Trace-Element Geochemistry
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this advanced earth science course on using trace element geochemistry to interpret the origin and evolution of igneous rocks. Lectures cover the physical and chemical parameters that govern how trace elements partition between minerals and melt, and build quantitative models for that partitioning in igneous systems. The course then turns to published research papers that apply these models, working through how geochemists use trace element data to reconstruct magmatic processes. Materials include lecture notes and reading lists drawn from the geochemistry literature, provided free under MIT's OpenCourseWare license with no certificate offered. Suited to students with a background in igneous petrology or geochemistry looking for a rigorous, paper-driven treatment of the subject.