Origin of Igneous Rocks

The origin of different kinds of igneous rocks can be understood in terms of their tectonic setting, and by way of the isotope compositions of strontium, neodymium, and lead. 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 it accessible for university students as well as professionals. The relevant isotopic data is presented in diagrammatic form. The book contains more than 400 original drawings.

Chemical Properties and Isotope Systematics: Chemical Properties of Rb and Sr; Isotope Systematics of Rb and Sr; The Rb-Sr Method of Dating; Fitting of Isochrons; The Sm-Nd Method of Dating; The Epsilon Notation; Mixture of 2 Components; The U-Pb Methods of Dating; Oxygen Isotope Composition; Fractional Crystallization of Magma; Assimilation and Fractional Crystallization; Meteorites and the Isotope Evolution of Terrestrial Sr; Summary and Preview.- The Origin of Volcanic Rocks in the Oceans: Magma Formation in the Mantle; Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt, Atlantic Ocean; Iceland; Canary Islands; Islands of the Atlantic Ocean; Mantle Components and Plumes; MORBs of the Pacific Ocean; Islands of the East Pacific Ocean; Seamounts of the East Pacific Ocean; The Island Chains of Polynesia; The Ontong Java and Manihiki Plateaus; The Hawaiian Islands and Emperor Seamounts; Samoan Islands, Western Pacific; MORBs of the Indian Ocean; Kerguelen and Heard Islands; Oceanic Islands of the Indian Ocean; Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea; Summary - The Importance of Plumes.- Subduction Zones in the Oceans: Petrogenetic Models; The Mariana Island Arc in the Pacific Ocean; The Aleutian Islands; Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands; The Japanese Islands; Tonga-Kermadec-New Zealand; The Sunda Islands of Indonesia; Philippine Islands and the Luzon Arc; Other Oceanic Island Arcs in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans; The Lesser Antilles, Caribbean Sea; Mesozoic Basalt, Caribbean Sea; Mediterranean Sea; Summary - Petrogenesis in Subduction Zones.- The Compressive Margin of the American Continents: Andes of South America; Rhyolites and Ignimbrites of Central America and Mexico; Rhyolites and Ignimbrites of California; Silicic Volcanic Rocks of the Southwestern USA; Mafic Volcanic Rocks, Southwestern USA; The Cascade Range of the Northwestern USA; Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks of the Oregon Plateau; Summary - The Tertiary Ignimbritesof the Americas.- Continental Flood Basalt Provinces: Petrogenesis of Flood Basalts; Columbia River Basalt, USA; Snake River Plain and Yellowstone Caldera; North Atlantic Igneous Province; Deccan Plateau, India; Rajmahal Plateau, Northeastern India; The South Atlantic Igneous Province; The Brazil-West Africa Connection; The Northeastern Brazil-Liberia Connection; Magmatic Activity along the Atlantic Coast of North America; The South Africa-Antarctica Connection; Jurassic Tholeiites of the Transarctic Mountains; The Siberian Flood-Basalt Province; Cenozoic Basals of Eastern China; Flood Basalts of Ethiopia and Yemen; Continental Basalts of Arabia; Summary - Plumes Dominate the Mantle.- Alkalic Igneous Rocks on the Continents: East African Rift System; The Potassic Rocks of the Western Rift of East Africa; Volcanic Activity of North-Central Africa; Intraplate Alkaline Plutons of Africa; Mediterranean Region; Alkali-Rich Volcanic Rocks of Central Europe; Scandinavia; Kola Peninsula, Russia; Western North America; Ultramafic Inclusions, Western North America; Australia; Antarctica; Summary - The Case for Mantle Metasomatism.- Differentiated Gabbroic Intrusives: Midcontinent Rift System of North America; Muskox Intrusion and the Coppermine Basalt, NWT, Canada; Diabase Dikes and Sills of the Canadian Precambrian Shield; Stillwater Complex, Montana; Kiglapait Intrusion, Labrador; Caledonian Gabbros of Northeast Scotland; Rhum Intrusion, Inner Hebrides, Scotland; Bushveld Complex, South Africa; Great Dyke, Zimbabwe; Mafic Intrusives of Australia; Summary - Petrogenesis in the Precambrian.- Archean Greenstone Belts and Granitic Gneisses of North America: Greenstone Belts of the Superior Craton; Mantle-Separation Dates; Isotopic Homogenization of Granitic Gneisses; The Wyoming Craton; Amitsoq Gneiss and Isua Supracrustals, West Greenland; Summary - The Origin of the Oldest Rocks.- References.- Author