Petrologie of Igneous Rocks

Petrology of igneous rocks deals with the identification, classification, formation, and evolution of igneous rocks. The vast majority of the Earth is inaccessible. Even the deepest research borehole into the continental crust reaches a depth of only 12.3 km, or about 0.2% of the Earth's radius. Apart from geophysical methods, the only way to understand the composition and evolution of the Earth and the physico-chemical processes taking place in its interior is by studying rocks from deep within the Earth. Such rocks can reach the Earth's surface as a result of tectonic and/or magmatic processes such as volcanism, and are our object of study in the form of so-called "xenoliths." In addition, the processes involved in the formation of magma and in the crystallization of igneous rocks are studied in order to constrain the composition and evolution of the continental crust and the upper mantle, as well as to understand the properties and evolution of volcanic plumbing systems and the flow behavior of crystal-bearing magma. A major research focus is studying the conditions and processes prevalent in magmatic plumbing systems, using the composition and microstructures of crystals and crystal clusters transported from depth to the surface in magmas. Our research includes exploring the formation of primitive magma at depth, ocean island basalts (OIB), mantle xenoliths, orogenic peridotite, and ophiolites - fragments of ancient oceanic crust. Other studies involve magmatic intrusions into the continental crust, including a variety of granitoid rocks. Results of the petrological investigations of igneous rocks allow inferences on details of the evolution of the crust and mantle.