This course deals with the study of minerals. So the course is designed to acquire the knowledge about the physical and optical properties of various rock forming minerals and related phase diagrams. This will help the students in learning how various silicate and non-silicate minerals can be identified and how these are formed during different P-T conditions. It presents the important traditional content of mineralogy including crystallography, chemical bonding, controls on mineral structure, mineral stability, and crystal growth to provide a foundation that enables students to understand the nature and occurrence of minerals. Physical, optical, and X-ray powder diffraction techniques of mineral study will also be described in detail.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Understand the nature and occurrence of minerals.
• Identification of minerals by Physical and optical properties.
• Understand the X-ray powder diffraction techniques to study minerals.

Recommened Books:

1. Blackburn, W. H., & Dennen, W. H. (1994). Principles of mineralogy. WCB/McGraw-Hill. 
2. Dana, J. D. (1864). Manual of Mineralogy... Wiley.
3. Howie, R. A., Zussman, J., & Deer, W. (1992). An introduction to rock-forming minerals. Longman.
4. Nesse, W. D. (2012). Introduction to mineralogy (No. 549 NES).
5. Nesse, W. D. (1991). Introduction to optical mineralogy (No. 549.12 N4 1991).
6. Pichler, H., & Schmitt-Riegraf, C. (2012). Rock-forming minerals in thin section. Springer Science & Business Media.

Course Start Date: October 12, 2020

Course End Date:   February 04, 2021

 ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Sessional: 20 (Presentation + Participation + Assignments)

Midterm exam: 30

Project:

Presentation:

Participation: 

Final exam: 50

Total: 100

• 75 % attendance is must for the students to appear in exam of Midterm and final
• Monthly attendance will informed to students
• Students are required be attentive in class

Sessional marks would only be given according to the assigned criteria