Introduction to Mineralogy

This is a 5-day course of lectures, practical sessions, and laboratory visits focused on modern mineral identification techniques. The course will include demonstrations of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electron microprobe analysis (EMPA). A revision of basic mineralogy concepts will be provided, before visiting Melbourne Museum to use some of the museum's mineralogy facilities (including the XRD) and a tour of the museum's mineral collection provided by the museum's senior geoscience curator. At the University of Melbourne, students will be introduced to in-house analysis techniques (e.g. SEM, EMPA, ICP-MS, micro-CT), taught how to evaluate the quality of resultant data, and how such data should be presented.