Mineral crystal chemistry of the main phases in the mantle. Lower-mantle minerals. Role of the minor elements in lower-mantle minerals. Analogies between mantle mineralogy and shocked meteorites. Basic principles of HT and HP X-ray diffraction. Determination of the pressure of formation of the system diamond-inclusion by crystallographic methods.
A. Putnis (1992) Introduction to Mineral Sciences. Cambridge University
Press.
Power-point slides and materials given after the lectures.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
Knowledge of basic crystallochemistry of rock-forming minerals.
Competences acquired:
Acquisition of competence in analysis and description of crystal chemistry aimed to the application of geothermobarometers reported in literature.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Competence in reading of basic crystallochemical literature. Basis to understand the behaviour of rock-forming minerals as a function of their petrogenesis.
Prerequisites
Good knowledge of basic mineralogy and petrology.
Teaching Methods
Lectures supplemented by tutorials and exercises in order to obtain a
continuous monitoring of students' understanding
Further information
Office hours:
By appointment
Type of Assessment
oral test and discussion on some exercises to be done during the
examination
Course program
1. Introduction to the course, textbooks and presentation of the examination procedures;
2. Short review of the crystal chemistry of the main mantle minerals;
3. How crystallography can help for petrological considerations?
4. Geothermometry considerations by olivine crystal chemistry;
5. Geothermometry considerations by pyroxene crystal chemistry;
6. Geobarometry considerations by pyroxene crystal chemistry;
7. Applications to Italian volcanic districts: Vulture, Linosa, Pantelleria;
8. Geobarometry of the deep mantle, the role of alkaline metals:
- Pressure and K incorporation in clinopyroxenes;
- Pressure and Na incorporation in majoritic garnets;
- Pressure and Na incorporation in ringwoodite and bridgmanite;
9. Pressure and inversion degree of the ringwoodite structure;
10. Role of Fe3+ in deep mantle: the disproportionation reaction;
11. Analogies between deep mantle mineralogy and shocked meteorites;
12. P and T role on the minor elements incorporation (Ti and Cr) in olivina, wadsleyite, majorite, ringwoodite, bridgmanite and post-spinel phases;
13. Role of hydrogen in deep mantle;
14. Introduction to high-temperature X-ray diffraction;
15. Introduction to high-pressure X-ray diffraction;
16. Determination of the pressure of formation in the diamond-inclusion system by crystallographic methods.