Course content

The course provides a broad introduction to the subject of mineralogy and this includes a review of the most common silicate minerals, introducing crystallography and the the silicate groups, optical mineralogy and practical application of optical identification methods.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, the student should be able to:

• Use the optical microscope to identify known minerals and document this.
• Apply the methodology to recognize minerals that have not been part of the curriculum with the help of the learned methodology, encyclopedias and literature.
• Apply the professional language of mineralogy, which includes crystal number systems, symmetry, names of planes and directions with the Miller index, as well as the most common silicate mineral groups and the crystal chemistry of these.

Knowledge and skills

After completing the course, the students should:

1. Be able to identify minerals using the optical properties
2. Be able to describe the optical properties based on the learned optical theory so that they are comparable to mineral identification tables. This will enable the student to recognize minerals that are not part of the syllabus in the exercise program in mineralogy basic courses in the following work and courses.
3. Be able to document this in a systematic way and provide evidence for the conclusion with detailed descriptions, photos and drawings that illustrate the observations. The description must be of such good quality that external qualified geologists will be able to find the mineral as described in the sample.
4. Understand and be able to account for the optical principles behind the mineral identification and how optical properties also depend on the orientation of the mineral
5. Have an overview of the different silicate groups
   1. Which minerals belong to the groups
   2. Know mineral formula for the main silicate mineral (separate list)
   3. Be able to determine silicate group and mineral by applying crystal chemical principles to 3D ball models of mineral
6. Understand and master simple crystallography. This includes:
   1. Symmetry elements
      1. Rotation, reflection, inversion (center of symmetry)
      2. Translative symmetry elements
   2. Crystal Systems
      1. Know the 7 crystal system with axis lengths and angles, minimum symmetry (monkey)
   3. Miller index to planes and directions in minerals
      1. Know and be able to calculate different Miller indices based on the rule of inverse intercepts with the crystal axes
      2. Be able to identify simple crystal planes with the Miller index

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and compulsory exercises in optical microscopy. The course is evaluated by a reference group.

Compulsory assignments

• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge of chemistry and knowlegde of rocks and minerals similar to the content of TGB4100 Geology, Introduction and TGB4112 Geology and Geological Resources of Norway.

Required previous knowledge

Basic knowledge of chemistry and knowlegde of rocks and minerals similar to the content of TGB4100 Geology, Introduction.

Course materials

Information will be given at the start of the semester.

Credit reductions