GEOL209-24S2 (C) Semester Two 2024

Mantle and Magmatic Processes

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 15 July 2024
End Date: Sunday, 10 November 2024
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 28 July 2024
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 29 September 2024

Description

Have you ever wondered what the Earth’s mantle is made of, how it melts to generate magma, why the magma erupts where it does and why magmas erupting in different tectonic settings have different compositions? This course will provide answers to these questions and many more. It will examine the nature, origin, and interpretation of igneous rocks and mineral assemblages, as well as the magmatic processes that have produced these materials. Additionally, students will develop an understanding of the petrological evolution of the crustal lithosphere within a modern plate dynamic framework. Case studies will be used from across the globe to provide examples of various magmatic systems, but there will be a particular emphasis on those from the Pacific island nations, including Aotearoa New Zealand. Students taking this course will receive a broad grounding in the experimental, petrographical and geochemical aspects of igneous petrogenesis and magmatic processes. This will be achieved in two lectures and one laboratory class each week, along with half a day of fieldwork to collect geochemical data and a subsequent laboratory class to describe, evaluate interpret those data. Completion of activities in each lecture, marked output from lab classes and a discussion in which the student demonstrates the level of their understanding of key concepts will contribute to the course mark.

This course will build upon students’ understanding of the nature and origin of magma and the igneous rocks that crystallise from it, and the relationship between the magma that erupts or is exposed at the surface and the underlying mantle. Students will also develop an ability to critically collect, handle, evaluate and interpret quantitative data from igneous rocks using examples from across the globe, but in particular the Pacific, including Aotearoa New Zealand.

Learning Outcomes

1. Realise the importance of igneous rocks in geology and to society.
2. Explain the structure and composition of the Earth’s mantle and the influence that this has on magma and igneous rocks seen at the surface.
3. Understand how rocks melt to form magma.
4. Identify and classify igneous rocks and infer the geological environments in which they form.
5. Create, handle and manage data.
6. Analyse volcanic rocks and compositional data from across the globe, particularly the Pacific, including Aotearoa New Zealand, to understand magmatic systems and processes.
7. Communicate effectively key concepts and acquired knowledge.

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Globally aware

Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Restrictions

GEOL309, GEOL336

Timetable 2024

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 12:00 - 13:00 Rehua 002 Lectorial
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 20 Oct
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 13:00 - 14:00 Beatrice Tinsley 111
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 20 Oct
Field Trip A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Saturday 09:00 - 16:00 Christchurch/local region
9 Sep - 15 Sep
02 Sunday 09:00 - 16:00 Christchurch/local region
9 Sep - 15 Sep
Lab A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 13:00 - 15:30 Ernest Rutherford 220 Geog/Geol Teaching Lab (18/7-22/8, 12/9-17/10)
Ernest Rutherford 211 GIS Comp Lab (18/7-22/8, 12/9-17/10)
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 20 Oct
02 Tuesday 16:00 - 18:30 Ernest Rutherford 220 Geog/Geol Teaching Lab (16/7-20/8, 10/9-15/10)
Ernest Rutherford 211 GIS Comp Lab (16/7-20/8, 10/9-15/10)
15 Jul - 25 Aug
9 Sep - 20 Oct

Timetable Note

Two lectures per week.
One lab per week.
One-day field trip (Summit Road, Porthills, first weekend of term 4).

Course Coordinator

Alex Nichols

Lecturer

Sarah Smithies

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
In-class exercises and questions 10% Will take place during each lecture
Marked labs, including field data 60% Will take place the week following the lab.
Oral exam - discuss key concepts 30% Scheduled during end-of-semester exam period.

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended textbook(s):
Winter, J.D., Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (various editions, available in EPS library)
(or similar igneous rocks and processes textbook)
Rollinson, H.R., Using Geochemical Data: Evaluation, Presentation, Interpretation (available as ebook from UC library) https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/canterbury/detail.action?docID=1602058

Other useful books for the laboratory work are:
Shelley, D., Optical Mineralogy, Elsevier (out of print, but available in Science Shop, also available in EPS library)
Deer, W.A., Howie, R.A. and Zussman, J., An Introduction to the Rock-Forming Minerals (various editions, available in EPS library)

Students will also be directed to relevant journal articles and book chapters throughout the course, and will be expected to undertake their own research and reading.

Notes

Prerequisites: GEOL242

Restrictions: GEOL309 (cross-coded)

Recommended preparation:
A basic understanding of chemistry, mathematics, mineralogy, and some experience of using Excel or an alternative spreadsheet and graphing program would be helpful.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $978.00

International fee $4,988.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All GEOL209 Occurrences

  • GEOL209-24S2 (C) Semester Two 2024