GE 415 - Igneous Petrology - Fall 1996

This class is intended for upper division undergraduates and graduate students who need to learn how to study and describe igneous rocks. The recitations and lectures cover phase diagrams, igneous minerals, physical properties of magma, geochemistry of magmatic rocks and descriptions of earth's igneous rocks. The lab involves petrographic study, micro-image analysis, computer exercises on geochemical data and videomicroscopy. It is meant as a first in-depth class about igneous processes and focuses on petrogenesis. An additional class GE 615, will be given when demand exists.
Other classes directly related to igneous rocks are :
GE 513 (Microprobe), GE 565 (Isotope Geochemistry), and GE 627 (Volcanology).
Students entering this class should have capability in hand specimen identification.

Textbook: Philpotts, A.R., 1990, Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Prentice-Hall, 498pp.

Video Textbook: Volcanic Rock Textures, A video short course by Craig A. Chesner and W. I. Rose

Software:
1. IGPET for windows, Software for Igneous Petrology by Michael J. Carr, Rutgers Univ.
2. PHAUST, Teaching Software on two component phase diagrams for materials scientists, by John Pilling, Michigan Tech.

Lecture Topics:                        Philpotts Chapter

Introduction                                 1
Physical Properties of Magma                 2
Intrusion of Magma                           3
Forms of Igneous Bodies                      4
Cooling of Igneous Bodies                    5
Classification of Igneous Rocks              6
Phase equilibria in Igneous Systems         10
Effects of Volatiles on Melt Equilibria     11
Crystal growth                              12
Magmatic processes                          13
Igneous Rock associations                   14

Readings: Eleven chapters from Philpotts, as shown.

Laboratory: This is an essential part of the class, where you will do direct study of igneous rocks in hand specimen and thin section, learning mineralogy, texture and structures seen in igneous rocks, descriptive techniques, data manipulations, plotting and computer modelling of igneous processes. Although the lab is a tutorial and is scheduled for 4 hours per week, you will need to spend much more time than is scheduled to complete the exercises as outlined.

Lab Schedule:
     Igneous Minerals
     Meteorites, chondrites, Ultramafic Rocks
     Mafic Rocks
     Feldspathoidal Rocks
     Silica-saturated Intermediate Rocks
     Silicic Rocks
     Keweenawan rocks
     Central American suites
     Lunar Petrography
    
Laboratory Focuses:
     Computer Analysis of Microscopic Images
     Data Presentation and manipulation
     Suites of related rocks
     Technical Descriptions of igneous rocks 
     Modelling and reasoning with geochemical and petrological data

Recommended Approach to Labs: Keep a lab notebook, with notes and your observations as we go along. The lab is a tutorial, with the instructor doing demonstrations and students all presenting their own observations. For each lab there will be assignments for everyone and short presentations to the rest of the group.

Tests and Grades: There will be two tests, a mid-term take-home test given in the week of October 14 and a final oral exam. There will also be a lab test at some point past midterm and a presentation at the end of lab.

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