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| Th 04 Sept - am | Introduction: course organization, mineralogy in the context of geology, chemical classification of minerals, physical properties of minerals. |
| Th 04 Sept - pm | Field Trip: to Huntington, MA. Mineralogy in the field. |
| Tu 09 Sept - am | Crystallography: constancy of interfacial angles, minerals are crystals constructed in patterns, coordinate systems for minerals |
| Th 11 Sept - am | Crystallography: coordinate systems for minerals, lattices, unit cells, directional indices, Miller indices, axial ratios. Symmetry, symmetry operations, symmetry elements (rotation, reflection, and their combinations), crystal systems, crystal classes, SHAPE. |
| Th 11 Sept - pm | Crystallography: crystals, blocks, computers, and coordinate systems. (Coordinate system, morphology assignment.) |
| Tu 16 Sept - am | Crystallography: symmetry operations, symmetry elements (rotation, reflection, and their combinations), crystal systems, crystal classes, space groups, Neumann's principle. |
| Th 18 Sept - am | Crystallography: optical diffraction, x-ray diffraction, Bragg's law, single crystal x-ray diffraction using a Buerger precession camera. |
| Th 18 Sept - pm | Diffraction: of light and x-rays, Scintag introduction. (Unknown minerals assignment.) |
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| Tu 23 Sept - am | Crystal Chemistry: atoms, ions, bonding, periodic table, atomic and ionic radii, coordination numbers, coordination polyhedra, Pauling's rules, symmetrically packed structures. |
| Th 25 Sept - am | Crystallography: Measuring the unit cell, calculation of Z, measuring atoms. |
| Th 25 Sept - pm | Powder Diffraction: measuring atoms. (Measuring atoms assignment.) |
| Tu 30 Sept - am | Systematic Mineralogy: silicate minerals: polymerization, classification, nomenclature, mineral end members, solid solutions. |
| Th 02 Oct - am | Mineral Equilibria -- silica minerals: structure, polymorphism, displacive transformations, reconstructive transformations, stability, phase diagrams, silica minerals. |
| Th 02 Oct - pm | Powder Diffraction: a unit cell for your mineral. (Unit cell assignment.) |
| Tu 07 Oct - am | No class. GSA meeting in Houston, TX. |
| Th 09 Oct - am | Mineral Equilibria: more on the stability of minerals, making synthetic minerals in the lab. |
Th 09 Oct - pm |
Mineral Synthesis: making your own minerals. (Synthesis/decomposition assignment.) |
| Th 16 Oct - am | Optical mineralogy: electromagnetic waves, refractive index, Snell's Law, critical angle, measurement of refractive indices, Becke lines, oblique illumination, dispersion. |
| Th 16 Oct - pm | Optical Mineralogy: refractive indices of isotropic materials. (Hand sample description assignment.) |
| Tu 21 Oct - am | Optical mineralogy: polarization of light, double refraction, ordinary and extraordinary rays, wave normals, ray paths, vibration directions, Snell's Law revisited. |
| Th 23 Oct - am | Optical mineralogy: Birefringence, addition and subtraction of interference colors, conoscopic observation of uniaxial crystals, isogyres, isochromes, optic sign. |
| Th 23 Oct - pm | Optical Mineralogy: addition, subtraction, elongation, optic sign. |
| Tu 28 Oct - am | Optical mineralogy: Optical indicatrix or interference figures explained, optic axes, 2V. |
| Th 30 Oct - am | Optical mineralogy: Measurement of refractive indices for uniaxial minerals, use of the spindle stage. |
| Th 30 Oct - pm | Optical Mineralogy: refractive indices of uniaxial minerals. (Optics problem set 1.) |
| Tu 04 Nov - am | Optical mineralogy: Measurement of refractive indices and other properties of biaxial minerals, procedures for identification of minerals in thin section. |
| Th 06 Nov - am | Optical Mineralogy: observations of biaxial minerals. |
| Th 06 Nov - pm | Otelia Cromwell Day: no afternoon class. (Optics problem set 2.) |
| Tu 11 Nov - am | Mineral Equilibria -- pyroxenes: structures, chemical compositions, polytypism. |
| Th 13 Nov - am | Mineral Equilibria -- micas: structures, chemical compositions, polytypism. |
| Th 13 Nov - pm | Optical Mineralogy: refractive indices of your mineral. (Refractive indices assignment.) |
| Tu 18 Nov - am | Mineral Equilibria -- amphiboles: structures, chemical compositions, polytypism, polysomatism, biopyriboles. |
| Th 20 Nov - am | Mineral Equilibria -- feldspars: chemical compositions, graphical representation of chemical compositions, exsolution, twinning, Si-Al ordering. |
| Th 20 Nov - pm | Solid Solutions: experiments to change mineral compositions, EDS preparation. (Solid solution assignment.) |
| Tu 25 Nov - am | Mineral Equilibria -- olivine, spinel, wadsleyite: mantle stories |
| Tu 02 Dec - am | Mineral Equilibria -- sulfides: structures, chemical compositions. |
| Th 04 Dec - am | Mineral Spectroscopy: energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, calculation of mineral formulas. |
| Th 04 Dec - pm | SEM/EDS: energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy with the electron microscope. (Mineral formula assignment.) |
| Tu 09 Dec - am | Mineral Equilibria -- carbonates, sulfates, oxides: structures, chemical compositions. |
| Th 11 Dec - am | Everything Else! |
| Th 11 Dec - pm | Project Completion: no new material. (Final paper assignment.) |