GEOL 104- Final Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 97 pages long!)

• School: Texas A&M University
• Department: Geology
• Course: GEOL 104
• Professor: Frederick Michael Chester

Document Summary

Explain the important factors that cause silicate rocks to melt and that cause melts to solidify. Use a phase diagram for peridotite to explain the two main causes of magma production, and also explain the two main causes for solidification. For each type of plate tectonic setting that produces copious amounts of igneous rocks, identify which of the melting and solidification processes are most important. Felsic rocks have lower melting temperatures and lower pressure. A higher water content means that the melting temperature will decrease. The lower pressure also means a lower melting temperature. Magma forms because rocks melt and magma is less dense than rocks so it is able to rise up. Temperature of the interior of earth increase with depth, so rocks at greater depths are able to melt more. The phase diagram would show that at lower pressures and smaller depths, the peridotite would melt at lower temperatures.