GLOBAL GEOCHEMICAL SYSTEMS
GEOL 567; Spring 2005
Dr. Nancy J. McMillan
Office: 120 Breland Hall
Hours: 10:30-11:30 MW and by appointment
Phone and voicemail: 646-5000; email: nmcmilla@nmsu.edu
Goals:
1)
To provide you with the petrologic tools necessary for the interpretation of geochemical data
from igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks
2)
To help you understand global patterns of magmagenesis, including the characterization of
mantle and crustal reservoirs and the importance of various magmatic processes in different
tectonic environments.
3)
To help you understand how geochemical patterns are transferred to clastic sedimentary rocks,
and how the geochemistry of clastic rocks can be used to understand the geologic history of a
region.
4)
To help you understand how geochemical patterns are transferred to metamorphic rocks, and how
this information can be used to understand the tectonic environment of protolith formation.
Schedule:
Week of:
Lecture Topics, Monday and Wednesday
Friday activity
* * Part One: Tools of the Trade * * *
1/10
No class
Stoichiometry
1/17
No Class on 1/17: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Mineral-melt equilibria
Classification of igneous rocks
1/23
Magmatic processes, major element models
Mineral-melt mass balance
1/31
Major element models, trace element models
Fractional Xlzn: trace els.
2/7
Trace element models
AFC: Trace elements
2/14
Isotopic models
REE, Spider diagrams
2/16: 5-minute presentations for grant proposals
2/21
Isotopic models
Sr & Nd isotopes
2/28
Isotopic models
No Class on 3/4: NJM at NSF-GK12 Conference
none
3/7
No Class on Monday and Wednesday—NJM at the
AFC: Isotopes
Aberdeen Proving Ground (note that we DO have class
on Friday!!!)
* * * Part Two: Geochemical Signatures of Tectonic Environments * * *
3/14
Arc and MORB magmatism
Arc/MORB discussion
3/21
SPRING BREAK! SPRING BREAK! SPRING BREAK! SPRING BREAK!
3/28
OIB and Back-arc magmatism
OIB/Back arc discussion
* * * Part Three: Geochemistry of clastic sedimentary rocks * * *
4/4
Clastic sedimentary rocks: weathering
Sed mass balance
4/11
Clastic sedimentary rocks: geochemical provenance
none
No class on 4/15: NMGS meeting
4/18
Clastic sedimentary rocks: geochemical provenance
Sed geochem discussion
* * * Part Four: Geochemistry of metamorphic rocks * * *
4/25
Metamorphic rocks: geochemical changes from protolith Meta geochem discussion
5/2
Proposals due at 10:30 a.m., Monday, 2 May. (See proposal assignment; this
includes the 15-minute presentations.)
Grading:
Your grade will be based on the number of points you earn out of a possible 390, as follows:
4 problem sets @ 50
1.
Major element modeling, assigned 1/21, due 2/11
2.
Trace element modeling, assigned 2/11, due 3/2
3.
Isotopic modeling, assigned 3/2, due 4/1
4.
Major and trace elements in sandstones, assigned 4/1, due 4/22
200
13 Friday class activities @ 10
nine in-class problem sets
four small group discussions
term project: a geochemistry proposal
total possible points
130
100
430
Term project: a geochemistry proposal
This semester, you will write a proposal using the techniques and concepts learned in the
class. The details of this assignment are described on a separate assignment page. Two oral
presentations will be made; proposal topics will be presented ( 5 minutes) on Wednesday, 16
February, and proposals will be presented (15 minutes) during our final exam time on Monday, 2
May (10:30-12:30).