Igneous Rocks and Processes: A Practical Guide

by Robin Gill

Overview

This book is for geoscience students taking introductory or intermediate-level courses in igneous petrology, and helps them develop key skills (and confidence) in identifying igneous minerals, and in interpreting – and allocating appropriate names to – unknown rocks presented to them. The book thus serves, uniquely, both as a conventional course text and as a practical laboratory manual.

Following an introduction reviewing igneous nomenclature, each chapter addresses a specific compositional category of magmatic rocks, covering definition, mineralogy, eruption/ emplacement processes, textures and crystallization processes, geotectonic distribution, geochemistry, and aspects of magma genesis. One chapter is devoted to phase equilibrium experiments and magma evolution; another introduces pyroclastic volcanology. Each chapter concludes with exercises, answers being provided at the end of the book.

Appendices provide a summary of techniques and optical data for microscope mineral identification, an introduction to petrographic calculations, a glossary of petrological terms, and a list of symbols and units. The book is richly illustrated with line drawings, monochrome pictures and colour plates.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781444362435
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	09/20/2011
Sold by:	JOHN WILEY & SONS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	440
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Robin Gill has lectured in igneous petrology and geochemistry at the University of London for 22 years, and before that held postdoctoral posts at the Universities of Manchester, Western Ontario and Oxford. He is author of Chemical Fundamentals of Geology (Springer) and editor of Modern Analytical Geochemistry (Addison Wesley Longman).

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Table of Contents

Preface to the second Edition

Preface to the first Edition

Acknowledgements

About the companion website

Chapter 1 An introduction to magmas and magmatic rocks 

Chapter 2 Basalts and related rocks

Chapter 3 Magma differentiation

Chapter 4 Gabbroic rocks

Chapter 5 Ultramafic rocks

Chapter 6 Andesite, dacite and rhyolite

Chapter 7 How magmas erupt – an introduction to pyroclastic processes and products

Chapter 8 Granitic rocks

Chapter 9 Alkali rocks

Appendix A – Mineral identification using a polarizing microscope

Appendix B - Petrographic calculations

Appendix C - Symbols, units and constants used in this book

Glossary

Answers to exercises

Bibliography

Index

Colour plate section between pp. X and X

Editorial Reviews

"Igneous petrology is difficult to master using only a single course resource. Thus, instructors often steer students toward supplementary readings on how to work with geochemical data or identify igneous minerals in thin section. Gill takes a big step toward resolving this challenge, integrating content in a way that instructors will value as a holistic presentation of concepts and tools." (Choice, 1 March 2011)

"This is a very comprehensive, well written and well laid out book, which should appear on the shelves of all students and their advisors in the field of igneous petrology." (Geology Today, 1 November 2010)

"Overall an excellent contribution by Robin Gill, this text book is a superb desk reference as well as a reasonably priced addition to any practical igneous petrology course at both intermediate and advanced levels". (The Geographical Journal, 4 December 2010)

"This textbook will be an invaluable guide for undergraduates in the laboratory and will allow them to develop their interpretative skills in petrology in the most intuitive way. The breadth of topics, clear layout and level of detail will no doubt lead it to become an essential, always on- hand reference for students." (Geological Magazine, 2010)

"It's tough call to produce an igneous petrology book that engages the readers and draws them on, but it's hard to imagine a better attempt than this by Robin Gill." (Geoscientist, November 2012)

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