- Docente: Alessandro Rottura
- Credits: 10
- SSD: GEO/07
- Language: Italian
- Moduli: Alessandro Rottura (Modulo 1) William Cavazza (Modulo 3) Alessandro Rottura (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 3) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Geological Sciences (cod. 0437)
Learning outcomes
Students learn how to recognize, classify and characterize mineralogically and petrographically, both at the handspecimen and microscopic scales, the most common igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Students will focus in particular on the qualitative and quantitative data from the petrographic study of thin sections and whole rock chemistry.
Course contents
Igneous Petrology
Mineral and chemical composition, classification and nomenclature
of magmatic rocks. Textures of igneous rocks. Igneous structures
and field relationships: extrusive vs. intrusive processes and rock
bodies. Crystal-melt equilibria in magmatic systems: two-component
and three-component systems; reaction series; effects of P and
fluids on melting behavior. Geochemical characteristics as
petrogenetic indicators. Generation of basaltic magmas by partial
melting of the upper mantle. Origin of granitoid rocks.
Diversification of magmas: magmatic differentiation, assimilation
and magma mixing. Magma series and tectono-magmatic
associations.
Sedimentary Petrology
Wheatering and erosion of rocks, transportation and deposition of
sediments. Diagenetic processes. Structures, textures and
classification of sedimentary rocks.
Metamorphic Petrology
Metamorphism ad metamorphic rocks. Fabric, composition and
classification of metamorphic rocks. Equilibrium mineral
assemblages. Chemographic diagrams. Metamorphic mineral reactions.
Isograds. Metamorphic facies and facies series. Metamorphic field
gradients and P-T-t paths. Orogenic metamorphism. Metamorphism of
mafic rocks. Metamorphism of pelitic sediments.
Pressure-Temperature estimation: geothermobarometry.
Laboratory Handspecimen and microscopic analysis and
classification of the main igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic
rock types.
Readings/Bibliography
L. Morbidelli: Le rocce e i loro costituenti. Bardi Editore II
Edizione, Roma, 2005.
B. D'Argenio, F. Innocenti, F. P. Sassi: Introduzione allo
studio delle rocce. UTET, Torino, 1994.
PDF files of the lectures.
A. Peccerillo, D. Perugini: Introduzione alla Petrografia ottica.
Morlacchi Editore, Perugia, 2003.
D. Shelley: Igneous and metamorphic rocks under the
microscope. Classification, textures, microstructures and mineral
preferred orientations. Chapman & Hall, 1993.
R. H. Vernon: A practical guide to Rock
Microstructure. Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Further Reading.
J. D. Winter: An Introduction to Igneous and Metamorphic
Petrology, Prentice-Hall, 2001.
M. G. Best: Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. Blackwell
Publ., Second Edition, London, 2003.
R.H. Vernon & G.L. Clarke: Principles of METAMORPHIC
PETROLOGY, Cambridge, 2008.
Teaching methods
Lectures, and practicals in the laboratory of petrography.
Assessment methods
Final examination consists of both written and oral tests.
Teaching tools
Videoprojector, overhead projector, laboratory of optical mineralogy and petrography.
Links to further information
Office hours
See the website of Alessandro Rottura
See the website of William Cavazza