This book presents a guide of optical mineralogy for beginners and microscopists who need to brush up their knowledge. It allows the fast identification of common rock-forming minerals in a thin section using a polarized light microscope and transmitted plane and cross polarized light. The book summarizes essential principles of optical mineralogy in numerous schemes. It explains, with the aid of more than 1000 microscopic images, how to determine the diagnostic optical characteristics of a mineral in a thin section. Seventy-two mineral plates of sixty-five common rock-forming minerals comprising typical microscopic images in plane and cross polarized light illustrate the most important optical and crystallographic parameters and their diagnostic characteristics and typical appearance in various geological settings. The original approach of the book is to facilitate mineral identification by mineral plates organized according to color in transmitted plane polarized light and, in each color category, according to decreasing maximum birefringence in cross polarized light. In addition, two chapters are devoted to the classification of magmatic and metamorphic rocks and their common mineral parageneses and textures. The book reflects the author's experience of teaching optical mineralogy in the most efficient way possible to generations of students at the Universities of Heidelberg (Germany), Basel (Switzerland), and Geneva (Switzerland).

This book presents a guide of optical mineralogy for beginners and microscopists who need to brush up their knowledge. It allows the fast identification of common rock-forming minerals in a thin section using a polarized light microscope and transmitted plane and cross polarized light. The book summarizes essential principles of optical mineralogy in numerous schemes. It explains, with the aid of more than 1000 microscopic images, how to determine the diagnostic optical characteristics of a mineral in a thin section. Seventy-two mineral plates of sixty-five common rock-forming minerals comprising typical microscopic images in plane and cross polarized light illustrate the most important optical and crystallographic parameters and their diagnostic characteristics and typical appearance in various geological settings. The original approach of the book is to facilitate mineral identification by mineral plates organized according to color in transmitted plane polarized light and, in each color category, according to decreasing maximum birefringence in cross polarized light. In addition, two chapters are devoted to the classification of magmatic and metamorphic rocks and their common mineral parageneses and textures. The book reflects the author’s experience of teaching optical mineralogy in the most efficient way possible to generations of students at the Universities of Heidelberg (Germany), Basel (Switzerland), and Geneva (Switzerland).

Structured in the form of a dichotomous key, comparable to those widely used in botany, the mineral key provides an efficient and systematic approach to identifying rock-forming minerals in thin-section. This unique approach covers 150 plus of the most commonly encountered rock-forming minerals, plus a few rarer but noteworthy ones. Illustrated in

Volume 5A of this second edition of Rock-Forming Minerals focuses on oxides, hydroxides and sulphides. Since the publication of the first edition, in 1962, there has been an enormous increase in the literature devoted to these minerals. This new edition, greatly expanded and rewritten, covers aspects that include crystal structures, chemical compositions, electronic structures, phase relations, thermochemistry, mineral surface structure and reactivity, physical properties, distinguishing features and parageneses (including stable isotope data).

Identificationof rock-forming minerals in thin section is a key skill needed by all earth science students and practising geologists. This translation of the completely revised and updated German second edition (by Leonore Hoke, Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, New Zealand) provides a comprehensive guide to identifying 140 of the most important rock-forming mineral species. The book is divided into three main parts. Part A is a practical guide to the fundamentals of crystal optics, polarization microscopy and the practical use of microscopes. Part B gives a detailed description of the characteristic optical features, special features, and the paragenesis of the most common rock-forming minerals. This well-illustrated part is divided into opaque minerals, isotropic, uniaxial and optical biaxial mineral groups. Part C contains identification tables for the minerals and diagrams showing the international classification of magmatic rocks, as well as a colour plate section showing crystal forms of minerals. The book will provide an invaluable guide to all undergraduate earth scientists, as well as to professional geologists requiring an overview of mineral identification in thin section.

Rutley's elements of mineralogy has been around for a long time, certainly throughout my own lifetime; and if my great grandfather had read geology, it would have been prescribed reading for him too! It has been rewritten and revised frequently since fir~t conceived by Frank Rutley in the late 19th century. Major revisions occurred in 1902, and then in 1914, when H. H. Read first took over the authorship, and thereafter in 1936 and in 1965 when the last major changes occurred. It was with some trepidation that I agreed to attempt this revision. I had been asked to do it by Janet Watson in 1979, but various commitments delayed my start on it until 1984. This 27th edition encompasses a number of changes. Chapters 1-5 have the same headings as before, but considerable changes have been made in all of them, particularly 1, 3, 4 and 5. Comments sought prior to the revision revealed considerable disagreement about the role of blowpipe analyses in the book. I have only once had blowpipe analyses demon strated to me, and have never used them; but there is no doubt that they are employed in many countries, and many of the tests (flame colour, bead, etc. ) are still useful as rapid indicators of which element is present in a mineral. I have therefore kept blowpipe analysis information in Rutley, but have relegated it to an appendix.

Environmental And Engineering Geology is a component of Encyclopedia of Environmental and Ecological Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on Environmental and Engineering Geology with contributions from distinguished experts in the field discusses matters of great relevance to our world such as: engineering and environmental geology, and their importance in our life. It also includes a discussion of some new applications of geoscience, such as medical geology, forensic geology, use of underground space for human occupancy, and geoindicators. These four volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

Earth System: History and Natural Variability theme is a component of Encyclopedia of Natural Resources Policy and Management, in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on Earth System: History and Natural Variability with contributions from distinguished experts in the field, presents a description of the cosmic environment around our planet influencing the Earth in a number of ways through variation of solar energy or meteorite impacts. The structure of the Earth and its rocks, waters and atmosphere is described. The Theme focuses on geological and evolutionary processes through the history of Earth's epochs and biomes since the Early Earth to the Quaternary. The unifying processes between the Earth's life and its rocks, waters and atmosphere are global natural cycles of carbon, sulfur and other elements that connect and influence the rate of geological processes, climate change, biological evolution and human economy. These five volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

This book seeks to identify and describe all the rocks and minerals employed by the ancient Egyptians using proper geological nomenclature, and to give an account of their sources in so far as they are known. The various uses of the stones are described, as well as the technologies employed to extract, transport, carve, and thermally treat them.

This textbook presents the fundamental concepts and application of optical mineralogy in a very simple, systematic, and comprehensive way. The book is organized into 2 parts: Part I deals with the theory and techniques, and Part II provides a description of the optical properties of common minerals. The book is written in a lucid manner so that students are able to understand the realization behind the concepts in optics and the methods employed to elicit information about the interior of mineral crystals. All the subject fundamentals and related derivations are discussed in an easy and comprehensive way to make the students strong in the basics of optical mineralogy. The key features lie in the illustrations, examples, and questions at the end of each chapter to provide students with practical usage insights into optical mineralogy. The book benefits students who are taking introductory courses in optics to characterize rock minerals.