Why Study Rocks?
More than 99% of the mass of the Earth is made of rocks that are considered to have igneous or metamorphic origins (wow!). Thus, it is important for all geologists / earth scientists to have a general understanding of the description, classification, mineralogy, chemical composition and processes associated with the formation and evolution of igneous and metamorphic rocks. For the next three months, I will do my best to create an environment in which you can learn about igneous and metamorphic rocks and processes. However, as the old saying goes, “you can lead a geology student to granite but you can’t make her/him ID the phenocrysts!” In other words, your success in this class will largely be up to you. Always feel free to let me know when I can do something to improve the class or lend you a hand lens. Learning Objectives By the end of this course, you should achieve the four overarching goals: • Identify and characterize common igneous and metamorphic rocks in the lab and the field
