Most of the Earth–from surface to core– is made up of crystalline material (minerals), but with important minor components of water-rich fluids and magmas which are responsible for the destruction and creation of new minerals.  Together these ‘earth materials’ – and the processes responsible for them coming into being – have shaped Earth for over 4.5 billion years.  We will explore the properties of earth materials including their atomic structure, their physical and chemical stability, and the basic principles that govern the chemical composition, occurrence, structure, and classification of minerals.  A portion of the course will be devoted to the study of other terrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars and the Moon) and meteorites that make up the primordial building material for planets that we see today.  

Most of the Earth–from surface to core– is made up of crystalline material (minerals), but with important minor components of water-rich fluids and magmas which are responsible for the destruction and creation of new minerals.  Together these ‘earth materials’ – and the processes responsible for them coming into being – have shaped Earth for over 4.5 billion years.  We will explore the properties of earth materials including their atomic structure, their physical and chemical stability, and the basic principles that govern the chemical composition, occurrence, structure, and classification of minerals.  A portion of the course will be devoted to the study of other terrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars and the Moon) and meteorites that make up the primordial building material for planets that we see today.  

Most of the Earth–from surface to core– is made up of crystalline material (minerals), but with important minor components of water-rich fluids and magmas which are responsible for the destruction and creation of new minerals.  Together these ‘earth materials’ – and the processes responsible for them coming into being – have shaped Earth for over 4.5 billion years.  We will explore the properties of earth materials including their atomic structure, their physical and chemical stability, and the basic principles that govern the chemical composition, occurrence, structure, and classification of minerals.  A portion of the course will be devoted to the study of other terrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars and the Moon) and meteorites that make up the primordial building material for planets that we see today.  

Most of the Earth–from surface to core– is made up of crystalline material (minerals), but with important minor components of water-rich fluids and magmas which are responsible for the destruction and creation of new minerals.  Together these ‘earth materials’ – and the processes responsible for them coming into being – have shaped Earth for over 4.5 billion years.  We will explore the properties of earth materials including their atomic structure, their physical and chemical stability, and the basic principles that govern the chemical composition, occurrence, structure, and classification of minerals.  A portion of the course will be devoted to the study of other terrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars and the Moon) and meteorites that make up the primordial building material for planets that we see today.  

Most of the Earth–from surface to core– is made up of crystalline material (minerals), but with important minor components of water-rich fluids and magmas which are responsible for the destruction and creation of new minerals.  Together these ‘earth materials’ – and the processes responsible for them coming into being – have shaped Earth for over 4.5 billion years.  We will explore the properties of earth materials including their atomic structure, their physical and chemical stability, and the basic principles that govern the chemical composition, occurrence, structure, and classification of minerals.  A portion of the course will be devoted to the study of other terrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars and the Moon) and meteorites that make up the primordial building material for planets that we see today.  

Most of the Earth–from surface to core– is made up of crystalline material (minerals), but with important minor components of water-rich fluids and magmas which are responsible for the destruction and creation of new minerals.  Together these ‘earth materials’ – and the processes responsible for them coming into being – have shaped Earth for over 4.5 billion years.  We will explore the properties of earth materials including their atomic structure, their physical and chemical stability, and the basic principles that govern the chemical composition, occurrence, structure, and classification of minerals.  A portion of the course will be devoted to the study of other terrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars and the Moon) and meteorites that make up the primordial building material for planets that we see today.