Igneous
Petrology
Books:
1. Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology by John
D. Winter
2. Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology by
Anthony R. Philpotts and Jay J. Ague
What is igneous petrology?
-study of melts or magmas and the rocks that crystallize from them
Magma: high T solution of elements making up the Earth produced
due to melting of preexisting rocks
Some questions that we will try and answer
• How are melts generated ?
• What is melted and where ?
• What is produced by this melting ?
• How do melts crystallize to igneous rocks and what processes
accompany this crystallization?
• How do the liquid and solid portions evolve during melting and
crystallization?
• Does the large variety of igneous rock compositions result from different
sources of melt or variations in processes of melting or crystallization?
• Is there a relationship between igneous rock types & tectonic setting?
The Earth’s Interior
On the basis of composition
Crust, mantle and core
Crust: Oceanic crust
Thin: 8-10 km thick
Relatively uniform (Basaltic composition)
Created at MOR and destroyed at subduction zones, (oldest
160 Myr)
Continental Crust (1% vol.)
Thicker: 20-90 km average ~35 km
Highly variable composition
High concentrations of alkalis, calcium,
aluminum and silicon
Average composition: granodiorite
Mohorovicic discontinuity (Moho): between crust and mantle
The Earth’s Interior
Mantle (83% vol.)
Upper mantle: up to 410 kms, Rock- Peridotite
(ultramafic)- Olivine, pyroxene, plag/ spinel/
garnet
Lower Mantle: 660 kms to 2900 kms
Transition Zone: as velocity increases ~ rapidly
Major seismic discontinuities in mantle
•At 410 km: Phase change of Olivine to wadsleyite
(β-phase), ringwoodite( γ-phase) with distorted
spinel structure
•At 660 km: γ-phase with distorted spinel structure
to perovskite (MgSiO3), and Magnesiowustite (Mg,
Fe) O
SiIV→SiVI
The Earth’s Interior
Core:
Fe-Ni metallic alloy with minor
S, Si, O etc
Outer Core is liquid
No S-waves
D’'
Inner Core is solid
D’’ layer- between mantle and core
-200 to 350 kms thick
-Heterogeneous, thermochemical boundary
-Anisotropic with preferred orientation of
crystals or of chemically and physically distinct
structures
-Base of D’’ 5-10 kms thick ultra LVL-melts
Mechanical layering of Earth
Low Velocity Layer (LVL)
or asthenosphere
-60 to 220 km
-Slowing of seismic wave
velocities due to small
degrees (1-10%) partial
melting of mantle
Lithosphere: crust +
upper mantle till the LVL
Mesosphere- mantle below LVL
LVL is an important source of melt and acts as a lubricant
to ease the movement of lithospheric plates
Variation in P and S wave velocities with depth
Compositional subdivisions of the Earth are on the left, rheological subdivisions on
the right
Deep profile of the Earth
Relative atomic abundances of the seven most common
elements that comprise 97% of the Earth's mass
Pressure variation with
depth
At about 15 kms depth brittle-ductile
transition
Above brittle-ductile transition, rocks have
high shear strength and can support
differential stresses
Below brittle-ductile transition, rocks can
flow in response to long-term stresses
Pressure becomes hydrostatic which in case
for Earth is called lithostatic
z
P increases = zρg
Nearly linear through mantle
∫ ρgdz
0
~ 30 MPa/km
» 1 GPa at base of ave crust
Core: P incr. more rapidly since alloy more
dense
Temperature variation with depth
Heat flows into the crust from the mantle below in response to temp
gradients that were set up early in Earths history
Heat sources in the Earth
1. Heat from the early accretion (gravitational potential energy) and differentiation of
the Earth
still slowly reaching surface
2. Heat released by the radioactive breakdown of unstable nuclides e.g. 235U, 238U,
40K mostly in the continental crust
Heat Transfer
1. Radiation
2. Conduction
3. Convection
4. Advection- transfer of heat with rocks in motion
Geothermal gradient
Oceanic (blue curves) and continental
shield (red curves) geotherms to a depth
of 300 km. The thickness of mature (>
100Ma) oceanic lithosphere is hatched
and that of continental shield
lithosphere is yellow
Plate tectonic settings and magmatism
Plate Tectonic - Igneous Genesis
1. Mid-ocean Ridges 5. Back-arc Basins
2. Intracontinental Rifts 6. Ocean Island Basalts
3. Island Arcs 7. Miscellaneous Intra-
4. Active Continental Continental Activity
kimberlites, carbonatites,
Margins anorthosites...
