Mineralogy

Code: GEO02676L

6 ECTS

Duration: 15 weeks/156 hours

Scientific Area: Geosciences

Teaching languages: Portuguese

Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese

Sustainable Development Goals

Educação de qualidade - Assegurar a educação inclusiva, e equitativa e de qualidade, e promover oportunidades de aprendizagem ao longo da vida para todos.

Learning Goals

This curricular unit aims to: (1) understanding the concepts of mineral and crystal structure; (2) knowledge the main criteria of the mineralogical systematic and the major mineral groups that occur in Earth's crust - in particular the rock-forming silicate minerals; (3) use the basics of optical features of translucent crystals; and (4) recognize the occurrence of mineralogical transformations.
Students should develop skills that will: (1) identify the main mineral species in the earth's crust, by observation in hand sample and by the main optical properties; and (2) recognize the chemical composition of the main rock-forming minerals.

1. Introduction: History and evolution of Mineralogy.
2. Concept of mineral: Mineral and crystal concepts. State types of matter.
3. Elementary crystallography: 2-D Symmetry, 2-D plane lattices and plane groups. 3-D Symmetry, crystallographic systems, Bravais lattice and 3-D point groups. Introduction to 3-D space groups. Crystal morphology, Miller index and crystallographic form. Introduction to x-ray crystallography and crystal axes. Twinning.

4. Crystal-chemistry: Ionic radius, coordination number and polyhedron coordination.
5. Physical properties of minerals: Color, luster, streak, habit, hardness, cleavage, fracture and magnetism.
6. Crystal-optics: Optical properties of minerals in polarized light. Opaque, isotropic, uniaxial and biaxial anisotropic minerals.
7. Systematic Mineralogy: Introduction to mineral systematic. Notions of class, family, group, specie and mineral series.

8. Non silicates systematic: Native elements, halides, sulfates, carbonates, phosphates, sulfides, oxides and hydroxides.

9.Silicates systematic: Nesosilicates, sorosilicates, cyclosilicates, single chain inosilicates, double chain inosilicates, phyllosilicates and tectosilicates.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical lessons, using audiovisual materials, allowing extensive and active participation of students. The aim is to examine and characterize the structure and chemical composition of mineral species by the use of conceptual models, case studies, and resolution of specific problems.

Practical laboratory lessons allowing to the crystallographic forms study and macroscopic (hand sample) and microscopic identification of minerals (thin section).

Tutorial orientation enabling monitoring of students through Moodle platform (e-learning).

Evaluation by continuous evaluation (2 theoretical + 2 practical tests; at middle and end of semester; final result 60% of theoretical tests+ 40% practical tests) or by final theoretical and practical exams (final result 60% theoretical exam + 40% practical exam)

Assessment

Evaluation by theoretical and practical tests (both at the middle and end of semester) or by theoretical and practical exams. Final evaluation = 60% theoretical evaluation+ 40% practical evaluation.