GeologyLesson 2 of 2 in the course Rocks and the rock cycle

Petrology: Rock Types, Description, and Investigative Methods

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

Petrology is the branch of geology concerned with rocks: what they are made of, how they are structured, and the conditions under which they form. Understanding petrology helps explain how Earth’s materials change and how the different rock types are connected.

The word petrology comes from the Ancient Greek pétros, meaning “rock,” and -logía, meaning “study of.” Petrologists examine a rock’s mineralogy, composition, texture, and structure, and investigate the conditions under which it formed.

All flashcards

What is petrology?
Petrology is the branch of geology that studies rocks, including their mineralogy, composition, texture, structure, and formation conditions.
How do lithology and petrography differ in current usage?
Lithology generally describes rocks at a macroscopic hand-sample or outcrop scale. Petrography specializes in microscopic details.
What is a protolith?
A protolith is the original rock before metamorphic change. It may be any kind of rock.
What does experimental petrology investigate?
Experimental petrology uses high-pressure, high-temperature equipment to study the geochemistry and phase relations of natural or synthetic materials.
What kinds of rocks are studied by the three main branches of petrology?
Igneous petrology studies rocks crystallized from magma; sedimentary petrology studies sedimentary rocks; and metamorphic petrology studies rocks changed by pressure, temperature, or both.

Quiz questions

  1. Why are igneous and metamorphic petrology often taught together?Answer: Both make extensive use of chemistry, chemical methods, and phase diagrams.
  2. Which materials may make up sedimentary rocks?Answer: Particles from other rocks, biological material, or chemical deposits.
  3. In petroleum-industry mud logging, what happens to drill cuttings?Answer: They are circulated from a borehole, sampled, examined, and recorded.
  4. What can geochemistry help reveal about rocks?Answer: Chemical patterns, trends, and cycles related to rock formation.
  5. Why is sedimentary petrology often taught alongside stratigraphy?Answer: It examines sedimentary-rock formation and relates to the study of rock layers.

Based on the Wikipedia article Petrology, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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