This course is designed as a one-term introduction to rocks and the minerals that form them. Minerals play a significant role in processes ranging in scale from the formation and evolution of planets to the interaction of living organisms (bacteria) with rocks within the crust. Minerals and rocks have also played an important role in the history of human civilization – technologies as diverse as the manufacture of stone tools and the production of steel and aluminum are dependent on the type and abundance of specific rock and mineral types. Furthermore, many of the challenges that we now face – exploitation of mineral resources, development of nanotechnologies, and environmental issues related to mineral extraction and processing – involve minerals either directly or indirectly. The goal of this course is to provide you with a sense of how minerals form, the chemical rules that dictate their structure and physical properties, an ability to recognize common rock-forming minerals, and an understanding of how these minerals constitute common rocks in different environments.

Traditionally, teaching of Mineralogy (the study of minerals) and Petrology (the study of rocks) have utilized a combined lecture and laboratory format that will allow you to work with concepts in the lab as they are introduced in lecture. As much of your learning will be done in the laboratory, your lab grade counts for 40% of your final grade. The remaining 60% of the grade will be based on three in-class exams (15% each), and a short (5-7 page) term paper on a topic of your choosing (15%). Labs and lectures will be closely coordinated so that it is important that you try to attend all classes.

Your text book is Minerals: Their constitution and origin by H-R Wenk and A Bulakh [WB] with an additional short book Evidence from the Earth: Forensic Geology and Criminal Investigation by RC Murray [M]; all reading assignments will be from these books. Additional reference books will be provided in the lab. Those who are particularly interested, or who feel that you might like to continue the exploration of rocks and minerals on your own, can find a number of other resources in the form of rock and mineral guides (there is a nice paperback put out by the Smithsonian).