MINERALOGY AND OPTICAL MINERALOGY
cod. 1007127

Academic year 2018/19
1° year of course - Second semester
Professor
Academic discipline
Mineralogia (GEO/06)
Field
Discipline geologiche
Type of training activity
Basic
84 hours
of face-to-face activities
12 credits
hub: PARMA
course unit
in ITALIAN

Learning objectives

The purpose of the course is to provide basic knowledge on the chemical and physical properties of minerals and the interaction between minerals and the environment.

Prerequisites

basic knowledge in chemistry and physics

Course unit content

The mineralogy studies the minerals that are the building blocks of rocks. The mineralogy is preparatory courses of Geological Sciences as minerals are the basic units for the study of Earth sciences and because of the multiple interactions between minerals and man.

Full programme

Program

Definition of minerals. Minerals in the earth and environment, natural and synthetic.

Part 1. Minerals: what are they made of

Mineralogical crystallography: two-and three-dimensional patterns. Translational symmetry
and crystalline systems. Morphological crystallography. Stensen and Hauy laws. Parametric axes and Miller indices.
Indexing of faces and edges. Elements of symmetry and morphology
of crystals. The 32 point groups. The
stereographic projection: projection of the elements of
symmetry and determination of the point symmetry in ideal crystals.


Part 2: Chemical and physical properties: how to identify minerals

Scalar, vector and tensor properties and relations with the symmetry of the mineral: thermal expansion, compressibility, speed of light, and magnetization. X-ray diffraction and mineral identification: powder diffraction and interpretation of the relative diffraction.

Chemical properties: the main elements of the earth's crust. Ionic radius and coordination polyhedra. The SiO44- tetrahedron. The Pauling rules. Polymorphism and isomorphism in minerals.
Phase diagrams in mineralogy.Optical mineralogy, extinction angle, Becke line, optic sign, birefringence, pleochroism. Practical determination of optical properties in minerals


Part 3: Minerals in nature and environment

Systematic Mineralogy: main structural features,
chemical and physical properties of the mineral families. The silica minerals. Feldspars: chemistry, and order-disorder transformations. Feldspatoids. Inosilicates: amphibole and pyroxene. Phyllosilicates: derivation of structural types; mica and clay minerals. Orthosilicates: olivine and garnet. Other silicates: epidote, tourmaline, anhydrous silicates of Al, zircon.
Non silicates: the CO32-, SO42-, PO43- groups(carbonates, sulfates and phosphates) and main differences with silicate minerals. Oxides: cubic and hexagonal compact packings. The spinels. Basics on sulphides. The mantle minerals.

Bibliography

Klein C. (2004) Mineralogia, Zanichelli, Bologna

Wenk H.R., Bulakh A. (2004) Minerals , their constitution and origin, Cambridge University press, CambridgeDyar et al Mineralogy and optical mineralogy (2008), Mineralogical society of america Philippot (2016) Earth meterials Cambridge university press

Teaching methods

lessons, class and individual demonstrations

Assessment methods and criteria

oral exam, with previous test on stereographic projection and on optical properties of a mineral in thin section

Other information

frequency, although not mandatory, is highly recommended.