Introduction to Mineralogy

Introduction to basic principles and concepts in mineralogy covering minerals and rocks. This course comprises the systematics of minerals and their properties, mineral chemistry and stability, and rock forming processes.
The main topics covered in the course:
- crystal, crystal lattice, mineral, rock
- theoretical concepts, ab initio and kinetic Monte Carlo modelling methods (e.g., DFT, kMC)
- minerals as building blocks of rocks and materials
- crystallization: nucleation and growth processes
- mineral systematics: silicates, carbonates, etc.
- properties of minerals
- mineral analysis: methods, concepts

In this lecture students from various (under)graduate levels, including those with bachelor degrees in disciplines other than geoscience, will be brought to the level required for the advanced classes.

written exam

written exam

1. Putnis - Introduction to mineral science, ISBN-13: 978-0521429474, ISBN-10: 9780521429474
or
2. Klein & Hurlbut - Manual of Mineralogy (after James D. Dana), Wiley, ISBN-10: 0471805807, ISBN-13: 978-0471805809 -- (all newer editions are acceptable)
or
3. Zoltai & Stout - Mineralogy. Concepts and principles, Burgess Pub. Co., ISBN-10: 0808726064, ISBN-13: 978-0808726067

4. additional literature will be announced in class

Course available in digital form on request
ppt files of course content are available

1st SWS: organizational issues; introduction
2nd SWS: How minerals form and why; the principle of self-organization, minerl properties
3rd SWS: silicates, from olivine to quartz (SiO2)
4th SWS: crystallization: - from melts, fractionation; - from aqueous solutions
5th SWS: alumino-silicates, feldspars, feldspar triangle
6th SWS: solid solutions: alkali feldspars, plagioclase
7th SWS: crystallization and melting in eutectic versus solid solution systems
8th SWS: pyroxene group, amphibol group
9th SWS: phyllo silicates, clay minerals
10th SWS: feldspatoids, SiO2 polymorphs
11th SWS: carbonates
12th SWS: elements, oxides, hydroxides, sulfates, sulfides
13th SWS: all the rest ...
14th SWS: written exam

Minerale in Reinform, Mohs´sche Härteskalen