Curriculum

1st year

Winter semester

Advanced Metamorphic Petrology MG440P35 Shah Wali Faryad, Jan Kulhánek

• Chemistry of rock-forming minerals and their significance for interpreting PT evolution in metamorphic rocks.
• Understanding and calculation of equilibrium conditions of minerals.

Rheology and deformation microstructures MG440P26 Petr Jeřábek

• The course aims at understanding the mechanical behaviour of most common Earth materials exposed to various environmental conditions (e.g. pressure, temperature, stress, deformation rate).
• Students will be able to interpret rock thin sections in terms of deformation conditions.

Advanced Structural Geology MG440P46 Ondrej Lexa

• This course is focused on kinematic deformation analysis and the relation of deformation and forces. It covers concepts of progressive and finite deformation, stress and strain tensors and quantitative strain analysis.
• Students will be able to use matrix calculus in structural geology and they will gain an adequate background in continuum mechanics for more advanced research.

Isotope Geochemistry - Geochronology MG440P23 Vojtěch Janoušek

• This course presents the fundamentals of radiogenic isotope geochemistry and geochronology. It also includes principal analytical procedures.
• Students will be able to understand the principles of geochronological methods based on radioactive decay as well as using radiogenic isotopes as petrogenetic tracers.

Data analysis in R and Python MG440P44 Vojtěch Janoušek, Ondrej Lexa

• The course presents the basics of the R and Python programming languages and illustrates their usability and versatility for scientific calculations/graphics.
• Students will be able to program simple R and Python scripts useful in the interpretation of data in various branches of Science.

Advanced reading course MG440C28A Alessandro Fabbrizio

• Individual reading of scientific articles and subsequent explanation of the article’s content to the other students. Preparation of three powerpoint presentations for selected articles and their conference-style presentation.
• Students will develop and improve their understanding of scientific texts and presentation skills.

Seminar in Petrology and Structural Geology MG440S51A

• Scientific presentations of invited international and Czech experts in the field of geodynamics, petrology, geochemistry and structural geology.

Diploma project I. MG400DP1A

• Preparatory work for a diploma project to become familiar with the topic including literature recherche.

Summer semester

Igneous processes MG440P24 Vojtěch Janoušek, Václav Špillar

• The course is focused on petrological and compositional variability of igneous rocks as well as petrogenetic processes playing role in their origin.
• Students will be able to interpret petrology and whole-rock geochemistry of igneous rocks.

Geological Thermodynamics MG440P71 Alessandro Fabbrizio

• The course provides an overview of thermodynamic relations and principles of phase diagrams applicable in mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, bearing geology or mineral physics.
• Students will be able to use state equations of solids and fluids at high-temperature/high-pressure and to interpret multicomponent phase diagrams.

Numerical Modelling of Heat Transfer in Geology MG440P73 Ondrej Lexa

• This course provides an overview of heat distribution and transfer in the lithosphere and focuses on numerical methods to solve steady-state and transient heat equation.
• Students will be able to apply the physical principles of heat transfer, for different geological situations using appropriate numerical modelling techniques in Python programming language.

Dynamics of Magma Chambers MG440P70 Václav Špillar

• The course presents the physicochemical background needed for an understanding of the internal dynamics of magma chambers, mainly for analyzing thermal, crystallization and mechanical processes active during magma chamber cooling.
• Students will learn to use the software for crystallization, heat transport, and fluid dynamics simulations and strengthen their general skills for quantitative description of natural phenomena.

Microanalysis of Geomaterials MG440C79 Martin Racek

• The course provides a theoretical introduction to methods related to electron microscopy and microanalysis followed by practical work of students using the scanning electron microscope and electron probe microanalyzer. 
• Students will be able to operate an electron microscope and microanalyzer independently

Advanced Microscopy MG440C64 Shah Wali Faryad, Petr Jeřábek

• Minerals and their microstructures in specific rocks, mainly those formed under extreme P-T-D-X conditions + advanced techniques in light microscopy (universal stage and CIP).
• Understanding and interpreting mineral assemblages and their microstructures under the microscope.

Advanced Reading Course MG440C28B Alessandro Fabbrizio

• Individual reading of scientific articles and subsequent explanation of the article’s content to the other students. Preparation of three presentations for selected articles and their conference-style presentation.
• Students will develop and improve their understanding of scientific texts and presentation skills.

