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EOSC 221 - Introductory Petrology

Course Description

Optical mineralogy and the classification and genesis of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.


UBC Calendar

For a full listing of course offerings please see the UBC calendar description

Learning Goals

Students should be able to:

  • Describe the modal mineralogy and texture of a rock.
  • Classify (assign complete names to) rocks, using published schemes employed by professionals.
  • Use fundamental petrographic observations to identify minerals and rock textures in thin section.
  • Describe rock-forming processes.
  • Evaluate the petrogenesis of rocks and rock associations in a plate tectonic context.
  • Assess or evaluate how petrology transfers to other fields of study.

Instructors

Current instructor: Maya Kopylova

(Past instructor: M.L. Bevier)


EOSC221 is currently part of EOS-SEI, the EOS Science Education Initiative.

 

Textbook

Raymond, L.A. 2002. Petrology. The study of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, 2nd ed. McGraw Hill (required), plus (strongly recommended) one of:

  • Perkins and Henke (2000) Minerals in thin section, Prentice Hall
  • MacKenzie and Adams (1994) A color atlas of rocks and minerals in thin section, J. Wiley.
  • Nesse (2003) Introduction to Optical Mineralogy
  • Philpotts (2003) Petrography of Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks

Course Content

Current course web site

Lecture Topics

Week Topic Readings (in Raymond)
1 Course overview/World Wide Web site; petrology in the 21st century Preface; WWW as assigned
2 Chemical composition and mineralogy of Earth's layers; chemical analyses of rocks and minerals Ch. 1
3 Rock classification schemes; igneous rock structures and textures Ch. 2,3,13,22
4 Cordilleran Roundup (no lectures) review
5 Sedimentary rock structures and textures; Metamorphic rock structures and textures Ch. 12,21,28
6 Overview of petrologic processes and methods of study (FOEGI); petrology and plate tectonics Ch. 4,30; (MA p. 5-30)
7 Midterm Break  
8 Midterm; Igneous processes: partial melting of the mantle/mafic magma genesis Ch. 5,6,9
9 Igneous processes: crystallization Ch. 5,8
10 Igneous processes: magmatic differentiation Ch. 7,8
11 Igneous processes: crustal melting and formation of silicic magmas; Sedimentary processes: provenance Ch. 10,14,15
12 Sedimentary processes: diagenesis; Metamorphic processes: driving forces, P-T-t paths; metamorphic facies Ch. 17,22
13 Metamorphic processes: progressive metamorphic reactions Ch. 23,24,25
14 Metamorphic processes: progressive metamorphic reactions; preview of 3rd year petrology courses Ch. 26

Labs

Week Topic Readings
1 NO LAB Course web site
2 Lab 1: Introduction to the petrographic microscope and minerals in thin section PH p. 1-13; MA p. 5-30
3 Lab 2: Common rock-forming minerals (RFM) in thin section PH p. 14-35, Pt.II; MA pt. 2
4 Lab 3: Igneous rock textures and classification, plus review of rock-forming minerals PH, R as appropriate
5 Lab 4: Sedimentary rock textures and classification PH, R as appropriate
6 Lab 5: Metamorphic rock textures and classification PH, R as appropriate
7 Midterm Break  
8 Lab 6: Review session; LAB MIDTERM PH, R as appropriate
9 Lab 7: Ultramafic and mafic igneous rocks MA pt. 3; PH
10 Lab 8: Intermediate and silicic igneous rocks MA pt. 3; PH
11 Lab 9: Sedimentary rocks MA pt. 4; PH
12 Lab 10: Regionally metamorphosed rocks MA pt. 5; PH
13 Lab 11: Contact metamorphosed rocks; practice exam MA pt. 5; PH
14 Lab 12: LAB FINAL - 3 hours  

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