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GEOL 3010 Mineralogy Fall, 2010
Introduction Joseph R. Smyth Office: 340 Benson Office Hours 10 11 Mon Wed Mon-Wed http://ruby.colorado.edu/~smyth/ syl3010.html http://ruby.colorado.edu/~smyth/ Home.html
Prerequisites
Math - First semester calculus or
Why Study Minerals?
Minerals are the way atoms are Atomic environments in rock are
1 = 10-10 m = 10-7mm
equivalent
arranged in rocks.
Chemistry - First semester Computers
reactions, isotopes
ln, ex, sin, cos, tan, etc. , , , ,
Periodic Table, formulas, balancing
homogeneous from the mm scale to the scale (7 orders of magnitude).
Mineralogy is solid-state
MSWord, Excel, or equivalents
geochemistry.
Why Study Minerals?
Minerals are fundamental to
Rocks are aggregates of minerals.
Earth Sciences.
Mineralogy is a mature science. Mineralogy is primarily a tool for
Environmental sciences Geochemsitry Geophysics
understanding the Earth
Rocks are aggregates of minerals.
Minerals are homogeneous down to atomic scale.
1 mm
Definition of a Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring, homogeneous solid with a definite, but not fixed, composition,
Minerals are Naturally Occurring
In order to be a mineral, a chemical
and an ordered atomic arrangement that is formed by inorganic processes.
A mineral is a natural, crystalline
compound must occur naturally somewhere and be stable enough to study in the lab. We can make many compounds in the lab that are not minerals unless they are found in nature.
phase.
Mineral are homogeneous
Minerals are chemically
Definite, but not fixed, composition.
Minerals have chemical formulas
homogeneous down to the atomic scale.
determined by the atomic structures. Symmetry requires atoms to occur in simple, specific, integer ratios. But, for a given mineral, substitutions of similar elements are possible.
Ordered atomic arrangement
Minerals are crystals (crystalline
Ordered atomic arrangement
solids). Crystals are periodic arrays of atoms. Atoms achieve their lowest energy by having each different type of atom (element) in an identical environment.
Halite (NaCl) Fluorite (CaF2)
Inorganic Processes
The mineral must have at least one
These are Minerals
Gold, silver, diamond, graphite Pyrite, marcasite, sphalerite Salt (halite), fluorite, calcite (halite) fluorite calcite,
occurrence where it is formed by inorganic processes. g p Calcite may be formed by organisms to form shells, but it also occurs in igneous and metamorphic environments.
apatite Olivine, garnet, zircon Pyroxene, amphibole, mica Quartz, feldspar, zeolite
These natural solids are NOT Minerals
Granite, basalt, limestone Wood, coal
(organic, non-crystalline solids) (glass, non-crystalline solids) (amorphous) (These are rocks, composed of minerals) ( , p )
Polymorphs and Isomorphs
Polymorph:
same composition, different structure
Isomorph:
Opal, obsidian, pumice
same structure, different composition
Polymorphs
Two minerals with the same
Isomorphs
Minerals with the same structure
composition, but different structures are different minerals. Diamond and graphite are both pure carbon, but are different minerals Quartz-tridymite-cristobalite-coesitestishovite: all polymorphs of SiO2. Calcite and aragonite are both CaCO3. This is why we use mineral names rather than chemical formulas.
and different compositions are isomorphs.
(MgO), galena (PbS)
Forsterite (Mg2SiO4)- fayalite (Fe2SiO4) Halite (NaCl) - sylvite (KCl) periclase (KCl), Gold (Au) - silver (Ag) Quartz (SiO2) - berlinite (AlPO4) Muscovite-Biotite
Sometimes theres crystalline
solution, sometimes not.
Mineralogy Today
Mineralogy is a mature science Mineralogy is primarily a tool for
10 to 20 new species each year About 5000 total species
Mineralogy Today
Mineralogy is the study of natural
crystalline solids.
understanding the Earth.
Geophysics
Geochemistry
Mineral Physics
Igneous, sedimentary, Metamorphic Ore deposits Environmental Biogeochemistry
