Learning objectives
At the end of the laboratory activity, the students will be able to apply their knowledge and skills to identify, by examination of hand samples and thin sections, the three principal groups of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary) outcropping on the Earth’s surface.
Prerequisites
- - -
Course unit content
Laboratory activity.
1) Basic methods used to describe and identify hand specimens of the Earth’s crust and mantle rocks (i.e., igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks).
2) Optical mineralogy methods are used to identify the common rock-forming minerals in thin sections using polarizing optical microscopes.
3) Classify magmatic, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks according to their mineral content and texture, following the schemes proposed by the International Union of Geological Sciences.
Full programme
What a rock is.
How minerals forming a rock can be identified.
The three rock types (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic) forming the Earth’s crust and mantle.
The minerals forming the rocks observed under the polarizing optical microscope: quartz; feldspars; feldspathoids; olivine; pyroxene; amphiboles; micas; garnet; polymorphs of Al2SiO5; staurolite; cordierite; epidotes; the accessory and secondary minerals.
Textures of igneous and metamorphic rocks.
The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) classification of igneous intrusive rocks based on mineral contents determined from modal analysis of the rock.
The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) classification of igneous extrusive rocks based total alkalis and silica contents of the rock.
The classification of metamorphic rocks according to metamorphic facies and zones.
The classification of sedimentary rocks (an introduction).
Bibliography
Klein C., Philpotts A. (2017), EARTH MATERIALS: introduction to mineralogy and petrology, 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press
Klein C., Philpotts A. (2018), Mineralogia e petrografia (edizione italiana). Zanichelli
A. Peccerillo & D. Perugini (2003). Introduzione alla Petrografia ottica. Morlacchi Ed., Perugia
Teaching methods
The 12 credits of this course amount to 120 hours, distributed as follows: 80 hours of laboratory-based exercises and 40 hours of lectures. In the laboratory part, the student performs exercises on the identification of hand specimens of rocks and a strong training on the use of the microscope; formative evaluation will be done informally with discussions during each lesson to check how much students have been understood. Written evaluations will be carried out periodically, to monitor the achievement of the training objectives. The teacher uses PowerPoint files that display the sequence of course topics. The files are available on Elly. PowerPoint files and other educational material (scientific articles, exercises, and links to websites of petrographic interest) will be made available to students on the Elly portal. The teaching material will be updated periodically during the course carrying out the course. To download the slides, you need to register for the online course. The slides are not a substitute for the course or textbooks but are an integral part of the teaching material. Attending and non-attending students are reminded to check the available teaching material and other instructions provided by the teacher via the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam is made of a written part and an oral part.
In the written part, the student describes the mineral assemblage and the texture observed in 3 thin sections (1 for an intrusive igneous rock; 1 for an effusive igneous rock; 1 for a metamorphic rock) using microscope techniques; then, using this petrographic information, the student classifies the rock. The student may also carry out the written part during the course. The minimum score to pass the written part is 18/30.
After passing the written test, the student takes the oral part of the exam.
Other information
The objectives and purposes of the course have been associated with the "Dublin Indicators" (ID) listed below:
-Knowledge and understanding;
-Applied knowledge and understanding (applying knowledge and understanding);
-Autonomy of judgment (making judgments;
-Communication skills;
-Ability to learn (learning skills).
