The earth is made of minerals. Groups of minerals (rocks) and packages of rocks can be used to identify processes that are or have been active in and on the earth. Minerals and assemblages of minerals are a major source of data about rocks and, therefore, about the processes that have made the earth the way it is. The major goal of this course is to give you access to the information that minerals can provide about earth processes and earth history. By "access" I mean a basic understanding of minerals and the information they offer, knowledge of the resources that can be used to obtain that information, and some experience and skill in gathering and interpreting that information. Although mineralogy can be justified because minerals themselves are interesting (and you may catch me occasionally making such a claim), this course is intended for geologists.

The general goal can be elaborated in terms of more specific objectives. By the end of this course each of you should:

By the time a mineralogy course is completed, geologists are expected to be able to identify common minerals in hand specimens. Part of this course is designed to help you fulfill that expectation. There will be periodic assignments in which you will be asked to identify the minerals in one or more rocks. You may use any resources you wish in completing these assignments. As the semester progresses, you will have a growing array of tools and skills at your disposal and you will be expected to use those tools in making your identifications. A collection of labeled samples is available for your perusal at any time.

Major tools in the acquisition of mineralogic data are the petrographic microscope and rock thin sections. They provide a window through which we will see much that is invisible in hand specimens of rocks. Therefore, a significant fraction of the course (about four weeks) will focus on the theory and practice of optical mineralogy. Optical mineralogy is offered at many colleges as a separate course, but at Smith the subject is included in the mineralogy course (at no extra charge).

Scientists rarely work in a vacuum and seldom work alone. Two heads are generally better than one and three better than two (there is a limit to this, however!). I urge you to help one another in the field, in the lab, and in completing problem sets and other assignments (unless an individual effort is specifically requested). Joint efforts are a problem only if the members of the group are not equal partners in the endeavor. Don't let other people do your thinking for you.

I encourage you to use all of the resources available to help you conquer the challenges of this course. Few mineralogy texts are leisure reading, but most can be very valuable reference tools. You don't need to memorize most mineralogic data if you know where to look up required information. (An exception is a list of important mineral formulas, which you will be asked to learn.) Also, once you've carefully considered a problem, concept, or idea, do not hesitate to ask for help from me. Everyone in the class will benefit from your voicing lots of questions, both in and outside of the classroom. There is also a TA who can answer many of your questions.

For a textbook this year, we will use Mineralgy and Optical Mineralogy, by M. Darby Dyar and Mickey Gunter. You will be given an draft copy of this book and the accompanying dvd. Because the book is unfinished, some reading will be necessary from other sources. Other useful books, and various mineralogy CD's will always be available on the reference shelf in the mineralogy lab. Please do not take them from Burton 109 (the CD's can be taken to the Geology Computer Lab). Readings are recommended in the textbook and from other sources. You may want to read more than one explanation of a complex topic. Try one of the other textbooks on the mineralogy shelf.

Computers will be of considerable use in Mineralogy, Petrology, and many other geology courses. Because most of the software used in this and other geology classes at Smith is specific to Macintosh computers, it is in your interest to become familiar with the Macintosh computer interface and software such as Excel (spreadsheets) and Adobe Acrobat. Some instruction on the use of Macs and software will be given in class, but you should also watch for ITS workshops.  

There will be two field trips: one during the first lab session and one to the Adirondacks on the weekend of 22-24 September (we'll leave Friday after dinner and return Sunday evening in time for dinner).

Evaluation in the form of a grade is required by the College. A list of assignments is provided along with their relative weight. Points (about 10% per day) will be deducted for late work. Some work may be revised for additional credit. About 25% of the grade will be based on a final paper. Guidance in thinking about grades can be found in comments by J.H. Williams, modified by C.A. Rigsby, that I obtained from the Sedimentology syllabus (thanks Bosiljka!).

My office hours will be Tu 3-5, F 9-11 (or by appointment if these times are not convenient). However, I will be happy to talk with you about mineralogy (and geology in general) most any time I am in my office.