Catalogo dei Corsi di studio

Expected learning outcomes
- Knowledge of the mineralogical features of the principal rock constituents, in the various natural and environmental geological contexts.
- Capacity of planning and execution of the mineralogical characterization with the use of various investigations.

Dublin Descriptors

- Knowledge and understanding of the natural phenomena of mineral crystallizations.
- Ability to apply knowledge and understanding for the minerals identification.
- Critical and judgmental skills through practical exercises and mineralogical optics laboratory.
- Ability to communicate what has been learned through group activities such as exercises and discussions in the classroom with the teacher and other students.
- Ability to continue the study in the course of life thanks to the tools provided in the course, in particular the use of tables and reference texts for the identification of minerals and the use of scientific investigations at equipped laboratories.





CFU CONTACT HOURS
7 Lectures 56
Seminars
Laboratory exercises
2 Exercises 24
Field work

Programme

Syllabus

General notes. Mineral definition. Amorphous and crystalline states. Mineral formation and growth of the crystals. Introduction to the Earth structure. Crust and mantle minerals. Mineral evolution.

Morphological crystallography. Habit, morphology, and face angles of the crystals. Law of the dihedron angle constancy. Crystal model and Eulero relation. Elements of the symmetry: axes, plane and centre. Point Groups. Simple forms and Symmetry classes. Crystal systems. Hauy’s law and Miller indexes. Practical exercises on crystal models.

Structural crystallography. Translation operations. Crystal lattice. Unit cells. Screw axes, glide planes. Space groups. Examples of crystalline structures. X-rays: properties, diffusion phenomenon and interaction with the crystalline matter. Experiments of Laue and Bragg. Bragg equation. X-rays powder diffraction patterns. Practical exercises on powder diffraction patterns and identification of the mineral phases.

Crystal-chemistry. Chemical bonds. Compact structures. Hard-sphere model. Pauling’s rules. Mineral chemical formula and crystal-chemical formula. Classification of minerals on basis of chemical composition and structural arrangement. Isomorphism and polymorphism. Detailed crystal chemistry of rock-forming minerals: silicates (in particular neso-, ino-, phyllo- and tectosilicates), oxides, carbonates. Experimental methods to obtain mineral composition. Practical exercises on crystal-chemical formula determination.

Crystal-physics. Physical properties of minerals. Isotropic and anisotropic matter. Optics: reflection, refraction indexes, birefringence. Optical indicatrix and its orientation into the crystals. The polarized microscope. Optical properties of minerals in thin sections. Practical exercises on mineral thin sections.

Adopted texts

Klein – Mineralogia – Zanichelli

Bibliography

Mazzi, Bernardini – Fondamenti di cristallografia e ottica cristallografica – USES Bonatti, Franzini – Cristallografia mineralogica – Boringhieri Gottardi – I minerali – Boringhieri

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of Mathematics, Physics, Inorganic Chemistry

Exam modes

Intermediate open-ended questions and final oral examination

Exam reservation date start	Exam reservation date end	Exam date
29/09/2020	20/01/2021	22/01/2021
29/09/2020	20/01/2021	22/01/2021
29/09/2020	20/01/2021	22/01/2021
29/09/2020	10/02/2021	12/02/2021
29/09/2020	10/02/2021	12/02/2021
29/09/2020	10/02/2021	12/02/2021
29/09/2020	17/04/2021	19/04/2021
29/09/2020	17/04/2021	19/04/2021
29/09/2020	17/04/2021	19/04/2021
29/09/2020	20/06/2021	24/06/2021
29/09/2020	20/06/2021	24/06/2021
29/09/2020	20/06/2021	24/06/2021
29/09/2020	13/07/2021	15/07/2021
29/09/2020	13/07/2021	15/07/2021
29/09/2020	13/07/2021	15/07/2021
29/09/2020	29/08/2021	01/09/2021
29/09/2020	29/08/2021	01/09/2021
29/09/2020	29/08/2021	01/09/2021
29/09/2020	18/09/2021	20/09/2021
29/09/2020	18/09/2021	20/09/2021
29/09/2020	18/09/2021	20/09/2021
29/09/2020	01/11/2021	03/11/2021

Programme

The interdisciplinary second-year excursions aim to bring the student closer to reading the territory in an integrated vision of the various environmental components: geological, botanical and zoological. Observation will be the tool that the student will have to develop and refine under the guidance of teachers from different disciplines.

