Introduction: This course develops
skills in the hand-sample identification of minerals and rocks (the
materials of which most of Earth is made), introduces aspects of
the petrologic evolution of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic
rocks, and provides a brief survey of the field of environmental
mineralogy. The course considers the major mineral groups, and
their physical properties and chemical compositions, and briefly
introduces some methods other than hand-specimen analysis for the
identification and study of minerals (e.g., x-ray diffractometer;
petrographic microscope; electron microprobe; mass
spectrometers). Discussions of each of the three major rock
types focus not only on their description and classification,
but also on their distributions and the plate tectonic processes
responsible for their formation. The laboratory exercises are
closely coordinated with the lecture part of the course. We will go on
a one-day field trip on Sunday, April 6 (to examine the Wissahickon
Schist, in the Philadelphia area).
EES
131 Syllabus for Spring, 2008 (click here)
Helpful PowerPoint Files:
John D. Winter (Whitman College) file on "Silicate
Structures" (by his permission), click
here
[also see his book, "An Introduction to
Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology", Prentice-Hall]
John D. Winter file on "Coordination Polyhedra"
(click here)
Mineralogy
Links
Links
for Mineralogists, an amazingly comprehensive set of links to useful
and cool mineralogy- and petrology-related web materials (click here),
assembled by the Institute of Mineralogy, University of Wurzburg,
Germany
DJW's Mineralogy Links, everything mineralogy, including some
"Rockhound" sites (click here)
Mineralogical Society of America, MSA (click here)
Igneous Rocks
from
crystalinks.com
Primer for considering
volcanic eruptions (carbonatite flows at
the
famous Ol Doinyo Lengai, in Africa). Point
and click until you are at this page,
then take a look at some amazing images and VIDEOS (turn
up the volume for these!). This website was produced and is
managed by Frederick
A. Belton. This is amazing, especially the videos! Other
great
volcanoes-related
websites:
Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History, Global
Volcanism
Program (click here)
Volcano World (click here)
MTU Volcanoes Page (check
it out)
Ring of Fire
and Introduction to Plate Tectonics (Crystalinks/USGS webpages:
click here) Also check
out Crystalinks
web pages on Volcanoes (click here)!!
NOAA Ocean Explorer: Submarine Ring of Fire (click
here)
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks links (go
to), University of Wurzberg, Germany
Web resources for sedimentary geologists (click here),
Becky Dorsey, University of Oregon
Metamorphism
and Metamorphic Rocks
Helpful PowerPoint file (Intro to Metamorphism; produced
by Professor John D. Winter, Whitman College, click here)
EES 131 (Spring, 2008), with
Annie Palya (T.A.) and visitor, on class field trip to examine the
Wissahickon Schist....and mostly enjoying
a nice day in the park in Philadelphia!
for an interesting diversion, read
about the upcoming May Sumo basho (link below)
from
crystalinks.com
Kaio,
ozeki