Unit name | Mineralogy and Petrology |
---|---|
Unit code | EASC20035 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Parkinson |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Successful completion of the mandatory year 1 units of a Geology or Geophysics programme at Bristol. |
Co-requisites |
n/a |
School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
In this unit an understanding of the systematics of mineral structures and compositions will be used as the foundation to investigate the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks. For each mineral group the fundamental aspects of the structure and composition of a simple end-member will be studied in detail, and the rest of each group will be understood in terms of compositional and structural modifications, particularly focussing on the concept of solid solutions. The physical and optical properties will be discussed within that framework, and a series of practical sessions will be used to exploit the optical properties as a tool for mineral identification using the polarising microscope.
Once mineral identification becomes routine, the unit will explore the origins of igneous and metamorphic rocks. The igneous section of the unit focuses on partial melting and crystallisation processes that produce the wide range of igneous rocks types. Major and trace element variations and phases diagrams will be used to quantitatively understand the evolution of igneous rocks. The practicals will demonstrate how mineralogical and textural evidence can be utilised to evaluate magmatic processes and the role that simple chemical equilibria and kinetics play in determining the textures.
The metamorphic section applies chemical equilibrium, and the phase rule to the evaluation of metamorphic rocks. The practicals will emphasise the use of textures to infer geological events from sequential mineral growth, deformation and reaction textures and how phase diagrams can be used to calculate stable mineral assemblages.
On completion of the unit you should be able to:
Lectures and practicals
The unit mark will be determined by a closed examination (100%), which will include a strong practical component to test optical microscopy skills.
Assessment will be completed in accordance with the University Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes, available online at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/esu/assessment/codeonline.html
Deer, Howie and Zussman, An introduction to the Rock Forming Minerals, 2nd Edition, 1992. Pearson Education. ISBN:978-0-582-30094-1
Philpotts and Ague, Principles of Igenous and Metamorphic Petrology, Cambridge University Press, 2nd Edition, 2009. ISBN:978-0-521-88006-0