Study of Geological Materials

Course Overview

Observations in the field and under the microscope are important aspects of petrology, structural geology, and sedimentary geology. In this course we combine lectures, laboratory practicals and fieldwork to develop the students' understanding of these fields of study. In this course we include interpretation of data collected by the students in the field and aim to develop a general understanding of petrological analysis.

Key Features

It is not always easy to see how information taught in a classroom translates into practical knowledge that can be applied to real situations. In this course, we focus on a limited range of skills important in the interpretation of rocks and introduce examples where this can be applied to understanding geology in the local area. We use a combination of lectures, laboratory studies and fieldwork. In most cases there is a lecture in the morning followed by a related practical in the afternoon. However, to maintain a flexible timetable, including fieldwork, and to help develop a good overall understanding of the multifaceted processes that result in the geology we see on the ground, we have reserved one full day in the timetable.

Course Schedule

Session	Contents
1	Overview of contents and aims; preparation of rock thin sections
2	General study of thin sections from geological survey in the Shitara area
3	Rock microstructure 1: The origin of foliations in rock
4	Rock microstructure 2: The mechanisms of rock deformation
5	Rock microstructure 3: Porphyroblasts and metamorphism
6	Rock microstructure 4: Interpretation of crystallographic preferred orientation of deformed rocks
7	Rock microstructure 5: Measurement of crystallographic preferred orientation and SEM
8	Modelling the thermal structure of the crust
9	The use of microstructure and thermal modeling to interpret contact metamorphism (field survey)
10	Sedimentary structures 1: Observation of recent sediments in the Yahagi river (field survey)
11	Sedimentary structures 2: Observation and measurement of paleocurrent directions in the Joko-ji area (field survey)
12	Sedimentary structures 3: Interpretation of field orientation data and use of stereonet
13	Formation of sedimentary rocks 1: identification of heavy minerals and their interpretation
14	Formation of sedimentary rocks 2: identification of clastic material and its interpretation
15	Observation of igneous rocks

Lecture Handouts

• Heat Conduction and Contact Metamorphism

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