Seminar in Petrology and Structural Geology MG440S51B

• Scientific presentations of invited international and Czech experts in the field of geodynamics, petrology, geochemistry and structural geology.

Diploma project II. MG400DP1B

• Additional reading for a diploma project and acquisition of the first own data.

Field Course in Geodynamics MG440T30 Ondrej Lexa, Petr Jeřábek

• The course covers field synthesis of geological information coming from structural geology, petrology, geochemistry and sedimentology with the aim to reconstruct the evolution of various orogenic domains.
• Students will be able to match and evaluate data acquired by different disciplines.

2nd year

Winter semester 

Geodynamics of Lithosphere MG440P37 Petr Jeřábek, Ondrej Lexa, Shah Wali Faryad, Vojtěch Janoušek

• The course focuses on the evolution of the oceanic and continental crust, structure and mechanical properties of lithosphere and subduction to orogenic processes.
• Students will understand key aspects controlling architecture of convergent and divergent plate margins as demonstrated on several case studies.

Magnetic Anisotropy and Paleomagnetism MG440P55 František Hrouda, Ondrej Lexa

• The course presents physical principles and background of paleomagnetism and magnetic anisotropy techniques applied in various rocks and specific structural studies.
• Students will be able to judge the relevancy of application of the magnetic anisotropy analysis.

Experimental Petrology MG440P78 Alessandro Fabbrizio

• The course offers a general overview of the most common experimental methods used in petrology to study physical and thermodynamic properties of solid, liquid and gaseous phases at high pressure and temperature conditions.
• Students will be able to design appropriate experimental plans and to evaluate experimental data independently.

Seminar in Petrology and Structural Geology MG440S51C

• Scientific presentations of invited international and Czech experts in the field of geodynamics, petrology, geochemistry and structural geology.   

Diploma project III. MG400DP2A

• Data production and analysis for a diploma project.

Summer semester 

Seminar in Petrology and Structural Geology MG440S51D

• Scientific presentations of invited international and Czech experts in the field of geodynamics, petrology, geochemistry and structural geology.

Diploma project IV. MG400DP2B

• Analysis of data for a diploma project and writing a master thesis.

Elective field courses

Field Course in Petrology and Structural Geology MG440T78 Petr Jeřábek, Ondrej Lexa, Václav Špillar, Jan Kulhánek

• The aim of this course is to foster practical skills acquired during courses in metamorphic and magmatic petrology, structural geology and geotectonics focussing on the identification of the relationship between deformation and metamorphism/magmatism in different tectonic environments. 
• Students will become familiar with the practical application of field methods in petrology and structural geology.

Field Exercises in Structural Geology MG440T68 Ondrej Lexa, Petr Jeřábek

• The course is focused on the demonstration of basic structures on the outcrops and quantitative field methods in structural geology.
• Students will become familiar with basic tools in field structural geology.

Field Course in Petrology MG440T04G Kryštof Verner, Václav Špillar, Jan Kulhánek

• The course will introduce basic rock suites in the Bohemian Massif.
• Students will become familiar with processes leading to the formation of common rock types in the Bohemian Massif.

Additional elective courses

Petrology of Metamorphic Rocks MG440P10E Shah Wali Faryad, Jan Kulhánek

• Formation and compositional changes of minerals during metamorphism, phase relation, reactions progress and re-equilibrium conditions of metamorphic minerals.
• Interpretation of mineral reactions and their graphic presentation.

Fundamentals of Structural Geology MG440P17E Petr Jeřábek

• The course provides basic tools in structural geology and description of common geological structures, relying on quantitative approach as well as an interplay between dynamic and kinematic analyses.
• Students will acquire basic skills in describing and interpreting geological structures.

Microscopy of rock-forming minerals MG440C08E Alessandro Fabbrizio

• The course includes work with a polarization microscope, description of minerals characters and determination of their optical properties. 
• Students will be able to describe and identify the most common rock-forming minerals by using a polarization microscope.

Microscopy of Rocks MG440C12E Shah Wali Faryad

• Mineral textures in various magmatic and metamorphic rocks and their interpretation.
• Understanding crystallization and modification of minerals and mineral assemblages during temperature and pressure change.

Metallic deposits: geology, mining, and environmental impact MG432P29E

• The course covers the main aspects of the exploitation of metallic ore deposits. It introduces principles of ore formation processes, exploration and mining methods, and monitoring, disposal and treatment of sulphidic wastes and mine waters.
• Students will be able to identify the main types of ore deposits and understand basic exploration and mining methods