Mineralogy and Petrology

4 ch (3C 3L) · Undergraduate

We learn the use of polarizing microscopy techniques to identify and describe the textures of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks, mineral and rock identification, and rock classification. Lectures also focus on concepts of mineral nucleation and growth, simple thermodynamic controls on mineral stability, and the kinetic parameters that control crystallization rates of rocks and minerals. The laboratories focus on the practical aspects of mineral and rock description and identification using polarizing microscopy techniques.