Macalester College Geology Department

Instructor: Karl Wirth
Level: Intemediate
Offered: Every Fall

The Mineralogy course introduces students to the composition and structure of minerals. The primary objective of this course is to help students learn how to read mineralogical clues to the origin and evolution rocks, fossils, meteorites, and planets. The course utilizes a studio format and meets for three two-hour blocks to provide maximum flexibility for moving between hands-on projects, group activities, and lecture. The course begins with an introduction to the external form and symmetry of crystalline matter and then investigates the relationships between chemical composition and atomic structure. Students use a wide variety of instrumentation (e.g., spectrograph, petrographic microscope, x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectrometry) to study common rock-forming minerals. A final project provides students an opportunity to apply mineralogy concepts and skills toward solving a real-world problems.

Upon completion of the course, students will:

• recognize common minerals and be able to identify others
• understand the principles that govern the composition and structure of minerals
• be skilled at using modern instrumentation (optical microscope, XRD, SEM-EDS)
• understand the physical conditions affecting the stability and association of minerals
• have the research skills necessary to investigate minerals and rocks in new contexts
• be able to interpret the broader significance of mineral compositions and structures