Mineralogy and Geochemistry

The module consists of linked lectures, online teaching and practical classes in the first half the semester,
followed by a group research project. The practical classes use the petrological (polarizing) microscope as a
tool for the description and identification of minerals. They cover plane polarized light and crossed polarized
light techniques and their use for the systematic description of common rock-forming minerals. The textural
difference between igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic and hydrothermal rocks will be examined under the
microscope and explained. Lectures will outline the optical theory required to understand polarized light
observations; introduce chemical concepts used in geochemistry including elements and ions, the Periodic
Table, chemical bonding, balanced chemical reactions and partition coefficients; introduce concepts in
crystallography and mineralogy including atomic structure, crystal symmetry, chemical substitution and solid
solution, exsolution and polymorphism; outline how silicate minerals are classified; introduce the
relationships between mineral atomic structure, chemical, optical and other physical properties; and
examine the evidence for the average chemical composition of the Earth and of its crust, mantle and core.
The lectures will be supplemented by online material supported by self-assessment quizzes. The group project
will employ the petrological microscope and chemical analyses of minerals to determine the chemistry and
mineralogy of a suite of rocks to better understand their origin and economic or environmental significance.
Students will produce individual written reports and a group presentation to present their findings to the
class.