GEOL474-12S2 (C) Semester Two 2012

Igneous Petrology and Geochemistry

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 9 July 2012
End Date: Sunday, 11 November 2012
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 22 July 2012
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 7 October 2012

Description

This course will concentrate on the geochemical aspects of igneous petrology. At every stage we will be seeking to discover what magma chemistry can tell us about the nature of igneous processes and the relationships between igneous rocks. Following coverage of "core material" we will discuss particular igneous processes, the petrogenesis of certain rock suites and select some of the "hot topics" in igneous petrology.

This course is an overview of geochemistry with an emphasis on geochemical thermodynamics and kinetics in relation to igneous/metamorphic and geothermal systems. Additionally, we will also quantitatively evaluate many of the chemical principles controlling geothermal systems and at near-surface conditions. Geochemical modelling utilizing SUPCRT and Visual MINTEQ will constitute a portion of this course. An understanding of chemistry, calculus, and mineralogy is recommended.

Outline of Lecture Topics
Chemical Equilibrium
Aqueous Solutions
Chemical Thermodynamics
Oxidation/Reduction Reactions
Mineral-Surface Chemistry
Rates of Geochemical Processes

Learning Outcomes

1) Realize the importance of geochemistry and igneous petrology to all aspects of geology.
2) Choose the appropriate geochemical techniques which are appropriate to test geological hypotheses.
3) Manipulate geochemical data in order to distinguish between igneous/hydrothermal processes
4) Discuss the benefits and limitations of geological interpretations based on geochemical data.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of Department.

Timetable Note

Course meets in Room 315 (Level 3 von Haast building) from 9-11 am Tuesdays.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Chris Oze

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Participation and attendance 10% Participation and attendance
Problem Sets 30% Problem Sets
SUPCRT Workshop 10% SUPCRT Workshop
Visual MINTEQ Workshop 10% Visual MINTEQ Workshop
MELTS Workshop 10% MELTS Workshop
Departmental Final Examination 30% Departmental Final Examination

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Faure, Gunter; Principles and applications of geochemistry : a comprehensive textbook for geology students ; 2nd ed; Prentice Hall, 1998.

Krauskopf, Konrad Bates; Introduction to geochemistry ; 2d ed.; McGraw-Hill, 1979.

Winter, John D; An introduction to igneous and metamorphic petrology ; Prentice Hall, 2001.

Course links

Library portal

Additional Course Outline Information

Academic integrity

Course Schedule
Date Lectures
July
10 Foundational Concepts
17 Conversions and Equation Manipulation
24 Acids and Bases
31 Equilibrium
August
7 Thermodynamics
14 SUPCRT Workshop
21 Break
28 Break
September
4 Activity Diagrams
11 Oxidation and Reduction
18 Visual MINTEQ Workshop
25 Thermodynamic Database Modification
October
2 MELTS Workshop
9 Geochemical Rates and Kinetics
16 Study Break
November
To be determined Final Exam

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $840.00

* 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 Geological Sciences .

All GEOL474 Occurrences

  • GEOL474-12S2 (C) Semester Two 2012
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