Professor:
Dr Bob Downs |
522/526 Gould-Simpson |
626-8092 |
rdowns@u.arizona.edu |
Office hours: anytime (including immediately following lecture) |
Laboratory Teaching Assistants:
Melli Rose | Catherine Hanagan |
524 Gould-Simpson | 546 Gould-Simpson |
mellirose@email.arizona.edu | ceh5464@email.arizona.edu |
Office hours: by appointment | Office hours: by appointment |
Classes:
Lectures: Monday and Wednesday 10-10:50 a.m., in R P Harvill Bldg, Rm 302Textbook:
Laboratory: Tues 5:00-7:50, or Thurs 5:00-7:50, or Fri 11:00-1:50 in 209 Gould-Simpson
Final Exam: Fri 13 Dec 10:30-12:30 in our classroom
Minerals: their constitution and origin by H-R Wenk and A Bulakh, Cambridge University Press, any editionsCourse prerequisites:
or Manual of Mineral Science, 22nd edition by Cornelis Klein, John Wiley and Sons, Inc, or newer editions, does not matter
Successful completion of a first semester college chemistry course, e.g. CHEM 103A, or its equivalent.Objectives:
The primary objective of this course is to develop a broad overview of the minerals that form the bulk Earth such as their crystal structure and composition, their origins, and significance. We will explore the fundamental principles of crystallography and crystal-chemistry. These principles govern and describe the architecture of minerals at the atomic level and are responsible for their macroscopic properties and stabilities. We will study the nature of the dominant phases that make up the bulk of the earth and the principal minerals that comprise the Earth's crust and are of applied interest. We will discuss methods to identify minerals in hand specimen, and using X-ray diffraction or spectroscopy, as well as the use of the electron microprobe for the determination of chemical compositions.
Grading Policy:
Your final grade is based on the following distribution: