Petrology Activities and Examples Collection

This is a collection of educational resources used in igneous and metamorphic petrology courses. The collection includes lab exercises, classroom activities, problem sets and more. The purpose of this collection is to allow for the sharing of materials within the community of petrology teachers. You can

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Results 16 - 30 of 323 matches

Petrology and Geochemistry of the Puʻuʻōʻō Eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai'i (1983-2009) part of Hawaiian Volcanoes
Created by: Andrew R. Greene (Hawai'i Pacific University; agreene@hpu.edu) Michael O. Garcia (University of Hawai'i at MÄnoa; mogarcia@hawaii.edu) Tim Orr (U.S. Geological Survey; torr@usgs.gov)
The Puʻuʻōʻō eruption of Kīlauea Volcano on the island of Hawai'i has been closely monitored and studied since its inception in 1983. This laboratory exercise utilizes the excitement of an ongoing ...

Freeze distillation of hard apple cider: A phase diagram demonstration part of Teach the Earth:Teaching Activities
William Peck, Colgate University
If you are lucky enough to teach Petrology in a part of the world with a cold winter, freeze distillation of hard apple cider works well as a class demonstration when the cider is frozen overnight outside. The slow ...

"ZirChron" Virtual Zircon Analysis App part of Teaching Examples
Mark Schmitz, Boise State University
This web-based app is designed to help students evaluate a radioisotopic age and its uncertainty based upon the collection of data, the application of statistics, and the interpretation of geological and analytical ...

Classifying Igneous Rocks CogSketch geoscience worksheet part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Bridget Garnier
Sketching activity that uses a sketch-understanding program, CogSketch. Students use an igneous rock composition chart to identify rocks with given mineral percentages. Instead of mentally determining where a rock ...

Introduction to Igneous Intrusions part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Basil Tikoff, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Students make Play-Doh models of sills and dikes.

Isopach Maps part of GET Spatial Learning:Teaching Activities
Basil Tikoff, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Students complete several short, in-class exercises related to understanding isopach maps. We use Play-Doh models to illustrate features revealed in the isopach maps and to support student understanding of the ...

A Quantitative Visualization of Mantle Melting part of Pedagogy in Action:Library:Spatial Reasoning with GeoClick Questions:Examples
Hannah Shamloo, Oregon State University
Here is an exercise to acquaint students with pressure-temperature diagrams related to Earth's interior, teach why the mantle melts in the context of pressure and temperature, demonstrate the role water has on melting, and review the three ways to melt the mantle.

Virtual Field Trip to the Blue Ridge Province, Central Virginia part of Cutting Edge:Enhance Your Teaching:Teaching with Online Field Experiences:Activities
Steve Whitmeyer, James Madison University
The Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Orogen Traverse is a series of 4 virtual field trips that cross the Blue Ridge and Valley and Ridge geologic provinces in northwestern Virginia and northeastern West Virginia. This ...

Collection of PT Phase diagram exercises part of Teaching Examples
Dexter Perkins, University of North Dakota-Main Campus
I am always needing more phase diagrams exercises so my students can practice problem solving. This collection includes 5 different exercises that can be used for homework, in-class, or for quizzes or exams.

Old Sticks in the Mud: Hazards of Lahars from Mount Rainier Volcano part of Curriculum for the Bioregion:Activities
Patrick Pringle, Centralia College
Volcanic debris flows (lahars) flow long distances, bury and aggrade river valleys, and cause long-term stream disturbances and dramatic landscape changes. Students will evaluate the nature, scale, and history of ...

Geology of Yellowstone National Park part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Carol Ormand Ph.D., Carleton College
Students examine and interpret the geologic map of Yellowstone National Park, focusing on its volcanic history.

Olympus Mons and Hawaii part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Carol Ormand Ph.D., Carleton College
Students estimate the volume of Olympus Mons and the volume of lava that has erupted from the Hawaiian hotspot and compare them.

Investigating Plate Tectonics with Google Earth part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, Geophysics, and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope
Students examine data sets of topography, bathymetry, volcano location, earthquake location and size, and ocean floor age in Google Earth to determine the location and attributes of different types of plate ...

Theriak-Domino Exercise part of Teaching Examples
Dexter Perkins, University of North Dakota-Main Campus
This multidimensional project involves using several different computer programs to calculate and interpret phase diagrams and pseudosections. So, students learn lots of skills at the same time. But, an overarching ...

An Electron Microprobe in the Classroom: A Remote-Access System for Education part of NAGT:Our Resources:Teaching Resources:Teaching Materials Collection
Ellery Frahm, University of Minnesota-Duluth
In 2003, the University of Minnesota's Electron Microprobe Laboratory implemented a new system for remote research and education via the Internet. The remote-access system allows real-time access to our ...