Chemical Differentiation in the Palisades Sill

Matthew Gorring

Montclair State University

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Initial Publication Date: June 6, 2008 | Reviewed: October 19, 2012 (see revision history: 2 events)

Summary

The purpose of this assignment is for students to synthesize field observations, petrography, and whole-rock chemical analyses in order to investigate chemical differentiation processes in a basaltic magma chamber. The students first complete a petrography lab on both hand samples and thin sections that represent a complete stratigraphic section through sill at Fort Lee, NJ. I then provide them with major- and trace-element data and a table of distribution coefficients for common phases that would be crystallizing from basaltic magma. I then ask them to discuss the chemical differentiation of the sill by writing up a 1-2 page interpretative summary based on their petrographic observations and the chemical data.

Elements, Geochemical Analysis, Geochemistry, Igneous Processes, ...(more) | College Lower (13-14), College Upper (15-16)

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