Igneous Petrogenesis - Softcover

Wilson, Marjorie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0045520259 ISBN 13: 9780045520251

Publisher: Unwin Hyman, 1989

Synopsis

As a major text in igneous petrology, this innovative book offers a much-needed, radically different approach to the study of igneous rocks. Bridging a long-recognized gap in the literature by providing petrogenic models for magmatismin terms of global tectonic processes, it encompasses geophysics and geochemistry in a comprehensive treatment of the subject.
Most textbooks in igneous petrology have intended to avoid discussion of potentially controversial petrogenetic models. However, this is precisely the sort of information senior students of igneous petrology require. Dr Wilson has drawn on 15 years of research and 10 years of teaching experience in writing an account of what is now a well established understanding of the processes involved in environments of magma generation. She provides full discussions of the major-element, trace-element, and radiogenic isotope characteristics of magmas generated in different tectonic settings and she deals with the information derived from such data concerning magma source regions and their ascent trough the Earth's lithosphere. Additionally each chapter contains a summary of geophysical data relating to crustal and mantle structure and the location of magma reservoirs.
The modular format of the book will facilitate its use by all students, researchers and professionals with an interest in igneous petrology. A basic knowledge of geochemistry, mineralogy, phase diagrams, regional geology and global tectonics is assumed, but such advanced topics as trace element and isotope geochemistry can be omitted initially if the reader's background is inappropriate. The text is profusely illustrated and the bibliography contains over 1000 carefully selected references.

Marge Wilson graduated in geology at the University of Oxford. She then spent a year at the University of California, Berkeley, and subsequently studied the petrogenesis of nepheline syenites from the Gardar province of Greenland, leading to a PhD from the University of Leeds. Her research has focused on island-arc, oceanic-island and intra-continental plate tectonic settings.

About this title

Synopsis:

This geology textbook on igneous petrology encompasses geophysics and geochemistry in the study of igneous rocks. The main objective in writing this book was to review the processes involved in present-day magma generation and their relationship to global tectonic processes since, in the author's opinion, these are fundamental to the understanding of the petrogenesis of ancient volcanic and plutonic sequences, the original tectonic setting of which may have been obscured by subsequent deformation and metamorphism. Wilson has tended to focus on volcanic rocks from those recently active provinces for which we have the most comprehensive geochemical data sets. She provides discussion of the major-element, trace-element and radiogenic isotope characteristics of magmas generated in different tectonic settings and she deals with the information derived from such data concerning magma source regions and the processes modifying primary mantle-derived magmas during their ascent through the earth's lithosphere. Additionally, each chapter contains a summary of geophysical data relating to crustal and mantle structure and the location of magma storage reservoirs. The work should appeal to the more advanced undergraduate and beginning postgraduate students as well as their teachers who already have a basic foundation in pretrological principles.

About this edition

• Publisher: Unwin Hyman
• Publication date: 1989
• ISBN 10: 0045520259
• ISBN 13: 9780045520251
• Binding: Paperback