| EENS 212 |
Spring Semester 2010 |
Petrology |
| Instructor: Stephen A. Nelson |
Room 208 Blessey Hall |
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| email: snelson@tulane.edu | Office Hours - MWF 1:00 - 4:00 PM | |
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Laboratory Instructor: Erika Gonzalez email: egcaver@tulane.edu I. COURSE GOALS & OBJECTIVES Since Rocks are the basic building blocks of the Earth, this course is designed to give the student a fundamental background in rocks, necessary to understand the Earth. The student will learn the principles behind rock forming processes and will learn to examine rocks in hand specimen and thin section, both as a means of identifying and describing the rocks and as a means of extracting clues to formulate hypotheses about how the rocks formed in nature. II. TEXTBOOKS
Petrology - Igneous, Sedimentary, and Metamorphic, 3rd Ed. by Blatt, Tracy, & Owens (BTO) An Introduction to the Rock Forming Minerals,
Petrography |
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III. COURSE GRADING The course grade will be determined on the basis of the number of points scored out of a possible 1000 points. These points will be apportioned as follows: |
Homework and Labs 15% Lab Midterm 15% Lecture Midterm 20% Lab Final 20% Lecture Final 25% Field Trip Participation 5%
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Field Trip: The Field Trip is scheduled for April 15-18 (Thursday
through Sunday). Make plans now so you won't have any excuses for not
attending. (No excuses will be accepted.) |
| IV. WEB PAGE
A Web site has been developed for this course. It includes course materials, including a copy of this syllabus, lecture notes, announcements from the instructor, and Internet links. The site can be found on the internet at: http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens212/ Be sure to check this web page regularly throughout the course for
important announcements and updates. |
|
Date |
Topic |
Readings |
| Jan 12 | Lecture: Textures & Structures of Igneous Rocks | BTO Intro & Chapters 1 & 2 |
| Lab I: Textures of Igneous Rocks in Hand Specimen | BTO Chapter 2 | |
| Jan 14 | Lecture: Textures & Structures of
Igneous Rocks & General Classification of Igneous Rocks |
BTO Chapter 3 |
| Lab II: Textures of Igneous Rocks in Thin Section | BTO Chapter 2 WTG p. 53-67 |
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| Jan 19 | Lecture: Simple 1 & 2 Component Phase Diagrams | BTO Chapter 4 |
| Lab III: Calculation of Norm & Classification of Igneous Rocks | Handout | |
| Jan 21 | Lecture: Ternary Phase Diagrams | BTO Chapter 4 |
| Lab IV: Minerals in Igneous Rocks | BTO Chapter 2 | |
| Jan 26 | Lecture: Ternary Phase Diagrams (cont.) | BTO Chapter 4 |
| Lab V: Ternary Phase Diagrams | Handout | |
| Jan 28 | Lecture: The Interior of Earth and Formation of Magmas | BTO Chapter 5 BTO Chapter 7 |
| Lab V: Ternary Phase Diagrams (Cont.) | Handout | |
| Feb 2 | Lecture: Magmatic Differentiation | BTO Chapter 6 BTO Chapter 5 |
| Lab VI: Basalts & Gabbros in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p. 94-135 | |
| Feb 4 | Lecture: Magmatic Differentiation | BTO Chapter 6 |
| Lab VII: Variation Diagrams in Petrology | Handout | |
| Feb 9 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Oceanic Lithosphere | BTO Chapter 8 |
| Lab VIII: Andesites & Diorites in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p. 137-158 | |
| Feb 11 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Oceanic Lithosphere | BTO Chapter 8 |
| Lab IX: Trace Elements in Igneous Processes | Handout | |
| Feb 16 | MARDI GRAS | |
| Feb 18 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of Convergent Margins | BTO Chapter 9 |
| Lab X: Siliceous Rocks in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p.159-192 | |
| Feb 23 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of Convergent Margins (cont.) and Igneous Rocks of the Continental Lithosphere | BTO Chapter 9 BTO Chapter 10 |
| Lab XI: Projected Phase Diagrams | Handout | |
| Feb 25 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Continental Lithosphere (cont.) | BTO Chapter 10 |
| Lab XII: Ultrabasic & Alkaline Rocks in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p. 193-258 | |
| Mar 2 | Lecture: Pyroclastic Rocks | Lecture Notes |
| Lab XIII: Isotopes in Igneous Processes | Handout | |
| Mar 4 | Lecture: Types of Metamorphism | BTO Chapter 18 |
| Lab XIV: Pyroclastic Rocks | WTG p.260-274 | |
| Mar 9 | LECTURE MIDTERM | |
| No Lab | ||
| Mar 11 | Lecture: Metamorphic Rock Textures | BTO Chapter18 |
| Lab - LABORATORY MIDTERM EXAM | ||
| Mar 16 | Lecture: Triangular Plots in Metamorphic Petrology | BTO Chapter 20 |
| Lab: XV: Metamorphic Minerals & Textures | WTG p. 438-453 | |
| Mar 18 | Lecture: Metamorphic Mineral Assemblages | BTO Chapter 20 |
| Lab XVI: Triangular Plots in Metamorphic Petrology | ||
| Mar 23 | Lecture: Metamorphic Mineral Assemblages & Thermodynamics & Metamorphic Reactions | BTO Chapter 19 BTO Chapter 21 |
| Lab XVI: Triangular Plots in Metamorphic Petrology (cont.) | BTO Chapter 20 | |
| Mar 25 | Lecture: Thermodynamics & Metamorphic Reactions | BTO Chapter 21 |
| Lab XVII: Thermodynamics and Metamorphic Reactions | Lecture Notes | |
| Mar 30 & Apr 1 | SPRING BREAK | |
| Apr 6 | Lecture: Metamorphic Reactions | BTO Chapter 20 |
| Lab XVIII: Contact Metamorphic Rocks in Hand Specimen and Thin Section | WTG p. 476-499 | |
| Apr 8 | Lecture: Metamorphic Reactions | BTO Chapter 20 |
| Lab XIX: Low - Medium Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Hand Spec. | WTG p. 514-546 | |
| Apr 13 | Lecture: Contact Metamorphism | BTO Chapter 20 |
| Lab XX: Low to Medium Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Thin Section | WTG p. 514-546 | |
| Apr 15-18 | Field Trip to Central Texas | Handout |
| Apr 20 | Lecture: Regional Metamorphism | BTO Ch 22, 23, 24 |
| Lab XXI: High Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Hand Specimen | WTG p. 547-571 | |
| Apr 22 | Lecture: Regional Metamorphism | BTO Ch 22, 23, 24 |
| Lab XXII: High Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Thin Section | WTG p. 547-571 | |
| Apr 27 | Lecture: Radiometric Age Dating of Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks | Lecture Notes |
| Lab XXIII: Radiometric Age Dating of Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks | Handout | |
| May 4 | LECTURE FINAL EXAMINATION 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M | |
| May 7 | LAB FINAL EXAMINATION 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M | |
Learning Outcomes for this Course
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