GEOL 250 - Mineralogy

What is the solid Earth made of? How did those materials (rocks, minerals) come to be? In this course we explore the chemistry and structure of minerals, linking physical and optical properties of minerals to their atomic structures. We visualize 2D and 3D symmetry operations, learn how to identify minerals, and study binary phase diagrams. A major unit of the course covers polarizing light microscopy, in theory and practice. Labs include mineral ID in hand sample and thin section, symmetry, electron microscopy, and more. In the first half of the semester we hold the annual Macalester Mineral Cup, and as a final project you will make your own thin section from scratch. Overnight field trip to the North Shore. Three 1-hour lectures and one 3-hour lab per week. Prerequisite(s): GEOL 160 or GEOL 165*; CHEM 111 or equivalent recommended but not required. *If you have taken GEOL 165 but not GEOL 160, you must be enrolled in GEOL 160 concurrently with this course. Offered fall semester. (4 Credits)