- Petrology and Volcanology

Catalog description

This course examines the processes that produce magma and metamorphic at high temperature. It also explores volcanism and the hazards produced by eruptions. We will employ the reasoning and approaches used to understand petrology including petrography, geochemistry, data analysis and modeling. Key topics include high-temperature isotopes and thermodynamics, formation of magmas in different tectonic settings, the physical processes of volcanism, hazards posed by volcanic activity and using metamorphic reactions to assess the tectonic history of rocks. We will explore petrology and volcanology through labs, primary literature, research projects and group assignments.