Syllabus

Introduction: Elements, bonding, simple structures and ionic radii: Pauling’s rules, radius ratio and coordination polyhedra. [3 Hours]

Periodicity and symmetry: Unit Cells; Crystal structure; Symmetry Elements – External and Internal symmetry; Crystal Systems; Miller Indices; Bravais Lattice; Crystal Forms; Concept of point and space groups; Stereographic Projection of Crystals. [8 Hours]

Crystal growth and defects: Nucleation and growth of crystals, crystal habit, twinning, isomorphism, solid solutions and exsolutions, polymorphism and phase transitions, point, line and planar defects. [6 Hours]

X-ray crystallography: Introduction to X-ray crystallography; X- ray diffraction studies: Basic concepts, Bragg equation; Powder method, single crystal method, identification of minerals from X-ray Diffractometer. [5 Hours]

Mineralogy: Types of bonding in minerals; Chemical composition and unit cell content; Structure, P-T stabilities, paragenesis and mode of alteration of silicates, oxides, carbonates, phosphates, sulphates and halides. [6 Hours]

Optical Mineralogy: Optical properties: Polarization and birefringence, anisotropy, optical indicatrix, uniaxial and biaxial minerals, dispersion, pleochroism, extinction angle, interference colour and optic sign; Behaviour of light in Isotropic and Anisotropic - Uniaxial and Biaxial Minerals. [8 Hours]

The course is intended to provide ability to understand the information that minerals can provide about Earth processes and Earth history as well as understanding of basic techniques of mineral characterization. It also provide in depth understanding of crystallography.

CO1: Explain how the properties of chemical elements and the nature of chemical bonds govern the structure and composition of minerals.

CO2: Identify and classify major rock-forming minerals and interpret their geological significance.

CO3: Describe and analyze crystal structures, their properties, and behavior using principles of crystallography.

CO4: Interpret the optical behavior of minerals and determine their identity using optical techniques.

CO5: Relate and evaluate how crystal structure influences the external morphology and physical properties of minerals.

Berry, L.G., Mason, B., and Dietrich, R.V. , Mineralogy, Concepts, Descriptions, Determinations, San Francisco : Freeman , 1983

Puntis, A. , Introduction to Mineral Sciences, Cambridge University Press. , 1992

Perkins, D. , Mineralogy, Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice Hall. , 1998

Kerr, P.F. , Optical Mineralogy, New York, McGraw-Hill. , 1959

Bloss, F.D. , Crystallography and Crystal Chemistry, New York, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. , 1971

Hammond, C. , Introduction to Crystallography, Oxford, Oxford University Press , 1990

Klein, C., Dutrow, B., Dwight, J., & Klein, C. , The 23rd Edition of the Manual of Mineral Science (after James D. Dana), J. Wiley & Sons. , 2007

Verma, P. K. , Optical Mineralogy , Ane Books Pvt Ltd. , 2010

Deer, W. A., Howie, R. A., & Zussman, J. , An introduction to the rock-forming minerals, London: Longman. , 1992

D. W. Nesse, , Optical Mineralogy, McGraw Hill , 1986