Our objective during the last section of the class is to exercise our petrology muscles, by gaining some hands-on knowledge of a specific petrologic topic, and by presenting the results of our research to an audience.

Topic Selection: Working in teams of one or two, select an igneous or metamorphic site or suite of samples that is of particular interest to you. There are a number of sample suites available in the department from previous field trips. Those of you going on a spring break trip may be able to collect samples that could be used for a project, but remember, it will take time to have thin sections made up (we send them to a commercial lab), so you'll have to work quickly upon return to get them back in time to prepare your project. You may also carry out a mathematical or geochemical modeling project based on literature data. All topics must be approved.

Titles Due: Term project titles should be turned in to me by Tuesday, March 11.

Research: Investigate your samples thoroughly by observing hand samples and thin sections. Chemical or SEM microchemical analysis may be possible, and XRD facilities are available in the Chemistry Dept. Carrying out relevant experiments is also a possibility. Thorough analysis of data from the literature on your sample area may be possible as a research project, but this type of project must be much more than a "book report." You are encouraged to use diverse source materials, including maps, state and federal reports, journals and books to provide background information for your project. Your project should include significant content based on your personal efforts. Be creative!

Class Presentation: For your 15 minute presentation to class, describe what motivated you to study the chosen topic, the geologic background of your samples, and a summary of the results of your research, with diagrams or pertinent data. Bring 10 copies of a one-page double-sided summary to class. Include a "references cited" section that lists those materials that you actually used in the preparation of your report.

Presentation Dates: Presentations will be made on April 29 and May 1.

Course Points: 15% of grade

Petrology Home A Few Petrology Links

Projects: Jason Braunberger Title: Mylonites from Patagonia I am investigating the Pangaré and La Seña Mylonitic Belts in the North Patagonian Massif, Argentina. Petrography confirms the presence of granitic augen-mylonites, protomylonites, mylonites, and ultramylonites in these two metamorphic regions. I will explain the basic petrography methods that I used in identifying and classifying these mylonites based on their shear stress indicators, folds, and other metamorphic textures. I will conclude with a discussion based on emplacement and deformation of this region. Sharon Brozo Title: Erionite from western N.D. Erionite is a zeolite which is found in the Killdeer Mountains in Western North Dakota. By using the SEM, I will analyze the chemical composition of erionite. Because erionite occurs in a volcanic tuff, I will filter the erionite from the amorphous volcanic glass. After filtration, I will be using X-Ray diffraction to analyze the crystallography of erionite. Ted Feit Title: Origin of Red Rocks from the Duluth Complex at Duluth Twin Ponds, near Duluth, MN, is home to a contact between diabase and feldspar-rich "red rocks". I will use petrography and X-Ray diffraction to understand the origin of these red rocks." John Fielding Title: Petrologic Description of Igneous Cobbles from the Chalky Butte member of the Chadron Formation, western North Dakota. Damon Johnson Title: Investigation of Devil's Tower Phonolite Meghan Long Voelkner Title: Mineralogy of the Flambeau Copper Deposit, Wisconsin Sally Sautner Title: Characterization of Columbite-Tantalite from a Pegmatite in the Black Hills, South Dakota Michael Totenhagen Title: Geochemical Characterization of Miocene Volcanic Ash from the Dry Valleys, Antarctica I have prepared two samples of ash from the Dry Valleys of Antarctica for chemical analysis by ICP and by SEM. I intend to compare them to volcanic bodies in the region (via previously published research) of similar ages based on the previously measured age dates. Shawn West Title: Geothermometry of Garnet Schists from the Black Hills, South Dakota

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B. Saini-Eidukat
Petrology
NDSU Geology 422/622

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