GEO 416K Earth Materials Lab Guide

Welcome to the Earth Materials Laboratory Guide. This manual contains exercises designed for GEO416K:  Earth Materials, a course taught in the Jackson school’s Dept. of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. This course is geared towards introducing students to minerals, mineral study techniques, igneous and metamorphic rocks, ore deposits, and ore formation processes.

Knowledge of mineralogy is the basis for the understanding of geological processes, including the formation and alteration of the Earth and other planets as a function of time. Many minerals influence the economy and play a meaningful role in political decision-making. The course focuses primarily on igneous and metamorphic rocks (as opposed to sedimentary rocks), and ore deposits.

The purpose of the lab guide is for the students to learn to identify many common rocks and minerals that they may encounter in the field and their future professions in the geosciences. They will learn how to use a petrographic microscope and appreciate the fundamentals of symmetry. The lab exercises are geared towards students who have completed an introductory Geosciences course and an introductory Chemistry course.