Petrology is the study of rocks, their mineral and chemical composition, texture and the geological processes that formed them, traditionally divided into the study of igneous rocks formed from cooling magma, sedimentary rocks formed from deposited particles, and metamorphic rocks transformed by heat and pressure. Petrologists examine thin slices of rock under polarizing microscopes to identify constituent minerals and infer the conditions under which a rock crystallized or was altered, work that reveals the tectonic and volcanic history of a region. The discipline is closely tied to mineralogy and structural geology and underlies the search for economically valuable rock and ore deposits.
Facts
Central QuestionUnder what conditions a given rock formed, inferred from its mineralogy, composition, texture and structure. 1 ScopePetrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture and structure, and the conditions under which they form. 1 SignificancePetrology divides into igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary branches, with igneous and metamorphic petrology taught together for their shared reliance on chemistry and phase diagrams. 1 Petrology
Connections
Founded By
Source Henry Clifton Sorby (Wikipedia)
Has Theory
Sources
1. Petrology (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section, definition sentence
the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form.
Lead section, scope sentence
the branch of geology that studies rocks, their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure and the conditions under which they form.
Lead section, closing sentence
Igneous and metamorphic petrology are commonly taught together because both make heavy use of chemistry, chemical methods, and phase diagrams.
View the Source Henry Clifton Sorby (Wikipedia)
WikipediaFounded By: Henry Clifton Sorby, Pioneering work in petrography and microscopical geology sectionQuote, Founded By: Henry Clifton Sorby, Pioneering work in petrography and microscopical geology section
In England, he was one of the pioneers in petrography
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