In recent years mineralogy has developed even stronger links with solid-state chemistry and physics and these developments have been accompanied by a trend towards further quantification in the theoretical as well as the experimental aspects of the subject. The importance of solid-state chemistry to mineralogy was reflected in a symposium held at the 1982 Annual Congress of The Royal Society of Chemistry at which the original versions of most of the contributions to this book were presented. The meeting brought together chemists, geologists and mineralogists all of whom were interested in the application of modern spectroscopic techniques to the study of bonding in minerals. The interdisci plinary nature of the symposium enabled a beneficial exchange of information from the various fields and it was felt that a book presenting reviews of the key areas of the subject would be a useful addition to both the chemical and mineralogical literature. The field of study which is commonly termed the 'physics and chemistry of minerals' has itself developed very rapidly over recent years. Such rapid development has resulted in many chemists, geologists, geochemists and mineralogists being less familiar than they might wish with the techniques currently available. Central to this field is an understanding of chemical bonding or 'electronic structure' in minerals which has been developed both theoretically and by the use of spectroscopic techniques.

The subject of mineralogy is moving away from the traditional systematic treatment of mineral groups toward the study of the behaviour of minerals in relation to geological processes. A knowledge of how minerals respond to a changing geological environment is fundamental to our understanding of many dynamic earth processes. By adopting a materials science approach, An Introduction to Mineral Sciences explains the principles underlying the modern study of minerals, discussing the behaviour of crystalline materials with changes in temperature, pressure and chemical environment. The concepts required to understand mineral behaviour are often complex, but are presented here in simple, non-mathematical terms for undergraduate mineralogy students. After introductory chapters describing the principles of diffraction, imaging and the spectroscopic methods used to study minerals, the structure and behaviour of the main groups of rock-forming minerals are covered, and the role of defects in the deformation and transformation of a mineral are explained. The energy changes and the rate of transformation processes are introduced using a descriptive approach rather than attempting a complete and rigorous treatment of the thermodynamics and kinetics. Examples and case histories from a range of mineral groups are set in an earth science context, such that the emphasis of this book is to allow the student to develop an intuitive understanding of the structural principles controlling the behaviour of minerals.

Volume 18 of Reviews in Mineralogy provides a general introduction to the use of spectroscopic techniques in Earth Sciences. It gives an Introduction To Spectroscopic Methods and covers Symmetry, Group Theory And Quantum Mechanics; Spectrum-Fitting Methods; Infrared And Raman Spectroscopy; Inelastic Neutron Scattering; Vibrational Spectroscopy Of Hydrous Components; Optical Spectroscopy; Mossbauer Spectroscopy; MAS NMR Spectroscopy Of Minerals And Glasses; NMR Spectroscopy And Dynamic Processes In Mineralogy And Geochemistry; X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy: Applications In Mineralogy ind Geochemistry; Electron Paramagnetic Resonance; Auger Electron And X-Ray Photelectron Spectroscopies and Luminescence, X-Ray Emission and New Spectroscopies. The authors of this volume presented a short course, entitled "Spectroscopic Methods in Mineralogy and Geology", May 13-15, 1988, in Hunt Valley, Maryland.

The Primary Scope Of This Text-Book Covers The Transmission As Well As Reflection Optics Of Minerals And The Methods Of Their Studies. To Explain The Optical Behaviour Of Minerals, Some Relevant Concepts In Spectroscopy Have Been Introduced. This Book Fills The Need Of The Students To A Better Understanding Of The Physical Nature Of Minerals Through Studies In Ir-Visible-X-Ray Region.This Book Contains Seven Chapters Titled As: General Optics: Interactions Of Light With Matter, Study In Polarised Light, Optical (Absorption) Sepctroscopic Studies Of Minerals, Reflection Optics, Reflection Spectroscopy, Vibrational Spectroscopy: Infrared And Raman - An Outline, X-Ray Optics. It Also Offers As Appendices The Transmission, Reflection Properties And X-Ray Data Of Minerals.This Is The Only Book That Lucidly Introduces The Principles Of Modern Methods Of Mineral Optics In A Single Volume For The Students Of Graduate And Post-Graduate Levels.

This work is based on the observation that further major advances in geochemistry, particularly in understanding the rules that govern the ways in which elements come together to form minerals and rocks, will require the application of the theories of quantum mechanics. The book therefore outlines this theoretical background and discusses the models used to describe bonding in geochemical systems. It is the first book to describe and critically review the application of quantum mechanical theories to minerals and geochemical systems. The book consolidates valuable findings from chemistry and materials science as well as mineralogy and geochemistry, and the presentation has relevance to professionals in a wide range of disciplines. Experimental techniques are surveyed, but the emphasis is on applying theoretical tools to various groups of minerals: the oxides, silicates, carbonates, borates, and sulfides. Other topics dealt with in depth include structure, stereochemistry, bond strengths and stabilities of minerals, various physical properties, and the overall geochemical distribution of the elements.

All existing introductory reviews of mineralogy are written accord ing to the same algorithm, sometimes called the "Dana System of Mineralogy". Even modern advanced handbooks, which are cer tainly necessary, include basic data on minerals and are essentially descriptive. When basic information on the chemistry, structure, optical and physical properties, distinguished features and para genesis of 200-400 minerals is presented, then there is practically no further space available to include new ideas and concepts based on recent mineral studies. A possible solution to this dilemma would be to present a book beginning where introductory textbooks end for those already famil iar with the elementary concepts. Such a volume would be tailored to specialists in all fields of science and industry, interested in the most recent results in mineralogy. This approach may be called Advanced Mineralogy. Here, an attempt has been made to survey the current possibilities and aims in mineral matter investigations, including the main characteristics of all the methods, the most important problems and topics of mineral ogy, and related studies. The individual volumes are composed of short, condensed chap ters. Each chapter presents in a complete, albeit condensed, form specific problems, methods, theories, and directions of investigations, and estimates their importance and strategic position in science and industry.