Sciences
Subject: PETROLOGIA E VULCANOLOGIA (A.A. 2024/2025)
master degree course in GEOSCIENCES, GEORISKS AND GEORESOURCES
| Course year | 2 |
|---|---|
| CFU | 6 |
| Teaching units |
Unit Petrologia e Vulcanologia
Mineralogy, Petrography and Geochemistry (lesson)
|
| Exam type | oral |
| Evaluation | final vote |
| Teaching language | Italiano |
Overview
At the end of the course the student:
- Is able to describe the present-day and fosssil volcanic structures and associate morphologies
- Is able to define te eruptive mechanisms and fundamental physical laws that regulate them
- Knows the relationships between tectonic setting, composition and physical properties of the magmas
- Knows the italian volcanic provinces
Meeting all time by appointment: daniele.brunelli@unimmore.it – 059 205 8462
Admission requirements
Basics of Earth sciences: petrography, geochemistry, geomorphology
not mandatory
Course contents
Magma genesis. Composition and evolution of the magmatic series.
Chemical-physical properties of the magmas and their volcanological significance. Viscosity, crystal nucleation and settling, volatile content. Magma differentiation and structure of the magmatic chambers.
Volcano distribution and relation with the geodynamic setting.
Volcanic morphologies and internal structure.
Degassing, vesiculation and magma fragmentation. Degassing and eruptive style.
Dispersion in the atmosphere, volcanic plumes, flows and pyroclastic flows.
Magnitude and frequency of the eruptions. Eruptive regimes of basaltic, andesitic and rhyolitic volcanoes.
Measuring volcanic systems: intensity, conduit velocity, trajectories and aerial dispersion.
Dynamics of the lava flux at subaerial and subaqueous conditions.
Fumaroles, open system degassing and conduits, crater lakes and interference with the hydrous systems.
Extraterrestrial volcanism.
Introduction to volcanic hazard.
Teaching methods
Teaching will be in presence till it will be allowed in the framework of the pandemic evolution
Assessment methods
The final exam can be done online or in presence according to the evolution of the COVID19 regulations. The evaluation of the course is two steps: an intermediate test were each student is asked to produce and present a short research on a given volcanic center and/or specific eruption event. A final test with multiple-choice question will be run online or in presence according to the COVID regulations.
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student:
- Is able to define the relationships between tectonic setting and volcanic character of the eruptive centers.
- Knows the shallow and deep volcanic structures and associate morphologies.
- Knows the chemical-physical characters of the magmas and their influence on the eruptive style.
- Has basis on the fundamental fluid dynamics laws ruling magma ascent, eruption and dispersion.
Readings
- Title: Essentials of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology, Author: Frost/Frost, ISBN: 9781108710589
- Materiale fornito durante il corso
- H. Sigurdsson (Ed.), 2000. Encyclopedia of Volcanoes. Accademic press, San Diego, U.S.A
- H.U. Schminke, 2004. Volcanism. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg