Igneous Petrology
Graduate course in igneous petrology covering classification, characteristics, and petrogenesis of igneous rocks, with representative rock suites studied in lab.
Summary
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2010: 3.83 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Fall 2012: 3.65 GPA, 80.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Fall 2016: 3.80 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades).
What you’ll be able to do
Explain how magmas are formed by partial melting of rocks within the Earth, and how magmas are modified by differentiation processes during storage and transit within the earth.
Explain how the products of volcanism on earth, including lava flows and pyroclastic deposits, provide windows into the processes of partial melting and magma differentiation.
Utilize the many tools used to quantify the processes of partial melting and magma differentiation, including thermodynamic modeling of phase equilibria, trace element geochemistry of minerals, melts, and rocks, isotope geochemistry of minerals, melts, and rocks, and diffusion chronology of igneous minerals.
Explain how magmas are formed and modified in different ways depending on the plate tectonic setting, including at mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, and continental rifts.
Interpret what the solidified products of igneous activity on earth are, and how to distinguish processes of formation from the textures and minerals comprising them.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
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Prerequisites
Course mapGraduate/professional standing
- Graduate/professional standing
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- Graduate/professional standing
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
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Student experience
the class
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2010: 3.83 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=6 letter grades); Fall 2012: 3.65 GPA, 80.0% A/AB (n=10 letter grades); Fall 2016: 3.80 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=5 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
No workload feedback recorded.
Topics
- Classification, characteristics, and petrogenesis of igneous rocks
- Magma formation by partial melting and modification by differentiation processes
- Products of volcanism, including lava flows and pyroclastic deposits, as indicators of melting and differentiation
- Influence of plate tectonic settings (mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, continental rifts) on magma evolution
Skills
- Explain magma formation and modification via partial melting and differentiation; utilize thermodynamic modeling, geochemical, and isotopic tools.
- Relate magma formation and modification to specific plate tectonic settings such as mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, and continental rifts.
- Interpret solidified igneous products and distinguish formation processes based on textures and mineral compositions.
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2016— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
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Through Fall 2016
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Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
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Model & dataset provenance
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