Ian S Mc Callum

ESS 437

Seattle Campus

Mineralogy

Symmetry of crystals and crystal structures. Rules of crystal chemistry. Microscopic,

diffraction, and spectroscopic techniques of mineral characterization. Transformation

processes in minerals: order-disorder, phase transition, and exsolution. Crystal

chemistry and phase relations. Reactions on mineral surfaces. Physical properties,

deformation, and creep. Prerequisite: CHEM 142; ESS 212; ESS 312.

Class description

ESS 437/537 Mineralogy

Credits: 5 [Lectures: M W 12:30 pm-1:45 pm; Lab: M W 2:30 – 4:20 pm] Instructor:

I. S. McCallum Location: Room 127 Johnson Hall

As a consequence of the restructuring of the courses required for the major in ESS,

required courses in mineralogy have been reduced to 5 weeks in ESS 212 (Earth

Materials). This does not provide an adequate preparation for students interested in

more advanced study in petrology and geochemistry. In ESS 437/537 we attempt to

provide a follow-up course that looks at minerals in more detail. A knowledge of

minerals is an essential tool for all branches of geology since the behavior of natural

materials is a direct consequence of the physical and chemical properties of minerals.

This class is designed to provide a comprehensive view of the mineral sciences.

Required books: Putnis, Andrew: Introduction to minerals sciences. Cambridge

University Press.

Nesse, William D. Introduction to Optical Mineralogy (2004) Third edition. Oxford

University Press. If you don’t already have Nesse’s “Introduction to Mineralogy”

textbook, you should get this one.

OR Nesse, William D; Introduction to Mineralogy. Oxford University Press. (Most of

you will have this book since it is the same book as used in ESS 212. It provides an

adequate summary of the principles of optical mineralogy in Chapter 7 and the optical

properties of minerals is covered in Chapters 12 through 20). Either of the Nesse

books is required for all lab sections. This book is quite expensive ($108 new) but

there are abundant used copies available on Amazon.com for as low as $80 so, if you

don’t have a copy, I recommend that you purchase the book through Amazon.

Recommended book: Bloss, F.Donald: Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry. This

book is out of print but has been reprinted in paperback by the Mineralogical Society

of America. As a member of MSA I get a 25% discount so I can order several copies

from MSA. You can buy a copy from me at the discounted price of $25 (includes

shipping charges). If anyone would like a copy of Bloss, let me know and I will place

a rush order and will let you know when the books arrive.

Topics to be covered in lectures:

• Review of Morphological Crystallography (an expanded discussion of material

covered in ESS 212): Symmetry, crystal systems, crystal classes, axes, Miller Indices,

crystal projections, crystal forms.

• More advanced aspects of crystallography: Translational symmetry, lattices (2D and

3D-Bravais lattices), screw axes, glide planes, space groups, systematics of crystal

structures, twinning, phase transformations, polymorphism, crystal intergrowths.

• Crystal chemistry: Material covered will build on concepts learned in ESS 312.

• X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), spectroscopy: Theory of

x-ray crystallography, reciprocal lattices, Ewald sphere, single crystal and powder x-

ray diffraction. Determination of cell dimensions using powder data. Interpretation of

oriented intergrowths using single crystal precession photographs. Principles of

transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction and the uses of

TEM studies in mineralogy. If time permits we will discuss some of the spectroscopic

techniques that are increasingly used in mineralogy and petrology, e.g., Fourier

transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Mossbauer spectroscopy, Raman

spectroscopy, NMR, ESR, MicroXanes.

• Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA): If there is sufficient time we will cover this

topic in lectures and in the laboratory. Theory of x-ray generation, use of diffracting

crystal in wave length dispersive analysis, energy dispersive analysis, Back Scattered

Electron Imaging and Secondary Electron Imaging, correction procedures for

quantitative analysis

• Mineralogy, crystallography, crystal chemistry of the major rock forming minerals

This part of the course (second half) will emphasize the major rock-forming minerals:

olivine group, pyroxene group, feldspar group, amphibole group, mica group, oxide

group, and sulfides. For each mineral group we will discuss crystal structures, crystal

chemistry, compositional variations, order-disorder, thermodynamic properties, phase

equilibria, thermobarometry, natural occurrence. Time permitting, we will discuss

other important, but less common, mineral groups.

Lab Topics:

• Optical Mineralogy: The first 5-6 weeks (approximately) of the laboratory will be

devoted to optical mineralogy in which we will cover the basics of mineral

identification with the polarizing microscope using thin sections and polished thin

sections. The physics of light optics and the interaction of light with crystalline

material are reviewed to the extent necessary for an understanding of polarized-light

techniques. The emphasis is on hands-on use of the microscope. We will learn how to

measure optical properties and identify the rock-forming minerals including olivines,

pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, feldspars, feldspathoids, quartz, carbonates, common

sulfides, common oxides, plus other important rock-forming minerals such as garnet,

epidote, zircon, titanite, apatite, chlorite, talc, rutile, kyanite, sillimanite, andalusite. In

the early part of the quarter, some of the lab time will be devoted to lectures primarily

on optical mineralogy and the remaining time to hands-on work with the petrographic

microscope. Other forms of microscopy will be discussed and demonstrated (time

permitting). I will try to schedule demonstrations of scanning electron microscopy and

transmission electron microscopy (if the TEM lab in Astronomy is not too busy with

Stardust samples)

• Electron probe microanalysis: We will devote one lab section for a demonstration of

the use the electron microprobe for the quantitative analysis of minerals and glass and

how to obtain high magnification back scattered electron (BSE) images. This lab will

be done with the assistance of Scott Kuehner.

• X-ray diffraction: (a) Powder diffraction. We will devote one lab period to analyse

and interpret x-ray powder data. It may be possible to arrange a session in the

diffractometry lab in the Department of Material Sciences. Each student will be

provided with a sample of a single mineral to study. We will learn how to index

powder patterns and compute cell dimensions.

(b) Single crystal diffraction. We will examine and measure precession photographs

of single crystals of common minerals. We will learn how to index precession

photographs and how to use these photographs to determine cell dimensions and the

crystallographic nature of oriented intergrowths (exsolution).

• You should bring Nesse to the lab. You will also need a lab notebook.

Grade: Grades in the class will be based on homework (~20%), lab exercises (~20%),

take home lecture final (~30%), lab final (~25%) and class participation (~5%).

Student learning goals

Understanding the principles of crystallography

Understanding the principles of bonding and crystal structures

Understanding physical and chemical properties of the rock-forming minerals.

Understanding the effects of extreme P and T on mineral stabilities

Understanding the basic thermodynamic properties of minerals

Understanding how and where minerals occur in nature.

General method of instruction

Mostly lectures + classroom discussion Labs: hands-on microscope work

Recommended preparation

ESS 212 (Earth Materials), ESS 312 (Geochemistry) or equivalents Chemistry 142,

152 or equivalents Physics 121, 122 or equivalents

Class assignments and grading

Three (possibly four) home problems Weekly lab exercise

Grades in the class will be based on homework (~20%), lab exercises (~20%), take

home lecture final (~30%), lab final (~25%) and class participation (~5%).