petrologii

Petrology, sometimes called petrologia in Polish, is the branch of geology that studies rocks: their origin, composition, texture, and evolution. It seeks to explain how rocks form under varying temperature, pressure, and chemical environments, and how they record the geological history of the Earth and other planetary bodies. Petrology integrates mineralogy, geochemistry, and structural geology.

The field is traditionally divided into igneous petrology, sedimentary petrology, and metamorphic petrology. Igneous petrology examines rocks formed by crystallization of molten material, whether intrusive or extrusive. Sedimentary petrology analyzes rocks formed by lithification of sediments, including clastic, chemical, and organic varieties. Metamorphic petrology studies rocks that have undergone mineralogical changes due to pressure, temperature, or deformation.

Petrology uses petrography, the microscopic examination of rocks in thin section, as a fundamental tool, along with geochemical analyses, mineral chemistry, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and experimental petrology to simulate natural processes. Field mapping, rock sampling, and dating methods contribute to placing rocks in broader tectonic and chronological contexts.

Applications include resource exploration, environmental geology, and the reconstruction of Earth's history, including crust formation, plate tectonics, and metamorphic events. In education and research, petrology provides a framework for interpreting rock records and for comparing terrestrial rocks with meteorites and other planetary materials.