Initial Publication Date: June 26, 2012

Petrology Course Goals

The following list of goals for Petrology courses was selected from course descriptions in the course goals/syllabus database. The goals are taken from descriptions of Petrology courses contributed by faculty members. In most cases the goals are quoted directly; a few have been paraphrased to achieve a common format. To contribute to the collection, share your course description.

Jump down to Skills Goals or Attitudinal Goals

Petrology Knowledge Goals

I want students who have completed my Petrology course to be able to

predict what suites of igneous and metamorphic rocks should be found in different plate tectonic settings
explain to a peer how magma is generated in the Earth's mantle
explain at least three ways magma typically evolves en route to the surface
explain magma differentiation and observations of layered mafic intrusions using a fractional crystallization model

Skills Goals

Specific to Petrology

I want students who have completed my Petrology course to be able to

describe the types and relative abundances of phases in a rock based on observations from hand specimens and thin sections
interpret the geologic history of igneous rocks based on mineral assemblage and textures using both hand sample and microscope techniques
use metamorphic mineral assemblages and textures to constrain deformation history and P-T conditions
use geochemical data (partition coefficients, REE plots, etc) to constrain petrogenetic processes
integrate their research findings with those of peers in developing a consensus model that (a) explains mineral occurrences and interplay (micro- and macroscopic) in field samples, and (b) holds up to public scrutiny (as a consensus model and as individual components) at a departmental mini-poster symposium
design and implement a field sampling campaign
use a portable X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer to collect elemental analyses
use MS Excel to organize, plot, and evaluate the petrogenesis of CRB using elemental data