Office of Academic Affairs
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal

Earth and Environmental Sciences

EES 314: Metamorphic Petrology Laboratory (1)

Prerequisites (Desirable): Credited or registered in EES 304

Learning Objectives:

In this course students will learn to identify different metamorphic rocks both mega- and microscopically. Emphasis will be given on identification of different mineral reaction textures. Additionally, laboratory exercises will also cover the computational methods to estimate P-T conditions in metamorphic rocks. Further, students will be introduced to thermodynamics based software to construct and interpret equilibrium phase diagrams.

Course Contents:

Classification and Nomenclature of Metamorphic Rocks:
Criteria for identification of equilibrium mineral associations; Relationships between textures, deformation for ordering metamorphic mineral associations.

Megascopic and microscopic study (textural and mineralogical):
Low grade metamorphic rocks: Serpentinites, albite-epidote-chlorite-quartz schists, slates, talc-tremolite-calcite-quartz schists.
Medium to high grade metamorphic rocks: Gneisses, amphibolites, hornfels, garnetiferous schists, sillimanite-kyanite-bearing rocks.
High Grade metamorphic rocks: Granulites, eclogites, diopside-forsterite bearing rocks.

Laboratory Exercises in Plotting Mineral Chemistry Data:
Determination of pressure-temperature conditions using various net-transfer and exchange reactions.

Preparation and Interpretation of Equilibrium Phase Diagrams:
DOMINO-THERAK, PERPLE_X and THERMOCALC.

Suggested Readings :

  1. Vernon, R. H. and Clark, G. L, 2008, Principles of Metamorphic Petrology (1st Edition), Cambridge.
  2. Passchier, C., and Trouw, R. A. J., 2005, Microtectonics (2nd Edition), Springer.
  3. Popular equilibrium phase calculation software resources accessible via http://ees2.geo.rpi.edu/MetaPetaRen/Software/Software.html

Previous Back to Course List Next