Summary

All geoscience students need to understand the origins, environments and basic processes that produce igneous and metamorphic rocks. This concise textbook, written specifically for one-semester undergraduate courses, provides students with the key information they need to understand these processes. Topics are organized around the types of rocks to expect in a given tectonic environment, rather than around rock classifications: this is much more interesting and engaging for students, as it applies petrology to real geologic environments. This textbook includes over 250 illustrations and photos, and is supplemented by additional color photomicrographs made freely available online. Application boxes throughout the text encourage students to consider how petrology connects to wider aspects of geology, including economic geology, geologic hazards and geophysics. End-of-chapter exercises allow students to apply the concepts they have learnt and practice interpreting petrologic data.