Metamorphic processes
Master course offered biannually in winter semester (2018, 2020 etc.)
Geodynamic processes are accompanied by steady changes in mineral assemblages and textures and rocks often contain record of mineral assemblages forming under variable conditions. The course concentrates on mineral transformations and reactions occuring over a wide pressure-temperature range of regional and contact metamorphic conditions. It includes principles of crystal chemistry, mineral thermodynamics, geothermobarometry, inverse modeling of metamorphic events and forward prediction of metamorphic assemblages and phase diagrams, fundamentals of crystal deformation and plasticity, recrystallization mechanisms and paleopiezometry. Students will acquire working knowledge of software packages Thermocalc, Theriak and Perplex.
Instructor: Prof. David Dolejs
Course format: 2 hr lecture, 2 hr practical session
Course contents
- Crystal chemistry of rock-forming minerals
- Composition space and thermodynamics of minerals
- Equilibrium concept of metamorphism
- Construction of metamorphic phase diagrams: Theriak software
- Local and partial equilibria
- Inverse equilibrium models: Thermocalc software
- Metamorphic crystallization and local mass transport
- Chemical potentials and reaction affinity as driving forces for phase transformations
- Deformation laws and paleopiezometry
- Rheology of polymineralic and partially molten rocks
- Metamorphic fluids, internal and external buffering
Course materials are provided in the online university system (ILIAS).