Jane Selverstone

University of New Mexico

This activity would be used in an undergraduate (sophomore or junior level) required course in petrology.

Students should have an understanding of general igneous petrology and binary phase diagrams.

This is a stand-alone exercise.

This activity is used to make students comfortable with binary diagrams.

This activity involves data analysis.

This homework has 2 main parts: In the first part, students are given bulk compositions for 6 volcanic rocks and asked to classify them, think about their normative compositions, and given likely tectonic settings for three of them. In the second part, they work with a complex binary phase diagram. In this part, they must think about components vs. phases, the lever rule, behavior at a peritectic point, and fractional removal of a phase. After completing this homework, I find that students are comfortable working with any binary diagram I give them.

Students have met the goals of this activity if they successfully complete the assignment.