mineralogyandpetrologynotes.docVIP

Mineralogy and Petrology Notes Go over syllabus Play game: Name that rock or mineral 1 point for each mineral identified, 1 point for composition 1 point for each rock identified, 1 point for story it tells. 15-18, including mostly straightforward, but with azurite (striking) and siderite Physical Properties of Minerals Crystal faces: faces are planes in the crystal with particular ion/atom densities and arrangements. In general, faces will be the planes with lowest surface energy. However, planes are also affected by growth rates. Are also constrained by the area available for growth. Faces reflect underlying symmetry of the crystal Overhead: point out different faces, expressed to different degrees, or growing faster or slower than comparable faces gives more complex appearance, or distorted appearance. Habit: Malformations, differential growth rates, restrictions of growth area euhedral subhedral anhedral Form: group of faces that all have the same relationship to underlying symmetry Can be either open or closed (e.g. pinacoid open, 2 horizontal planes, prismatic is open with any number of planes parallel to one axis, sphenoid has 2 planes intersecting in “hat”) Form names (not same as form): prismatic, rhombohedral, cubic, octahedral, pinacoidal (2-sided forms) Twinning: symmetrical intergrowth of two or more crystals of the same substance, often on mirror plane or axis of rotation. show examples of albite twinning (polysynthetic twinning), show contact twinning (Qz), and penetration twin (carlbad twinning in orthoclase) State of Aggregation (overhead, point out styles) Luster, color, streak luster: way light reflected, metallic and nonmetallic: vitreous (Qz), resinous (sphalerite), pearly (talc), greasy silky (milky qz), adamantine (refractive index) color: a few are diagnostic (azurite, malachite, turquoise), some vary according to exposure to air (bornite), some by trace composition (Quartz, sapphire, ruby