GEOL 2082 - Petrography (Optical Mineralogy)

Spring Semester, 2001

Instructor:

        Gary Byerly

        354 Geology

        388-5318

        gary@geol.lsu.edu

Office Hours: Mondays 8:30-9:30

        Wednesdays 10:30-11:30

Teaching Assistant:

        Juan Chow

        417E Geology

        8-2680

        juanchow@excite.com

Office Hours:

        Mondays 5-7 PM in lab

        Thursdays 10:30-11:30 in office

Text:

        Optical Mineralogy, by W. Nesse, Oxford Press, 1991

        You should also retain a copy of Manual of Mineralogy, last semester’s text.

Lectures:

        M,W 9:40-10:30 Room E207

Labs:

        M,W 11:40-1:00 Room E206

Grades:

        Two lecture exams @ 20% each

        Two lab exams @ 10% each

        Lab homework 10%

        Final exam 30%.

Supplies:
 

Large, three-ring binder, unlined paper for sketches, graph paper (metric, 5 squares per cm), colored pencils, 10 cm ruler, hand-lens, ZIP disk (100mB, PC format)


E-mail:

You must obtain an E-mail account. Send a message to me when you have account set up. You must regularly check your e-mail as I will announce quizzes and assign some homework this way. Class web page: http://zoe.geol.lsu.edu/www.GEOL2082/GEOL%202082.html

This page will have copies of old exams, homework assignments and solutions, etc. You will also be asked to complete a personal web page on some aspect of optical mineralogy for the class.

 Computer access/training: You may use most of the computing resources in E336 and some of those available in the SEM lab. Ask Tommy Smith for the security code and the class TA for help. Dr. Xie in the SEM lab, E144, may be available for help with digital imaging and computer analysis of microscope images. Computer literacy: You should know how to use a word-processing program like Microsoft Word, a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel, an image processing program like Photoshop, a web browser and some type of e-mail. If you do not presently know how to use these types of applications, then let me know and we will schedule some evening workshops in one of the department’s computer labs.   **********************************************************************

Petrography, literally the measure of rocks, is a science which examines rocks and the rock forming minerals, principally in hand specimen or, using a special type of microscope, thin sections and grain mounts. The optical properties of minerals are particularly important in distinguishing the different mineral species, compositional and structural variation within these species, as well as orientation within a rock fabric. Compositional and structural variations as well as the overall textures developed within rocks provide geologists with the basis for the interpretation of the genesis of rocks, the geological history of large regions of the Earth's crust and mantle, and beyond to the earliest origins of the Earth and other planetary bodies of our solar system. Many of the techniques learned are easily applied to problems in environmental sciences, for example hazardous dusts, in the forensic sciences, for example explosive residues, and in the biological sciences, for example biominerals and bioceramics.
 
 

This class, GEOL 2082, is designed to be taken in the sophomore year and is primarily for geology majors in the geology and environmental geology curricula. Non-geology students may take the class to fulfill requirements for a minor in geology, or for a science elective. To take this class you should have previously taken and passed Physical Geology (GEOL 1001, 1601), Mineralogy ( GEOL 2081), and Chemistry (CHEM 1201, 1202, 1212). This class is a prerequisite for the advanced geology classes: Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology ( GEOL 3041), Sedimentology ( GEOL 3032), and Field Methods (GEOL 3666).

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Lectures:
 

Jan.     17       Petrographic microscope
22     Nature of light

24     Refractometry

29     Isotropic materials

31     Anisotropic materials

Feb.       5     Uniaxial optics
                             7     Uniaxial interference figures

                          12     Biaxial optics

                          14     Biaxial interference figures

                          19     Hourly exam #1

                          21     Systematic mineralogy overview

26    Mardi Gras Holiday

28    Mardi Gras Holiday
 

 Mar.        5    Olivines                              7     Pyroxenes

                            12    Amphiboles

                            14    Phyllosilicates

19     Plagioclase feldspars

21     Alkali feldspars

26     Spring Break

28     Spring Break
 

 Apr.        2    Silica minerals
  4     Feldspathoids
               9     Carbonates, sulfates, oxides
 
11     Review of rock-forming minerals
             16     Hourly exam #2
18     Petrography of igneous rocks
23     Petrography of sedimentary rocks
25     Petrography of metamorphic rocks

30     Special Projects
 

 May        2     Summary and Review
..9     Final Exam(Wednesday, 5:30-7:30 PM)

 

Laboratory:

Date: Topic(s):

Jan. 17 Petrographic microscope

        22 Refractive index and relief

        24 Becke line

        29 Oil immersion methods

        31 Uniaxial materials

Feb. 5 Birefringence - calcite experiment
         7 Uniaxial interference figures

      12 Biaxial interference figures

      14 Absorption and pleochroism

      19 Unknown mineral identification

       21 Exam #1

       26 Mardi Gras Holiday

       28 Mardi Gras Holiday

Mar. 5 Olivines

        7 Pyroxenes

      12 Amphiboles

      14 Phyllosilicates

      19 Plagioclase feldspars

       21 Alkali Feldspars

       26Spring Break

       28Spring Break

Apr. 2 Silica minerals

        4 Feldspathoids

        9 Carbonates, sulfates, oxides

                    11 Petrography of plutonic rocks

                    16 Petrography of sedimentary rocks

                    18 Petrography of metamorphic rocks

                    25 Special Projects

                    30 Review

            May 2 Exam #2