The science of igneous petrology is founded on astute observation of rocks, guided by the rigorous principles of physical chemistry. It is, perhaps, the wedding of fallible observation with rigorous theory that makes this such a delicious science. In view of this, it is appropriate to study rocks and phase diagrams hand in hand. Good books on petrography abound, but there are few introductory books on phase diagrams, and none that illustrate in detail the quantitative analysis of fractional and equilibrium crystallization and melting, the four limiting processes capable of rigorous discussion. This book is an attempt to remedy the deficiency <...>

This volume includes papers on properties, structure and phase relationships that involve silicate melts. These problems are of interest to many scientists who are involved in geosciences and chemistry because of the fundamental nature of the topics. The last ten years have been marked by major achievements in this field of science.

This volume is devoted to the memory of the Russian petrologist D.S. Korzhinskiy. The world community of geoscientists has highly valued his contributions to petrology, particularly the discovery and thermodynamic description of open systems with perfectly mobile components. Korzhinskiy's work reached this community's attention because his book Physicochemical Basis of the Analysis of the Paragenesis of Minerals (1959, Consultants Bureau, New York) was translated into English. However, in the Soviet Union D.S. Korzhinskiy is also highly regarded for his contributions to geology and study of ore deposits as well as to theoretical petrology. Stratigraphy and geology of the Precambrian Aldan shield in Eastern Siberia; origin of lapis lazuli and phlogopite deposits and iron formations; boron mineralization; genesis of skarns and general theory of metasomatic zoning; origin of granites, charnockites and anorthosites; theory of the acid-basic interaction of components in the dry silicate melts: all of these were subjects of his more than 200 papers and books. The papers in the present volume span Korzhinskiy's broad interests. These papers were selected with the aim of illustrating the progress made in physicochemical petrology since Korzhinskiy.

Igneous petrology is the study of melts (magma) and the rocks that crystallize from such melts, encompassing an understanding of the processes involved in melting and subsequent rise, evolution, crystallization, and eruption or emplacement of the eventual rocks. Origin by crystallization from a melt seems a simple enough criterion for considering a rock to be igneous.

Petrology, from the Greek words petra , meaning rock, and logos, meaning knowledge, is the study of rocks and the conditions in which they form. It includes igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary petrology.

Processes involved in the development of igneous and metamorphic rocks involve some combination of crystal growth, solution, movement and deformation, which is expressed as changes in texture (microstructure). Recent advances in the quantification of aspects of crystalline rock textures, such as crystal size, shape, orientation and position, have opened new avenues of research that extend and complement the more dominant chemical and isotopic studies.

Igneous and metamorphic petrology in the last decades of the twentieth century exploded into a broad, multifaceted, increasingly quantitative science. Advances in physical and field petrology and geochemistry have forever changed our thinking about the origin and evolution of magmas, their dynamic behavior, and the way in which they are intruded and explosively extruded. Developments in geochronology, quantitative evaluation of the role of heat and fluid transfer in crustal rocks, and new field discoveries have impacted our understanding of the evolution of metamorphic systems and their dynamic interaction with tectonic processes. Geophysics and mineral physics have provided new insights into the nature of the convecting mantle and its role as a giant heat engine driving magmatic and metamorphic processes. New tools of all kinds allow new ways of gathering petrologic data, while phenomenal developments in computers and computer software permit data to be stored, processed, and modeled in ways unimaginable as recently as a couple of decades ago.

The ever increasing amount of data on crystal arrangement in igneous and metamorphic rocks, alloys and ceramics, shows that the microtextures of these materials result from sequences of crystal growth and resorption. Metallurgists have become knowledgeable in the interpretation of textures and can make or modify textures of alloys in order to obtain specifjc responses to traction, distortion, etc. The modifications in texture can be reproduced or changed as often as desired. By analogy, it is probable that the microtextures observed in rocks may result from the same processes that govern similar textures in manufactured products. <...>

The second edition of Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology follows the same general approach as the first edition. The book is designed to introduce igneous and metamorphic petrology to those who have completed introductory college-level courses in physics, chemistry, and calculus. Its emphasis is on principles and understanding rather than on facts and memorization. With this approach, it is hoped that students will not only gain a sound understanding of petrology but will develop skills that can be applied to the analysis of problems in many other fields of Earth Science. <...>

This text is designed for use in advanced undergraduate or early graduate courses in igneous and metamorphic petrology. The book is extensive enough to be used in separate igneous and metamorphic courses, but I use it for a one-semester combined course by selecting from the available chapters. The nature of geological investi-gations has largely shaped the approach that I follow.