be able to understand and apply the common igneous binary and ternary phase diagrams and determine mineral and melt amounts using lever rule of equilibrium crystallization.
• Moreover, you should also be able to use charts to predict both equilibrium crystallization path and fractional crystallization from a given starting composition of the melt.

The mandatory assignments during the semester will make the student able to:

• Design petrographic descriptions (rock descriptions) of metamorphic and igneous rocks through the thin section and hand specimen.
• Apply your observations to interpret the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks by igneous and metamorphic phase diagram.
• Make larger geochemical calculations using computer tools (spreadsheets and maybe matlab and Cspace) and interpret the significance of the result.

Lectures, exercises and field training. There are compulsory practical tests as part of the exercises. These tests do not count in the final grade in the course, but the test must be approved in order to take the written exam (which counts 100%). Fieldwork may be scheduled for a weekend. The course is evaluated by a reference group.