2025 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Laboratory in Earth and Planetary Sciences (petrology)
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Akira Ishikawa
- Class Format
- Experiment
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- EPS.L202
- Number of credits
- 001
- Course offered
- 2025
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 19, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
To take petrology and geology courses, students will be required to confirm and apply the basics learned from other introductory courses. Although rocks are important resources to reveal the history of Earth, we cannot take information from them without our understanding of nature of the rocks. The teacher will explain the basics of petrology, and then students will observe rocks slices under a polarizing microscope. Students will be required to understand the feature and consisting minerals of each rock, and to judge what rocks we observe.
Course description and aims
[Goal] To learn the basics of geology and petrology, and relevant field in petrology. These knowledges will support to understand other classes in EPS department.
[Theme] To understand that rocks and minerals are mine of physical and chemical information for Earth and planets evolution. Throughout this class, students will get into the habit "see and think" that is the basic attitude for research activity.
Keywords
Polarizing microscope, Igneous rocks, Sedimentary rocks, Metamorphic rocks, Minerals
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
To explain the contents of each class, rock observations under a polarization microscope and to sketch the rocks, and summary of the class. Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and prepare for the topics with handouts and references.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Principles of polarized light microscopy | Understanding how to use the polarized light microscope |
| Class 2 | Thin section preparations | Understanding how to prepare the thin section |
| Class 3 | Rock classification and mineral identification | Understanding the classification scheme for rocks and rock-forming minerals |
| Class 4 | Observations of igneous rocks | Understanding the feature of minerals in igneous rocks. |
| Class 5 | Observations of sedimentary rocks | Understanding the feature of minerals in sedimentary rocks. |
| Class 6 | Observations of sedimentary rocks | Understanding the feature of minerals in metamorphic rocks. |
| Class 7 | Examination | Appraisal and description of rocks |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend a certain length of time outside of class on preparation and review (including for assignments), as specified by the Tokyo Institute of Technology Rules on Undergraduate Learning (東京工業大学学修規程) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology Rules on Graduate Learning (東京工業大学大学院学修規程), for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
Texts will be provided before the class via T2SCHOLA
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Reference books: ADAMS, A. E. & MACKENZIE, W. S. 1998. A Colour Atlas of Carbonate Sediments and Rocks Under the Microscope. Manson Publishing, 黒田吉益、諏訪兼位著『偏光顕微鏡と岩石鉱物』共立出版 (in Japanese)、都城秋穂、久城育夫著『岩石学Ⅰ』共立全書 (in Japanese)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students will be evaluated from the intelligibility for mineral observation by microscope. The score of this class is based on the score of reports and attitudes in every class.
Related courses
- EPS.A205 ： Introduction to Earth Sciences
- EPS.A203 ： Introduction to History of the Earth
- EPS.A331 ： Earth Materials
- EPS.L201 ： Experimental Methods of Earth and Planetary Sciences (safety and data analysis)
Prerequisites
Taking EPS.A201 is required.
Taking EPS.A205 and EPS.A203 is recommended.
Contact information (e-mail and phone) Notice : Please replace from ”[at]” to ”@”(half-width character).
Ishikawa（akr[at]eps.sci.titech.ac.jp）
Office hours
Not provided