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Igneous rocks

 

 

Books about igneous rocks

Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (2nd Edition)
With enough background to be rigorous, yet not exhaustive, this book offers good preparation in the techniques of modern petrology; a clear and organized review of the classification, textures, and approach to petrologic study; and applies these concepts to the real occurrences of the rocks themselves. The goal throughout is for readers to be able to apply the techniques—and enjoy the insights of the results—rather than tinker with theory and develop everything from first principles. A survey of actual occurrences of igneous and metamorphic rocks, and processes that produce them, is provided. This section is often greatly condensed in most other books, but it is the most interesting and dynamic aspect of petrology.
Igneous Petrology
The field of Igneous Petrology has evolved greatly in the past years. McBirney's NEW Third Edition, completely revised and updated, presents a modern and integrated survey of the geological and genetic relations of igneous rocks. It illustrates how modern geochemical and geophysical methods can be combined with field relations to understand the generational and compositional evolution of magmas.
Atlas of Igneous Rocks and Their Textures
Atlas of igneous rocks and their textures A companion volume to the Atlas of Rock-forming Minerals in Thin Section, this full-colour handbook is designed to be used as a laboratory manual both by elementary students of earth sciences undertaking a study of igneous rocks in thin section under the microscope, and by more advanced students and teachers as a reference work. The book is divided into two parts — Part One is devoted to photographs of many of the common textures found in igneous rocks with brief descriptions accompanying each photograph. Part Two illustrates the appearance of examples of some sixty of the commonest (and a few not so common) igneous rock types; each photograph is accompanied by a brief description of the field of view shown. Nearly 300 full-colour photographs are included, and in many cases the same view is shown both in plane-polarized light and under crossed polars. A brief account of how thin sections can be prepared is included as an appendix. It is believed that the amateur geologist using these instructions will be able to make his own thin sections and, with the aid of a relatively simple microscope, enjoy the study of rocks in thin section.
Igneous and Metamorphic Rocks under the Microscope: Classification, textures, microstructures and mineral preferred orientation
This is the first modern text to provide a thorough integrated treatment of those parts of the subject that use the polarizing microscope as the central analytical tool. The book is divided into three parts and a comprehensive glossary/index provides easy access to the contents of the book.
Igneous Rocks and Processes
This book is for geoscience students taking introductory or intermediate-level courses in igneous petrology, and helps them develop key skills (and confidence) in identifying igneous minerals, and in interpreting – and allocating appropriate names to – unknown rocks presented to them. The book thus serves, uniquely, both as a conventional course text and as a practical laboratory manual. Following an introduction reviewing igneous nomenclature, each chapter addresses a specific compositional category of magmatic rocks, covering definition, mineralogy, eruption/ emplacement processes, textures and crystallization processes, geotectonic distribution, geochemistry, and aspects of magma genesis. One chapter is devoted to phase equilibrium experiments and magma evolution; another introduces pyroclastic volcanology. Each chapter concludes with exercises, answers being provided at the end of the book. Appendices provide a summary of techniques and optical data for microscope mineral identification, an introduction to petrographic calculations, a glossary of petrological terms, and a list of symbols and units. The book is richly illustrated with line drawings, monochrome pictures and colour plates.

