Minerals:
Their Constitution and Origin.
Two 1-hour lectures and two 2-hour laboratories per
week
Student presentations on selected subjects
Reading assignments refer to:
WB Wenk and Bulakh (2006 or 2008). Minerals, their Constitution and Origin. Cambridge University Press.
| Date | Lecture | Lab/Homework (Lab Manual) |
| 2008 | Mo We 1-2 | Mo We 2-4 |
| W Aug. 27 |
Organization of class. What are minerals,
crystals? Minerals versus rocks. Elemental abundance. WB Chapter 1 |
No Lab. |
| W Sept. 3 |
Bonding, solid state, metals (close
packing), ionic crystals (radius ratio coordination,
Pauling rules), crystal chemistry of simple Structures
(NaCl, diamond etc.) WB Chapter 2 |
Lab 1: Chemical Composition |
| M Sept. 8 |
Classification of minerals, Mineral
identification methods WB Chapters 14 and 15 |
Mineral Set J Important properties in 30 hand specimens |
| W Sept. 10 |
Ideal crystals, lattice concept, unit
cells, crystal systems (cubic, tetragonal etc.) WB Chapter 3 (p 32-44) |
Mineral Set J (continue) Important properties in 30 hand specimens |
| M Sept. 15 |
Miller indices hkl, zone indices,
description of lattice planes and directions WB Chapter 3 (p 44-53) |
Lab. 2: Unit cells, Miller indices, lattice |
| W Sept. 17 |
Symmetry of crystals, description of
morphology, representation of crystals with stereographic
projection WB Chapter 4 (p 54-72) |
Lab. 3: Spherical projections |
| M Sept. 22 |
Crystal morphology, recognizing important
crystal forms (cube, octahedron), habit, twinning, growth
mechanisms WB Chapter 4 (p73-83), Chapter 5 |
Lab. 4: Symmetry, crystal systems |
| W Sept. 24 |
X-ray diffraction Bragg's law, powder
method, cubic lattice parameter, mineral identification WB Chapter 7 (p 117-130) |
Lab. 5: X-ray crystallography, powder method |
| M Sept. 29 |
Structural defects: Point defects,
dislocations (deformation), twins, stacking faults
(related to phase transformations) polymorphism,
isomorphism. WB Chapter 6 |
Review for Midterm |
| W Oct. 1 |
Petrographic microscope Refractive index, Becke line, plane polarized light WB Chapter 9 (p 156-165) Chapter 10 (p181-183) |
Lab. 6: How to use a microscope, alignment. How are thin sections made? Optical properties of isotropic minerals, Becke line, relief |
| M Oct. 6 |
Color, pleochroism, polarization,
interference colors. WB Chapters 11, 9 (p 164-172), 10 (p 181-183) |
Lab. 7: Polarization, interference colors. |
| W
Oct. 8 |
MIDTERM (all except Optics) | MIDTERM |
| Sat Oct. 11 |
1-day Fieldtrip | |
| M
Oct. 13 |
Interference colors,
compensators. Optical indicatrix. Relationship to crystal
symmetry, axial angle WB Chapters 9 (172-178), 10 (p 183-188) |
Lab. 8: Extinction, compensators. |
| W
Oct. 15 |
Interference figures (uniaxial, biaxial) WB Chapter 9, 10 (173-180, 189-194) |
Lab.9: Uniaxial interference figures (oriented sections only) |
| M
Oct. 20 |
Thermodynamic stability and phase
diagrams, melting WB Chapters 17, 18 (p. 288-296, 301-304, 305-310) |
Lab. 10: Biaxial interference figures |
| W
Oct. 22 |
Native elements, halides. Occurrence in
evaporites, chemical sediments. WB Chapters 20, 21 |
Mineral Set I: 15 native elements, halides phosphates, sulfates, sulfides. |
| M
Oct. 27 |
Carbonates, phosphates, sulfates.
Biogenic sediments. WB Chapters 22, 23 |
Mineral Set I
(Continued) Project presentations |
| W
Oct. 29 |
Sulfides. Hydrothermal origin WB Chapter 24 |
Quiz on Mineral Set I Mineral Set II: 14 oxides and carbonates |
| M
Nov. 3 |
Oxides and hydroxides. Review of ionic
structures. WB Chapter 25 |
Project presentations Mineral Set II (Continued) |
| W
Nov. 5 |
Silicates, structural principles. WB Chapter 26 (p 425-428) |
Quiz on Mineral Sets I and II; Mineral Set III: 27 rock-forming silicates |
| M Nov. 10 |
Silica minerals and feldspars as examples
of polymorphism. WB Chapter 19 |
Project presentations Lab. 11: Optical properties of quartz and feldspars (p 194-200) |
| W
Nov. 12 |
Orthosilicates. Olivine, garnet, epidote.
Aluminosilicates as metamorphic indicators. WB Chapter 26 (p 429-447) |
Project presentations Mineral Set III (Continued) |
| M
Nov. 17 |
Chain silicates (pyroxenes, amphiboles).
Silicates in igneous rocks. Crystallization of magma
(Bowen). WB Chapter 28 |
Lab. 12 Orthosilicates and pyroxenes in thin sections (p 201-204) |
| W
Nov. 19 |
Sheet silicates (mica, serpentine, clays)
Structural and chemical classification. Sheetsilicates as
products of weathering. WB Chapter 27 |
Lab. 13 Amphiboles and mica in thin sections (p 204-205) |
| M
Nov. 24 |
Framework silicates (alkali feldspar,
plagioclase, zeolites) WB Chapters 20, 29 |
Fieldtrip to Blake Gardens, Kensington.
|
| W
Nov. 26 |
Applied mineralogy: Cement minerals,
concrete. Lecture by Prof. P. Monteiro WB Chapter 32 |
Project presentations Lab. 14: Silicates (mainly homework) |
| M
Dec. 1 |
Applied Mineralogy: Gems, ore deposits WB Chapters 30, 31 |
Quiz on Mineral Sets I, II and III Project presentations |
| W
Dec. 3 |
Minerals and health WB Chapters 33 |
Project presentations |
| M
Dec. 8 |
Mineral composition of the Solar system
and the earth. Review WB Chapters 34 and 35 |
Review for Final |
| W
Dec. 10 |
FINAL EXAMINATION during lecture and lab period (1-4 p.m.). | FINAL EXAMINATION |