GE 414 - Optical Mineralogy - Fall 1996

William I. Rose, 316 Dillman Hall, telephone 487-2531; e-mail: raman@mtu.edu

The purpose of this class is to give the theory and practice of optical microscopic methods of mineralogical study. The class is self taught and highly laboratory based. Students who take the class should know crystallography and some basic mineralogy. The class consists of readings, videotapes and laboratory exercises. These should be done by the students with regular visits to the petrology laboratory. This is a self paced class. All of the assignments can be done at any time, at your convenience. You should not plan to do more than a few hours of laboratory work on any one day, however, because it will cause eye fatigue. I suggest 5 hours per week, ideally on two different days. The textbook is not really necessary, but some students may want to learn partly or wholly by reading rather thanby using the video. The video is helpful because it shows you just what you should see through the microscope if you operate it correctly, and it juxtaposes this with the theoretical. Sometimes you may want to watch the tape while looking through the microscope. Lab materials are described in a lab manual which I will give you and are organized and ready for you in a cabinet in room 317 Dillman. You should prepare a lab notebook in which your notes are kept because you can use these in the practical lab exercises and tests. Besides the ten lab exercises there are three tests. You may take these whenever you are ready. Give me a day or two warning. See me at least once per week with questions during my office hours. Try not to get behind the schedule of about one unit per week. You must complete the first test by Oct 12, or I will ask you to drop the class. The class will meet only once a week, on thursday from 10-11 am. I recommend working together in the lab assignments. It is hard to catch up if you get behind. The first part of the class is deceptively easy, and it gets harder. Follow the following schedule:

Unit     Topic                            Tape #          Nesse, Ch #        Lab Ex #
1    Light and the microscope                1,2           1,2              1  
2    Refractometry                           3              3               2
3    Isotropic minerals                      4              4               3
4    Anisotropic minerals                    5              5               4
5    Uniaxial Minerals                       6              6               5
6    Uniaxial Identifications                7              --              6
7    Biaxial Minerals                        8,9             7              7
8    Biaxial Identifications                 10             --              8
9    Thin Section skills                     --              8              9
10   Spindle Stage                           11             --             10