Mind over Magma: The Story of Igneous Petrology
On more than 600 pages the author traces the history of the study of igneous rocks. In doing so, he does not trace the chronology of events but pursues the development of certain ideas or evaluates the impact of new techniques.
Volcaniclastic Rocks, from Magmas to Sediments
Recent research has emphasised the important part played by tephra during the evolution of volcanoes and their subsequent emission. Huge amounts of volcaniclasts are released by explosive volcanoes with significant impact on diverse aspects such as population safety, hydrology and the filling of sedimentary basins. This volume examines the production, transport and deposition of volcaniclasts (tephra and epiclasts) as well as their economic geology, particular in terms of reservoir engineering, hydrothermalism and hydrothermal mineralisations, hazard and development. Volcaniclastic Rocks, from Magmas to Sediments is an excellently written and beautifully illustrated textbook compiled by a multidisciplinary group of experts which will be of great value to postgraduates, researchers and working professionals in the earth sciences, especially in volcanology as well as economic, engineering and environmental geology.
Origin of Igneous Rocks: The Isotopic Evidence
The origin of different kinds of igneous rocks can be understood in terms of the tectonic setting in which they form and in terms of the isotope compositions of the strontium, neodymium, and lead they contain. This book explains the petrogenesis of igneous rocks as a consequence of tectonic processes resulting from interactions between asthenopheric plumes and the overlying lithospheric mantle. The relevant principles of isotope geochemistry are explained in the first chapter, making this book accessible to university students as well as to professionals. The relevant isotopic data are presented in diagrammatic form. In addition, the text avoids the use of acronyms.
Igneous Rocks: A Classification and Glossary of Terms: Recommendations of the International Union of Geological Sciences Subcommission on the Systematics of Igneous Rocks
Decades of field and microscope studies, and more recent quantitative geochemical analyses have resulted in a vast, and sometimes overwhelming, array of nomenclature and terminology associated with igneous rocks. This book presents a complete classification of igneous rocks based on all the recommendations of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) Subcommission on the Systematics of Igneous Rocks. The glossary of igneous terms has been fully updated since the first edition and now includes 1637 entries, of which 316 are recommended by the Subcommission. Incorporating a comprehensive bibliography of source references for all the terms included in the glossary, this book is an indispensable reference guide for all geologists studying igneous rocks, either in the field or the laboratory. It presents a standardised and widely accepted naming scheme that will allow geologists to interpret terminology in the primary literature and provide formal names for rock samples based on petrographic analyses. It is also supported by a website with downloadable code for chemical classifications.
The Field Description of Igneous Rocks
The Second Edition of this unique pocket field guide has been thoroughly revised and updated to include advances in physical volcanology, emplacement of magmas and interpreting structures and textures in igneous rocks. The book integrates new field based techniques (AMS and geophysical studies of pluton shape) with new topics on magma mixing and mingling, sill emplacement and magma sediment interaction. Part of the successful Field Guide series, this book includes revised sections on granitic and basaltic rocks and for the first time a new chapter on the engineering properties of igneous rocks.
Physical Geology of High-level Magmatic Systems
This book gives an up-to-date overview of the physical geology of sub-volcanic intrusions. Topics covered in this wide-ranging volume include important aspects of the field geology and physical volcanology of sills, laccoliths and sub-volcanic complexes, magma-sediment interaction and numerical and experimental studies aimed at quantifying more precisely the emplacement mechanics of high-level magmatic intrusions. Provocative papers ask whether laccoliths and high-level sills are forming today, and question the nature of the relationship between high-level intrusions and contemporaneous volcanic activity. Several contributions also deal with the more applied aspects of high-level magma emplacement and 3D seismic imaging of sill and laccolith complexes as relevant to the hydrocarbons industry. It is hoped that with the publication of this volume a consensus will emerge that will help to advance our understanding of the more important physical factors governing the emplacement of high-level intrusions in the continental crust, along with their wider geotectonic implications.
Timescales of Magmatic Processes: From Core to Atmosphere
Quantifying the timescales of current geological processes is critical for constraining the physical mechanisms operating on the Earth today. Since the Earth’s origin 4.55 billion years ago magmatic processes have continued to shape the Earth, producing the major reservoirs that exist today (core, mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere) and promoting their continued evolution. But key questions remain. When did the core form and how quickly? How are magmas produced in the mantle, and how rapidly do they travel towards the surface? How long do magmas reside in the crust, differentiating and interacting with the host rocks to yield the diverse set of igneous rocks we see today? How fast are volcanic gases such as carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere? This book addresses these and other questions by reviewing the latest advances in a wide range of Earth Science disciplines: from the measurement of short-lived radionuclides to the study of element diffusion in crystals and numerical modelling of magma behaviour. It will be invaluable reading for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as igneous petrologists, mineralogists and geochemists involved in the study of igneous rocks and processes.
Igneous Petrogenesis A Global Tectonic Approach
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.