Mineralogy
A.Y. 2026/2027
Learning objectives
Knowledge and understanding: The student must be able to describe and understand the chemical and crystalline nature of minerals through symmetry, crystallochemistry and the main analytical techniques (X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and crystallographic optics).
Applied knowledge and understanding: the course provides the student the ability to classify minerals based on criteria including the crystalline and chemical nature of minerals. During the course systematic mineralogy comprising a modest number of mineral species is introduced classifying the minerals on the basis of chemical composition, symmetry and structural types, framing the mineral species and groups within the geological contexts of occurrence. The aim is to highlight the impact of mineralogical knowledge on other disciplines of Earth Sciences.
Applied knowledge and understanding: the course provides the student the ability to classify minerals based on criteria including the crystalline and chemical nature of minerals. During the course systematic mineralogy comprising a modest number of mineral species is introduced classifying the minerals on the basis of chemical composition, symmetry and structural types, framing the mineral species and groups within the geological contexts of occurrence. The aim is to highlight the impact of mineralogical knowledge on other disciplines of Earth Sciences.
Expected learning outcomes
Making judgements: The course provides the ability to identify and classify minerals and processes of mineral transformation. Crystal-chemical concepts are provided in order to be able to critically evaluate the stability of the most common solid solutions in rock forming minerals and polymorphic processes are explained. Both types of information are fundamental in the interpretation of petrogenetic and geodynamic processes.
Communication skills: Ability to illustrate problems and phenomena related to mineralogy and crystal chemistry as well as international mineral classification criteria, using appropriate jargon, symbolism, and English lexicon.
Learning skills: Ability to use the acquired basic understanding of mineralogy and to extend it to complete information in other Earth Sciences areas.
Communication skills: Ability to illustrate problems and phenomena related to mineralogy and crystal chemistry as well as international mineral classification criteria, using appropriate jargon, symbolism, and English lexicon.
Learning skills: Ability to use the acquired basic understanding of mineralogy and to extend it to complete information in other Earth Sciences areas.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
During the emergency teaching phase, the programme is maintained with the following changes necessary for effective online use of the course originally designed for face-to-face teaching.
Teaching methods:
Lectures will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform and can be followed both synchronously, in line with the timetable, and asynchronously, as they will be recorded and made available to students on the same platform; with the exception of some exercises in the microscopy-equipped classroom (3 of 3 hours each, at the end of the course), which will be delivered in groups in alphabetical order. The latter will also be recorded and made available on the same platform to students who could not attend.
Program and reference material:
The program and the reference material will not change.
The teaching support materials are PowerPoint presentations available on the myARIEL website (https://myariel.unimi.it/course/view.php?id=3104)
Verification of learning and evaluation criteria:
In case it is not possible to conduct written tests, all tests will be oral via the Microsoft Teams platform.
Teaching methods:
Lectures will be held on the Microsoft Teams platform and can be followed both synchronously, in line with the timetable, and asynchronously, as they will be recorded and made available to students on the same platform; with the exception of some exercises in the microscopy-equipped classroom (3 of 3 hours each, at the end of the course), which will be delivered in groups in alphabetical order. The latter will also be recorded and made available on the same platform to students who could not attend.
Program and reference material:
The program and the reference material will not change.
The teaching support materials are PowerPoint presentations available on the myARIEL website (https://myariel.unimi.it/course/view.php?id=3104)
Verification of learning and evaluation criteria:
In case it is not possible to conduct written tests, all tests will be oral via the Microsoft Teams platform.
Course syllabus
A. Introduction
Summaries of concepts from the 1st-year course "Laboratory of Minerals and Rocks": definition of a mineral, chemical composition of the Earth's crust and planets, ionic radii and coordination polyhedra, chemical formula, crystalline matter, relationship with physical properties, mineral stability: phase rule, and some important minerals.
B. Symmetry
Periodicity. Lattice. Some historical notes. Fundamental crystallography laws. Haüy's law. Miller Indices. Crystalline systems. Two-dimensional lattices. Three-dimensional lattices. Bravais Patterns.
C. Crystal chemistry
Atom packing. Pauling's Rules. Isomorphism. Exsolution/ unmixing. Polymorphism. Polymorphic transformations. Polytypism. Paramorphism. Metamictization. Pseudomorphism. Polysomatism.
D. Systematic mineralogy
Mineral classification. Concept of species and mineral group. IMA. Mineral and mineral-structure databases. Classification rules. Mineral hierarchies. Overview of the composition, structure, and physical characteristics of the most common minerals in the following classes: Silicates (nesosilicates, sorosilicates, cyclosilicates, inosilicates, phyllosilicates,
tectosilicates); native elements; oxides and hydroxides; sulphides and sulphosalts; carbonates; borates; sulphates; phosphates; organic compounds. Short overview of mineral-genesis processes.
Exercises. Mineral characterization techniques
E.1. Symmetry. Symmetry operations. Stereographic projection. Symmetry classes and stereographic representation of symmetry operators and classes. Crystal shapes. Types of crystalline forms. Twinning. Types of twinning.