Adopted texts

The didactic and scientific material relating to the territory in which the excursion will be carried out will be provided.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of safety and behavioral methods in the field in the context of excursions in natural and artificial environments of various types.

Exam modes

The assessment of the profit will be made through an oral exam in the context of the discipline with which the excursion is associated.

Programme

Crystal-chemistry. Chemical bonds. Compact structures. Hard-sphere model. Pauling’s rules. Mineral chemical formula and crystal-chemical formula. Classification of minerals on basis of chemical composition and structural arrangement. Isomorphism and polymorphism. Detailed crystal chemistry of rock-forming minerals: silicates (in particular neso-, ino-, phyllo- and tectosilicates), oxides, carbonates. Experimental methods to obtain mineral composition. Practical exercises on crystal-chemical formula determination.

Crystal-physics. Physical properties of minerals. Isotropic and anisotropic matter. Optics: reflection, refraction indexes, birefringence. Optical indicatrix and its orientation into the crystals. The polarized microscope. Optical properties of minerals in thin sections. Practical exercises on mineral thin sections.

Adopted texts

Klein – Mineralogia – Zanichelli

Bibliography

Mazzi, Bernardini – Fondamenti di cristallografia e ottica cristallografica – USES Bonatti, Franzini – Cristallografia mineralogica – Boringhieri Gottardi – I minerali – Boringhieri

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of Mathematics, Physics, Inorganic Chemistry

Exam modes

Intermediate open-ended questions and final oral examination

Exam reservation date start	Exam reservation date end	Exam date
29/09/2020	20/01/2021	22/01/2021
29/09/2020	20/01/2021	22/01/2021
29/09/2020	20/01/2021	22/01/2021
29/09/2020	10/02/2021	12/02/2021
29/09/2020	10/02/2021	12/02/2021
29/09/2020	10/02/2021	12/02/2021
29/09/2020	17/04/2021	19/04/2021
29/09/2020	17/04/2021	19/04/2021
29/09/2020	17/04/2021	19/04/2021
29/09/2020	20/06/2021	24/06/2021
29/09/2020	20/06/2021	24/06/2021
29/09/2020	20/06/2021	24/06/2021
29/09/2020	13/07/2021	15/07/2021
29/09/2020	13/07/2021	15/07/2021
29/09/2020	13/07/2021	15/07/2021
29/09/2020	29/08/2021	01/09/2021
29/09/2020	29/08/2021	01/09/2021
29/09/2020	29/08/2021	01/09/2021
29/09/2020	18/09/2021	20/09/2021
29/09/2020	18/09/2021	20/09/2021
29/09/2020	18/09/2021	20/09/2021
29/09/2020	01/11/2021	03/11/2021

Programme

General notes. Mineral definition. Amorphous and crystalline states. Mineral formation and growth of the crystals. Introduction to the Earth structure. Crust and mantle minerals. Mineral evolution.
Morphological crystallography. Habit, morphology, and face angles of the crystals. Law of the dihedron angle constancy. Crystal model and Eulero relation. Elements of the symmetry: axes, plane and centre. Point Groups. Simple forms and Symmetry classes. Crystal systems. Hauy’s law and Miller indexes. Practical exercises on crystal models.
Structural crystallography. Translation operations. Crystal lattice. Unit cells. Screw axes, glide planes. Space groups. Examples of crystalline structures. X-rays: properties, diffusion phenomenon and interaction with the crystalline matter. Experiments of Laue and Bragg. Bragg equation. X-rays powder diffraction patterns. Practical exercises on powder diffraction patterns and identification of the mineral phases.

Adopted texts

Klein – Mineralogia – Zanichelli
Mazzi, Bernardini – Fondamenti di cristallografia e ottica cristallografica – USES
Bonatti, Franzini – Cristallografia mineralogica – Boringhieri
Gottardi – I minerali – Boringhieri

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of Mathematics, Physics, Inorganic Chemistry

Frequency modes

Class attending is not mandatory, but strongly recommended

Exam modes

Intermediate open-ended questions and final oral examination

Programme

Two multidisciplinary practical sessions in the field, which cover geology, botany and zoology

Adopted texts

Bibliographic material about the local fauna will be distributed for the areas where the field trips take place.

Prerequisites

Systematic Zoology

Exam modes

Student self-assessment test, and interaction with teacher during the session.