| Geology 212 | Petrology |
Spring 2003 |
Instructor: Stephen A. Nelson, Room 302B, Dinwiddie email: snelson@tulane.edu Office Hours - MWF 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM Laboratory Instructor: Erika Gonzalez I. COURSE GOALS & OBJECTIVESSince 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 & Metamorphic An Introduction to the Rock Forming Minerals,
Petrography
(2) A double sided high density 3.5" floppy disk. (3) Rectilinear and Triangular graph paper. |
|
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% Lab Final 20% Lecture Midterm 20% Lecture Final 25% Field Trip Participation 5% (see below)
| Attendance in class and lab is required (see Tulane University
Undergraduate Catalog, p. 14) and is essential for you to get the most
out of this course. Grades will be lowered as a result of excessive
absence from either lecture or lab. Field Trip: The Field Trip is scheduled for April 10, 11, 12 and 13 (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 World-Wide-Web links. The site can be found on the World Wide Web at: Be sure to check this web page regularly throughout the course for important announcements and updates.
V. TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND LABS |
|
Date |
Topic |
Readings |
| Jan 9 | Lecture: Textures & Structures of Igneous Rocks | B&T Introduction Chapters 1 & 2 |
| Lab: Textures of Igneous Rocks in Hand Specimen | B&T Chapter 2 | |
| Jan 14 | Lecture: General Classification of Igneous Rocks | B&T Chapter 3 |
| Lab: Textures of Igneous Rocks in Thin Section | B&T Chapter 2 | |
| Jan 16 | Lecture: Simple 1 & 2 Component Phase Diagrams | B&T Chapter 4 |
| Lab: Calculation of Norm & Classification of Igneous Rocks | Handout | |
| Jan 21 | Lecture: Ternary Phase Diagrams | B&T Chapter 4 |
| Lab: Minerals in Igneous Rocks | B&T Chapter 2 | |
| Jan 23 | Lecture: Ternary Phase Diagrams | B&T Chapter 4 |
| Lab: Ternary Phase Diagrams | Handout | |
| Jan 28 | Lecture: The Interior of Earth and Formation of Magmas | B&T Chapter 5 B&T Chapter 7 |
| Lab: Basalts & Gabbros in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p. 94-135 | |
| Jan 30 | Lecture: Magmatic Differentiation | B&T Chapter 6 B&T Chapter 5 |
| Lab: Variation Diagrams in Petrology | Handout | |
| Feb 4 | Lecture: Magmatic Differentiation | B&T Chapter 6 |
| Lab: Andesites & Diorites in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p. 137-158 | |
| Feb 6 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Oceanic Lithosphere | B&T Chapter 8 |
| Lab: Trace Elements in Igneous Processes | Handout | |
| Feb 11 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Oceanic Lithosphere | B&T Chapter 8 |
| Lab: Siliceous Rocks in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p.159-192 | |
| Feb 13 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of Convergent Margins | B&T Chapter 9 |
| Lab: Isotopes in Igneous Processes | Handout | |
| Feb 18 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of Convergent Margins | B&T Chapter 9 |
| Lab: Ultrabasic & Alkaline Rocks in Hand Specimen & Thin Section | WTG p. 193-258 | |
| Feb 20 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Continental Lithosphere | B&T Chapter 10 |
| Lab: Projected Phase Diagrams | Handout | |
| Feb 25 | Lecture: Igneous Rocks of the Continental Lithosphere | B&T Chapter 10 |
| Lab: Pyroclastic Rocks | WTG p.260-274 | |
| Feb 27 | LECTURE MIDTERM | |
| No Lab | ||
| Mar 4-6 | MARDI GRAS BREAK | |
| Mar 10 | Lecture: Types of Metamorphism | B&T Chapter 18 |
| Lab: Metamorphic Minerals & Textures | B&T Chapter 18 | |
| Mar13 | Lecture: Metamorphic Rock Textures | B&T Chapter18 |
| Lab: LABORATORY MIDTERM EXAM | ||
| Mar 18 | Lecture: Triangular Plots in Metamorphic Petrology | B&T Chapter 20 |
| Lab: Metamorphic Minerals & Textures (continued) | B&T Chapter 18 | |
| Mar 20 | Lecture: Triangular Plots (continued) Metamorphic Mineral Assemblages | B&T Chapter 20 |
| Lab: Triangular Plots in Metamorphic Petrology | B&T Chapter 20 | |
| Mar 25 | Lecture: Metamorphic Mineral Assemblages & Thermodynamics & Metamorphic Reactions | B&T Chapter 19 B&T Chapter 21 |
| Lab: Contact Metamorphic Rocks in Hand Specimen and Thin Section | WTG p. 476-499 | |
| Mar 27 | Lecture: Thermodynamics & Metamorphic Reactions | B&T Chapter 21 |
| Lab: Thermodynamics and Metamorphic Reactions | Handout | |
| Apr 1 | Lecture: Metamorphic Reactions | B&T Chapter 21 |
| Lab: Thermodynamics and Metamorphic Reactions (continued) | Handout | |
| Apr 3 | Lecture: Metamorphic Reactions | B&T Chapter 21 |
| Lab: Low - Medium Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Hand Spec. | WTG p. 514-546 | |
| Apr 8 | Lecture: Geology of Field Trip Area | Handout |
| Lab: TBA | ||
| Apr 10 - 13 | Field Trip to Central Texas | |
| Apr 15 | Lecture: Contact Metamorphism | B&T Ch 22,23,24 |
| Lab: Low to Medium Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Thin Section | WTG p. 514-546 | |
| Apr 17 | Lecture: Regional Metamorphism | B&T Ch 22,23,24 |
| Lab: High Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Hand Specimen | WTG p. 547-571 | |
| Apr 22 | Lecture: Regional Metamorphism | B&T Ch 22,23,24 |
| Lab: High Grade Metamorphic Rocks in Thin Section | WTG p. 547-571 | |
| Apr 24 | Lecture: Radiometric Age Dating of Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks | Lecture Notes |
| Lab: Radiometric Age Dating of Igneous & Metamorphic Rocks | Handout | |
| April 30 | LECTURE FINAL EXAMINATION 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M | |
| May 5 | LABORATORY FINAL EXAMINATION 8:00 AM to Noon |