E.2. Diffraction. Reciprocal lattice. Generation of X-rays. The Bragg equation. The Ewald Sphere. Powder diffraction. Manually interpreting a diffractogram.
E.3. X-ray fluorescence. Mineral formulas.
E.4. Optical mineralogy. Nature of light. Absorption. Reflection and refraction. Snell's Law. Birefringence. Fresnel's formula. Optical Indicatrices and Crystal Systems. Description of polarized-light microscope. Mineral observations: parallel light (relief, Becke line, retardation and interference colors) and conoscopy (interference figures).
Summaries of concepts from the 1st-year course "Laboratory of Minerals and Rocks": definition of a mineral, chemical composition of the Earth's crust and planets, ionic radii and coordination polyhedra, chemical formula, crystalline matter, relationship with physical properties, mineral stability: phase rule, and some important minerals.
B. Symmetry
Periodicity. Lattice. Some historical notes. Fundamental crystallography laws. Haüy's law. Miller Indices. Crystalline systems. Two-dimensional lattices. Three-dimensional lattices. Bravais Patterns.
C. Crystal chemistry
Atom packing. Pauling's Rules. Isomorphism. Exsolution/ unmixing. Polymorphism. Polymorphic transformations. Polytypism. Paramorphism. Metamictization. Pseudomorphism. Polysomatism.
D. Systematic mineralogy
Mineral classification. Concept of species and mineral group. IMA. Mineral and mineral-structure databases. Classification rules. Mineral hierarchies. Overview of the composition, structure, and physical characteristics of the most common minerals in the following classes: Silicates (nesosilicates, sorosilicates, cyclosilicates, inosilicates, phyllosilicates,
tectosilicates); native elements; oxides and hydroxides; sulphides and sulphosalts; carbonates; borates; sulphates; phosphates; organic compounds. Short overview of mineral-genesis processes.
Exercises. Mineral characterization techniques
E.1. Symmetry. Symmetry operations. Stereographic projection. Symmetry classes and stereographic representation of symmetry operators and classes. Crystal shapes. Types of crystalline forms. Twinning. Types of twinning.
E.2. Diffraction. Reciprocal lattice. Generation of X-rays. The Bragg equation. The Ewald Sphere. Powder diffraction. Manually interpreting a diffractogram.
E.3. X-ray fluorescence. Mineral formulas.
E.4. Optical mineralogy. Nature of light. Absorption. Reflection and refraction. Snell's Law. Birefringence. Fresnel's formula. Optical Indicatrices and Crystal Systems. Description of polarized-light microscope. Mineral observations: parallel light (relief, Becke line, retardation and interference colors) and conoscopy (interference figures).
Prerequisites for admission
The Mineralogy course requires knowledge of the topics covered in the courses of Mathematics I (in particular, trigonometry and geometry), Chemistry and the laboratory, and Physics II (electromagnetic waves and optics).
Teaching methods
Lectures and exercises (morphological crystallography, X-ray diffraction and mineralogical optics using the polarised light microscope)
Teaching Resources
The support materials for the ppt slides used during the lessons can be downloaded from the myARIEL website.
The following texts are supportive:
Klein, K. Mineralogia. Zanichelli
[Web site] (myARIEL website): http://fcamaram.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/v3/home/Default.aspx
The following texts are supportive:
Klein, K. Mineralogia. Zanichelli
[Web site] (myARIEL website): http://fcamaram.ariel.ctu.unimi.it/v3/home/Default.aspx
Assessment methods and Criteria
Examinations to verify knowledge consist of a compulsory written test and an optional oral test (discussion):
The written test aims to assess the knowledge acquired during the theoretical lessons and laboratory exercises through (a) solving exercises with content and difficulty similar to those encountered in the exercises, (b) answering YES/NO questions, and (c) describing concepts.
The oral discussion focuses on all the topics covered in the course.
The oral exam is accessible only with a score of 24/30 in the written test. Passing the written test is valid for subsequent appeals within the academic year.
The written test aims to assess the knowledge acquired during the theoretical lessons and laboratory exercises through (a) solving exercises with content and difficulty similar to those encountered in the exercises, (b) answering YES/NO questions, and (c) describing concepts.
The oral discussion focuses on all the topics covered in the course.
The oral exam is accessible only with a score of 24/30 in the written test. Passing the written test is valid for subsequent appeals within the academic year.
GEO/06 - MINERALOGY - University credits: 6
Exercises: 24 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Lessons: 32 hours
Professors:
Camara Artigas Fernando, Merlini Marco
Shifts:
Professor:
Camara Artigas Fernando
Turno I
Professor:
Camara Artigas FernandoTurno II
Professor:
Camara Artigas FernandoTurno III
Professor:
Merlini MarcoTurno IV
Professor:
Merlini MarcoProfessor(s)
Reception:
9:00 - 10:00 AM
23 Botticelli st., first floor.