GEOL 110 Final Exam Review Material Spring 2010 Silicate Mineral Classes be able to identify the classes of silicate minerals and give examples of major minerals in each Optics You should be up on all of the light paths and diagnostic tools associated with petrographic microscopy used to identify major minerals including both orthoscopic and conoscopic projections and the concept of an indicatrix Specific Mineral Groups we have spent a lot of time on specific mineral groups feldspars for instance You should know these well for example the feldspars can be divided into 2 series that differ in K Na Ca compositions If I give you a ternary plot you could fill it in for this group and tell me the end members Though I do not expect you to memorize for example the 6 mineral phases of the plagioclase feldspar series you should know they trend between Albite and Anorthite as a function of Na and Ca content are framework silicates and know the alkali feldspars can have exsolution lamellae that indicate cooler conditions or re equilibration Expect several questions covering some detail on the minerals we have discussed interpret their structure chemistry and interpret what conditions their presence indicates Minerals Mineral groups to know o Feldspars plagioclase and alkali feldspars feldspathoids pyroxenes amphiboles olivines clays micas quartzes calcite group sulfates halides serpentines garnet sulfides oxides chlorite aluminosilicates o Should have a sense of their structure chemistry diagnostic features and depositional formational environment example what does the presence of gypsum then halite tell you Bowen s reaction series and explanation for how magma becomes rock Equilibrium we have talked about energy of minerals and how that is affected by the conditions they are put in solution melt composition P T conditions etc you should know how to read a phase diagram and use it to figure out a mineral composition from a melt and what a miscibility gap is responsible for Weathering be able to describe physical and chemical weathering in detail Different ways to physically weather something what controls chemical weathering solubility different kinds of reactions dissolution hydrolysis acid base oxidation Ore deposits a sense of concentrating metals by some chemical mechanism trap and the importance of this in concentrating metals to an economic value Oil and coal formation describe how organic materials essentially metamorphose and move into traps to form oil gas deposits Gem minerals and how they form in different settings how light goes through them Mineral importance in environmental problems such as acid mine drainage and how they can control metal transport Metamorphism Agents of change P T fluids stress strain types of metamorphism and the tectonic environments associated with these changes P T fluids etc Metamorphic reactions know the major types of metamorphic reactions solidsolid phase transformation solid solid dehydration hydration volatization devolatization esp carbonation decarbonation Thermodynamics and phase diagrams you should be able to read a phase diagram and use it to figure out P T conditions given a set of minerals coexisting in a rock Meteorites how to identify what the major groups and compositions are what information they provide about the chemistry of a planet Meteorite impact minerals minerals indicative of a meteorite impact and why Mantle composition should have some idea of the composition of the earth s mantle and core Important mantle phases olive pyroxene spinel perovskite magneso wustite minor stishovite and how we think we know this Geodynamo and magnetic poles magnetic field how this occurs Naming a new mineral if you were to characterize a new mineral how would you do it
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