Minerals and rocks form the foundation of geologic studies. This new textbook has been written to address the needs of students at the increasing number of universities that have compressed separate mineralogy and petrology courses into a one- or two-semester Earth materials course. Key features of this book include: equal coverage of mineralogy, sedimentary petrology, igneous petrology and metamorphic petrology; copious field examples and regional relationships with graphics that illustrate the concepts discussed; numerous case studies to show the uses of earth materials as resources and their fundamental role in our lives and the global economy, and their relation to natural and human-induced hazards; the integration of earth materials into a cohesive process-based earth systems framework; two color thoughout with 48 pages of four color. Readership: students taking an earth materials, or combined mineralogy and petrology course in an earth science degree program. It will also be useful for environmental scientists, engineering geologists, and physical geographers who need to learn about minerals, rocks, soil and water in a comprehensive framework. A companion website for this book is available at: www.wiley.com/go/hefferan/earthmaterials.

With an approach that stresses the fundamental solid state behaviour of minerals, this 1995 text surveys the physics and chemistry of earth materials.

A range of natural earth materials, like arsenic or fluoride, have long been linked to significant human health effects. Improved understanding of the pervasive and complex interactions between earth materials and human health will require creative collaborations between earth scientists and public health professionals. At the request of the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, this National Research Council book assesses the current state of knowledge at the interface between the earth sciences and public health disciplines. The book identifies high-priority areas for collaborative research, including understanding the transport and bioavailability of potentially hazardous earth materials, using risk-based scenarios to mitigate the public health effects of natural hazards under current and future climate regimes, and understanding the health risks that result from disturbance of earth systems. Geospatial information - geological maps for earth scientists and epidemiological data for public health professionals - is identified as one of the essential integrative tools that is fundamental to the activities of both communities. The book also calls for increased data sharing between agencies to promote interdisciplinary research without compromising privacy.

Key concepts in mineralogy and petrology are explained alongside beautiful full-color illustrations, in this concisely written textbook.

There is a large and growing need for a textbook that can form the basis for integrated classes that look at minerals, rocks, and other Earth materials. Despite the need, no high-quality book is available for such a course. Earth Materials is a wide-ranging undergraduate textbook that covers all the most important kinds of (inorganic) Earth materials. Besides traditional chapters on minerals and rocks, this book features chapters on sediments and stratigraphy, weathering and soils, water and the hydrosphere, and mineral and energy deposits. Introductions to soil mechanics and rock mechanics are also included. This book steers away from the model of traditional encyclopedic science textbooks, but rather exposes students to the key and most exciting ideas and information, with an emphasis on thinking about Earth as a system. The book is written in such a manner as to support inquiry, discovery and other forms of active learning. All chapters start with a short topical story or vignette, and the plentiful photographs and other graphics are integrated completely with the text. Earth Materials will be interesting and useful for a wide range of learners, including geoscience students, students taking mineralogy and petrology courses, engineers, and anyone interested in learning more about the Earth as a system.

For courses in Earth Materials, Petrology and Mineralogy. This comprehensive volume, covering all aspects of mineralogy, optical mineralogy and petrology addresses the recent and dramatic shift in geological sciences. The text provides students with a sense of the quantitative nature of the field and details the exciting new developments in the study of earth materials.

Science and Technology of Rare Earth Materials reviews the important aspects of the science and technology of rare earth materials, covering the entire spectrum from occurrence to extraction and purification, phase relationships, electronic structure, and applications. This book is organized into five sections encompassing 19 chapters. The occurrence, extraction, and production of rare earths are discussed in the first section, followed by purification methods employed for rare earths, together with the role of impurities on their behavior. The phase relations among the rare earth alloys, including a particular reference to the technologically important rare earth-cobalt alloys, and phase relations among the rare earth oxides are considered in the second section. The succeeding two sections focus on studies of the electronic structure of rare earth materials, with emphasis on the use of nuclear magnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Theoretical conceptions are set forth as well as the effect of crystal fields and valence fluctuations on the properties of rare earth systems. The final section describes some of the extensive current uses of rare earth materials such as in the steel industry and in permanent magnets, as well as emerging applications in catalysis, hydrogen storage, ferroelectrics, and fast ion conductors. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and students interested in rare earths.

Science and Technology of Rare Earth Materials reviews the important aspects of the science and technology of rare earth materials, covering the entire spectrum from occurrence to extraction and purification, phase relationships, electronic structure, and applications. This book is organized into five sections encompassing 19 chapters. The occurrence, extraction, and production of rare earths are discussed in the first section, followed by purification methods employed for rare earths, together with the role of impurities on their behavior. The phase relations among the rare earth alloys, including a particular reference to the technologically important rare earth-cobalt alloys, and phase relations among the rare earth oxides are considered in the second section. The succeeding two sections focus on studies of the electronic structure of rare earth materials, with emphasis on the use of nuclear magnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Theoretical conceptions are set forth as well as the effect of crystal fields and valence fluctuations on the properties of rare earth systems. The final section describes some of the extensive current uses of rare earth materials such as in the steel industry and in permanent magnets, as well as emerging applications in catalysis, hydrogen storage, ferroelectrics, and fast ion conductors. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and students interested in rare earths.

Recent studies indicate that China accounts for about 96 percent of the world's supply of rare earth materials (REMs). With REMs becoming increasingly important for a growing number of high-tech applications, appropriate action must be taken to mitigate the effects of a shortage of critical REMs in defense systems and components.Bringing together i