Geosciences 311
Mineralogy
Fall, 2004
Instructor: Sheila Seaman; Phone: (545-2822) Office: 242 Morrill
e-mail: sjs@geo.umass.edu
Office hours: Mon. 10-12, Thurs. 2-4
Textbook: Mineralogy (Second Edition); Author: Dexter Perkins
The solid Earth is made of rocks. Rocks are made of minerals. We study mineralogy not only for the joy of learning about minerals because they are interesting, but also because they provide abundant information about the history of the Earth and about the way the Earth is working right now. The major goal of this course is to give you access to the information that minerals can provide about Earth processes and Earth history. This includes a basic understanding of minerals and the information they offer, knowledge of the resources that can be used to obtain that information, and some experience and skill in gathering and interpreting information about minerals.
This course will enable you to:
1. Be able to identify common rock-forming minerals in most of the rocks in the world
2. Be familiar with equipment and techniques for identifying and characterizing minerals
3. Have some understanding of the relationship between crystal structures of minerals, chemical compositions, and physical properties
4. Have an understanding of the factors that affect the stability and occurrence of minerals and assemblages of minerals
These goals will be approached through a combination of independent exploration of a mineral that you will be assigned, through in-class work, and through hands-on lab work. Finally, there seems to be no good substitute for careful examination of hand specimens of minerals and rocks, both in the field and in the laboratory.
A vast amount of information about minerals and rocks is available through examination of thin sections with the petrographic microscope. About three weeks of the course will focus on the theory and practice of optical mineralogy. This will provide you with the rudiments of the subject; it is intended to prepare you adequately for Geosciences 321, Petrology, which will be taught during the spring semester. To gain a more in-depth understanding of optical mineralogy, you are encouraged to take Geosciences 691O, Optical Mineralogy, at some time later in your program.
Of all subjects in geology, mineralogy seems to include the largest number of diverse topics, all of great importance. A general outline of the topics we will consider is attached. This outline will be supplemented with laboratory assignments and problem sets. You should expect to spend about 6-9 hours per week outside of lectures, laboratories, and field trips on this course. Please let me know if the course is taking more time than this.
Geologists are expected to be able to identify common minerals in hand specimens. To help you fulfill that expectation, there will be a collection of common minerals on display in Room 225. You are responsible for being able to identify each of these minerals both as an independent mineral specimen and as part of a rock. There will be periodic assignments in which you will be asked to identify the minerals in one or more rocks, and when we examine the silicate mineral groups in detail later in the semester, minerals will be added to those already on display in room 225. You may use any resources you wish in completing these assignments. As the semester progresses, you will have a growing number of tools and skills at your disposal and you will be expected to use these tools in making you identifications.
You can generally feel free to help one another in the field, in the lab, and in completing problem sets and other assignments (except on the take-home and ordinary exams). Joint efforts are a problem only if the members of the group are not equal partners in the effort. If you feel that you are not capturing the concepts necessary to complete the work, make sure to come to me for help.
Grades will be based on problem sets, lab assignments, and quizzes (~50%), on exams (~30%), and on your mineral project, which will culminate in the construction of a web page for your mineral and review of your peers’ web pages. Problem sets or lab assignments are due one week after they are assigned unless otherwise specified. Late work will be accepted, but will have 5% per day late deducted from the grade. Failure to hand in assignments will result in failure of the course. Don’t allow yourself to fall behind in handing in assignments. We will go on one weekend field trip, leaving Saturday morning and returning late Sunday afternoon. The date of the field trip will be announced during the first week of classes. This trip is a required part of the course. Failure to attend will adversely affect your grade. There will also be one in-lab field trip, which will take place during the first full week of classes.
Finally, each meeting of this course builds on the information presented during the previous class. Hence, missing a class is a serious setback. If you need to miss a class, please let me know in advance, and make arrangements for getting the notes of one of your classmates. Missing one or two classes will not affect your grade. Missing more than one or two classes will send it plummeting!
Mineralogy 2004
Syllabus
Th, Sept. 9 Introduction: course organization, mineralogy as a field of geology, elements and
Minerals (Chapter 1)
T, Sept. 14 Elements and Minerals (Chapter 1)
Th, Sept. 16 Crystallization and Classification of Minerals (Chapter 2)
T, Sept. 21 Basics of Crystallography (Parts of Chapters 9 and 10)
Th, Sept. 23 Basics of Crystallography
T, Sept. 28 Basics of Crystallography
Th, Sept. 30 Igneous Rocks and Silicate Minerals (Chapter 5)
T, Oct. 5 Igneous Rocks and Silicate Minerals (Chapter 5)
Th, Oct. 7 Igneous Rocks and Silicate Minerals (Chapter 5)
T, Oct. 12 Igneous Rocks and Silicate Minerals (Chapter 5)
Th, Oct. 14 Sedimentary Minerals and Sedimentary Rocks (Chapter 6)
T, Oct. 19 Sedimentary Minerals and Sedimentary Rocks (Chapter 6)
Th, Oct. 21 Sedimentary Minerals and Sedimentary Rocks (Chapter 6)
T, Oct. 26 Metamorphic Minerals and Metamorphic Rocks (Chapter 7)
Th, Oct. 28 Metamorphic Minerals and Metamorphic Rocks (Chapter 7)
T, Nov. 2 Metamorphic Minerals and Metamorphic Rocks (Chapter 7)
Th, Nov. 4 Ore Deposits and Economic Minerals (Chapter 8)
T, Nov. 9 Crystallography (Chapters 9 and 10)
Th, Nov. 11 Crystallography (Chapters 9 and 10)
T, Nov. 16 NO CLASS—Geological Society of America Meeting
Th, Nov. 18 Crystallography (Chapters 9 and 10)
M, Nov. 22 Optical Mineralogy (Chapter 4)
T, Nov. 23 Optical Mineralogy (Chapter 4)
T, Nov. 30 Optical Mineralogy (Chapter 4)
Th Dec. 2 Optical Mineralogy (Chapter 4)
T Dec. 7 Optical Mineralogy (Chapter 4)
Th, Dec. 9 Optical Mineralogy (Chapter 4); Conclusion of the Course