GEOL 322: Mineralogy of the Rock-Forming Silicates
This course was offered at the University of Maryland, Spring 2010

Course Description
Principles of mineralogy: crystallography, crystal chemistry, mineralogical analysis. Structure, composition, and phase transformations of important silicates, oxides, and other minerals.

Prerequisites
GEOL 322 and CHEM 481 or equivalent

Textbooks
No specific textbook is required for this course. However, you will find that a standard mineralogy text is a useful reference, not only for this course but for your remaining graduate studies and beyond. I recommend any of the following, that you may have obtained for undergraduate study:

    Introduction to Mineralogy, by W. D. Nesse (ISBN 0195106911).
Manual of Mineral Science, 23rd edition, by C. Klein and B. Dutrow (ISBN 0471721573). Older editions will also serve you well.
Mineralogy and Optical Mineralogy, by M. D. Dyar, M. E. Gunter, and D. Tasa (ISBN 0939950812). Includes very useful software.
Minerals: Their Constitution and Origin, by H.-R. Wenk and A. Bulakh (ISBN 0521529581).

In addition, you may find the following helpful for specific aspects of mineralogy:

    An Introduction to the Rock-Forming Minerals, 2nd edition, by Deer, Howie, and Zussman (ISBN 0582300940). Solid reference for mineral descriptions.
Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry, by F. D. Bloss (ISBN 0939950375). Well written and well illustrated.
Introduction to Crystallography, by D. E. Sands (ISBN 0486678393). Concise.
An Introduction to the Mineral Sciences, by A. Putnis (ISBN 0521429471). Interesting twist on mineralogy, with an emphasis on defects, kinetics, and phase transformations.

Course Outline
Fundamentals
     Mineral Classification
     Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry
     Analytical and Experimental Methods
Systematic Description of Major Minerals
     -ides (Oxides; Hydroxides; Sulfides)
     Silicates (Tetrahedral; Mixed Coordination; Octahedral)
     -ates (Carbonates; Sulfates; Phosphates; etc.)
Context
     Mineralogy of the Core
     Mineralogy of the Mantle
     Mineralogy of the Crust
     Extraterrestrial Mineralogy
Other Topics
     Ores and Industrial Minerals
     Mineral Evolution
     Biominerals and Nanominerals

Grades

Assignments
Midterms
Final
50%
15% each
20%