Syllabus

Lecture Notes

Exam Results 

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Dr. Gorring

MSU
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The syllabus of Dr. Gorring's  Physical Geology class (GEOS443) is given below.  You can jump to specific sections  of the syllabus by clicking on the highlighted categories below.  Instructor Course Content Expectations & Requirements Grading Course Objectives: Introduce crystallography, optics, mineral chemistry, and silicate mineralogy.  Relate the physical properties of minerals to their crystal structures.  Introduce analytical methods, especially the petrographic microscope.  Identification of minerals in hand specimen and thin section using a variety of techniques.  Illustrate the relevance of mineralogy to environmental problems.

Tourmaline (var. rubellite). [Photo credit: Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History]           Topaz. [Photo credit: Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History]

Lecture: M 5:30-7:10pm;  Lab R 5:30-8:00pm    359 Mallory Hall 

Office: 355 Mallory Hall 

Office Hours: 
MR 11:15am-12:15pm; R 4:30-5:30pm; or by appointment

Phone: 973-655-5409 

email: gorringm@mail.montclair.edu

Required Textbook: 
W.D. Nesse, 2003, Introduction to Mineralogy, Oxford University Press

Other Texts on Reserve in Sprague: 
· Mineralogy, by Dexter Perkins, (1998), Prentice Hall
· Introduction to Optical Mineralogy, by W.D. Nesse, (1991), Oxford University Press
· Manual of Mineralogy, 21st ed., by C. Klein and C.S. Hurlburt, (1998), John Wiley 
 

The Course Web Page can be found by starting at the MSU Earth & Environmental StudiesHome page: http://www.csam.montclair.edu/earth/eesweb -- look under 
Current Courses, then click on the GEOS443 Mineralogy link.  The exact address is http://www.csam.montclair.edu/earth/eesweb/gorring/geos443.html. 

Course Content

 Week                          Topic                                              Reading 

1	9/2	Physical Properties of Minerals	ch. 6
2	9/9	Crystal Systems; Basic Optics; Refractometry	ch. 7 (114-121; 151-155)
3	9/16	Refractometry; Intro to Optics of Anisotropic Minerals	ch. 7 (122-129)
4	9/23	More Optics of Anisotropic Minerals; NO LAB on 9/26 (Fieldtrip: 9/26 - 9/29 (Thur-Sun.) Adirondacks, NY)	ch. 7 (136-139)
5	9/30	Uniaxial Optics	ch. 7 (131-132; 139-143)
6	10/7	Biaxial Optics; Review	ch. 7 (134-135; 143-151)
7	10/14	FIRST EXAM (10/14; weeks 1-6); X-ray Diffraction (Fieldtrip: Sat.-Sun. 10/19 - 10/20, Trap Rock Minerals; Limecrest Quarry, Sterling Hill Mine; Franklin, NJ)	ch. 8
8	10/21	Analytical Techniques (XRD, SEM, ICP)	ch. 9
9	10/28	Crystal Chemistry	ch. 3
10	11/4	Crystal Structures	ch. 4
11	11/11	SECOND EXAM (11/11; weeks 7-10); Intro to Silicates; Ortho-, Di-, and Ring Silicates (Fieldtrip: Sat.-Sun. 11/16 - 10/17, Pegmatites, Connecticut)	ch. 11, 15, 16
12	11/18	Chain Silicates	ch. 14
13	11/25	Sheet Silicates; Thanksgiving	ch. 13
14	12/2	Framework Silicates	ch. 12
15	12/9	OPEN

THIRD EXAM:  Monday Dec. 16; 5:30-7:30pm; ML-359
 
 

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Expectations and Requirements

READINGS: Required readings are listed with the schedule. The sections should be read before the lecture for which they are listed.  I will be placing other Mineralogy texts on reserve in Sprague Library for additional assigned readings and if you want more thorough treatment of the material.

IN CLASS: Your active participation (both as an individual and in small groups) is essential to your success in the class, so ask lots of questions and participate fully in group activities. 

THE INTERNET:  The internet is a vast resource at your fingertips.  USE IT!

EXAMS:   Three non-cumulative exams are scheduled. The first two will be in-class exams; the third exam is likely to be a take-home.  Exam format will be short answer. Make-up exams will be given only in exceptional circumstances.

QUIZZES:  I will be giving you quizzes just about every week so that you are prepared for the exams.  Some of them will be just short questions, others will be lab-practical style (i.e. mineral ID).

CLASS PAPER:  Since we do not have time to do non-silicates you get to pick a non-silicate mineral group (i.e. carbonates, oxides, etc.) or an individual non-silicate mineral and give a short 2-3 page report.  Alternatively, you can write 2-3 page review of a mineralogy research paper.  I will give you some guidelines for writing this shortly.

MYSTERY MINERAL ID and SUMMARY PAPER:  Collect as much data on this specimen as you can. The goal is for you to get familiar with as many ID techniques as possible and to make a positive ID.  You will be using your sample throughout the semester as we go through some of the techniques in class.  At the end of the semester you will compile all your data to defend your ID and you will write a short (3-5pages) paper on your mineral.  I will give you more details on the format and content later.. 

FIELD TRIPS:  I will offer three trips this semester.  You will be required to accumulate 3 complete days in the field.  I will give extra credit for additional days in the field (~1.5% on total grade per trip).  There will be one 3-day weekend trip to the Adirondacks (leaving Thursday night), and two 2-day trips (Sat. and Sun.) to more local areas (northern NJ and Connecticut).  Although we will have fun (especially the Adirondack trip), the trips are ultimately for purposes of mineral collecting and to see classic mineral localities, so take them seriously.  The department will rent vans for transport.  I will give you details as they approach.
 
 
 

Three exams (non-cumulative): 40% 

Laboratory Assignments: 30%

Quizzes: 10% 

Mystery mineral ID and paper:   10%

Fieldtrip Attendance: 10%
 

Please forward comments and questions to Dr. Gorring at: gorringm@mail.montclair.edu
©1998 Dr. M.L. Gorring All rights reserved.
(http://www.csam.montclair.edu/earth/eesweb/gorring/geos110.html/)