EARTH SCIENCES 3313A – Igneous Petrology Earth Sciences 3313A: IGNEOUS PETROLOGY ˗ Fall 2020 Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica Trachytic Syenite, Yukon Instructor: Robert Linnen, email: [email protected] Teaching Assistants: Stephanie Kobylinski, email: [email protected]; Josh Laughton, email: [email protected] Pre-requisites: ES 2206a/b - Mineral Systems, Crystallography and Optics Office Hours: There are no specific office hours. There will be time to ask questions during the lecture time slot. Alternatively, contact the instructor Robert Linnen, by email and questions will either answered by email or a Zoom session will be set up to answer the questions. Course Organization 3313A Igneous Petrology will be taught ‘synchronous on-line’. Students must participate in on- line sessions on Zoom, at the assigned lecture time indicated in Western Timetable. If anyone has issues connecting to Zoom, please email the instructor. Recorded presentations will be posted before the lecture time slots and it is mandatory that students watch the appropriate presentation before the associated time slot. It is also mandatory that students attend the Zoom lectures. The time slots will be used to discuss the material in the associated presentation as well as to complete exercises, forums, group assignments etc. during the on-line time slot. The labs are in person and all labs are mandatory to attend. Participants in this course are not permitted to record the discussions in the synchronous time slot, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the participant has the prior written permission of the instructor. 1 EARTH SCIENCES 3313A – Igneous Petrology Schedule Lectures: Tuesdays & Thursdays: 12:30-13:20 (on-line). Labs: Thursday 2:30-5:20 & 6:00-9:00 Room: B&GS 1065 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION OF EARTH SCIENCES 3313A “IGNEOUS PETROLOGY" Study of igneous processes using rock and thin section descriptions (petrography). Discussion of how different compositions and conditions influence the phases present in a rock (phase equilibria). Association of different rock types with plate tectonic setting. WHY STUDY IGNEOUS PETROLOGY? Volcanoes are one of the main natural hazards to mankind and volcanic emissions are linked to past climate change. It is therefore important to understand the mechanisms and processes controlling volcanic eruptions. It is also clear that the materials which constitute the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and crust ultimately originated from the Earth’s interior and were brought to the Earth’s surface via igneous processes. Consequently, igneous petrology is a key component to understanding how the Earth works as a system. Igneous rocks are also the source of metals in many types of ore deposits, thus understanding the behavior of metals in igneous processes is fundamental to mineral exploration. WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES OF THIS COURSE? To outline the physical and chemical properties of magma, to introduce the techniques that are used to interpret the origin and evolution of different series of magmas and to examine in more detail magma evolution in specific igneous/tectonic environments. The laboratory is an integral part of the course and students will learn to identify common igneous rocks and textures in hand specimen and in thin section using a petrographic microscope. In class, we will discuss: - The origin and conditions for production and crystallization of melts - How different compositions and conditions influence the phases present in a rock (phase equilibria) - The association of different rock types with plate tectonic settings - The major and trace element behavior in igneous systems which is used to understand the formation and evolution of the crust-mantle system on Earth and other planets During the labs: The focus is on learning how rock hand samples and thin sections are described and how textures are interpreted (petrography). 2 EARTH SCIENCES 3313A – Igneous Petrology Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: • explain magmatic processes and igneous rock formation within the Earth’s crust and mantle using elemental geochemistry, phase diagrams, and petrography. • describe the geochemical and physical processes responsible for producing magmas and the diversity of igneous rock types by using real and theoretical examples. • classify igneous rocks based on their petrography or geochemistry and associate these characteristics with plate tectonic settings. • observe and identify key minerals, and important features of igneous rocks in thin section and hand specimen and apply their observations to rock forming processes. • use numerical, graphical, and synthesizing techniques to solve igneous petrological problems. LEARNING RESOURCES The required text for this course is Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (2010) 2nd Edition, by John Winter, A 180 day ebook is available for $46.90 from the bookstore. This textbook is also used in the course Earth 3315B – Metamorphic Petrology, so you may prefer to purchase a hard copy book. It is strongly recommended to read the book chapters associated with the corresponding lectures prior to class to be better familiarized with the contents and technical vocabulary of the lecture. Materials from other sources will be also included in lectures and discussed in class. All lectures will be uploaded to the OWL website For additional information and power point copies of the figures, see http://www.whitman.edu/geology/winter/ (the website also has a list of errata to fix in your own book) There are several other excellent textbooks of Volcanology, Igneous Petrology and related subjects in the library. These include: Philpotts, A.R. (2009), Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Best, M.G., and Christiansen, E.H. (2001) Igneous Petrology Frost, B.R and Frost, C.D. (2014) Essentials of igneous and metamorphic petrology Rollinson, H. (1993) Using Geochemical Data: Evaluation, Presentation, Interpretation LABORATORIES All laboratories are required, but if a student has a valid reason for missing a lab, up to 2 labs can be missed and the lab mark will be pro-rated based on the completed labs. Material will be uploaded to the OWL website before the lab. Students are responsible for printing out each 3 EARTH SCIENCES 3313A – Igneous Petrology assignment (or bringing the digital lab with them on a laptop computer). All labs are due at the end of the lab period. An optical mineralogy text is required for the lab, suggested books are Nesse (2003) Introduction to Optical Mineralogy. Deer, Howie and Zussman, (1992) An Introduction to Rock-Forming Minerals. Philpotts (1989) Petrography of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Other Required Lab Materials: 10x or better hand lens, a pencil magnet MARKING SCHEME Participation in Zoom lectures 10% Each lecture time slot will normally have an associated task that will require on-line participation either individually or in groups. Tasks may include submitting the completed work at the end of the lecture time slot. Problem Sets 10% Four problem sets will be assigned on September 22, October 6, October 22 and November 10. They all have the same weight and are due one week after assigned. Each student is required to complete assignments individually (see academic integrity below). Penalty: 10% off for each late day (only exceptions are if you have a special SSD arrangement, a medical reason, or an exceptional reason approved by counseling), maximum 3 days late. Laboratory Assignments 20% Nine labs total. All labs are mandatory and are due at the end of the class (only exceptions are if you have special SSD arrangement, or exceptional reason approved by counseling). Each lab will be posted on OWL on Monday of each week, you are responsible for printing (or bringing on a labtop) and reading lab handouts prior to the lab session on Thursday. Each student is required to complete labs individually (see academic integrity below). Lab Essays 15% There are two laboratory essays, worth 10% each. Both consist of reading a paper(s), synthesizing the textures that are reported in the paper(s) and discussing why/how the textures are important for interpreting igneous rocks and how they are applied. The first essay will focus on volcanic rocks and processes and the second essay will focus on plutonic rocks and processes. Mid-Term 15% and Final Exam 25% The mid-term and final exam will both be oral examinations, conducted via Zoom between the professor and each individual student. Students are responsible for all material that is presented during lectures, including solving problems. The Mid-Term will be on Saturday, October 24 and each student will answer questions for 10-12 minutes. The Final will also be an oral examination, but students will be questioned for approximately 15 minutes. The date is to be determined. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the system requirements for Zoom. Information about the system requirements are 4 EARTH SCIENCES 3313A – Igneous Petrology available at the following link: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us * Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the mid-term or final exam. Important Dates October 24, 9:00-12:00. Saturday. Midterm via Zoom. November 2-6. Fall Reading Week, no classes December 8. Last Lecture December 11-22. Examination period. Final exam,