Laboratory Investigations of Earth Sciences

The course aims to provide students, through a predominantly laboratory and hands-on approach, with the basic notions of Earth Sciences of larger relevance in land and territory planning and sustainable management. The course aims to provide students with a general understanding of the nature of minerals and rocks, with particular reference to lithological materials of use in construction and ornamentation, georesources and the impact on the territory of their use.

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to: describe and understand the main physical chemical properties of minerals and rocks; recognize the main lithologies used in ornamentation; recognize the main minerals and lithological materials of use in construction and understand the reasons for their use; recognize the main mechanisms of impact on the territory of georesources mining, with a focus to those of main use in construction and ornamentation.