This resource is a webpage that accompanies a course on asbestos in building materials. Topics include an introduction to the polarized light microscope, mineral habit, the refractive index, color and pleochroism, polarized light, birefringence, retardation and interference colors, extinction angles, and visual estimation of mineral percentages. The website features instructive photographs of thin ... Full description.

This site, maintained by the University of Bristol, contains a short explanation of X-ray crystallography. Topics covered include a definition of X-ray crystallography, an example of its applications, and the stages of crystal structure determination. A student interested in a concise account of the manner in which this technology is used to identify minerals would benefit from this site. Full description.

This tutorial on crystallography is broken down into equipment set-up, x-ray diffraction basics, symmetry and space groups, structure factors and phase problems, phasing techniques, model building, and real space correlation plots. Diagrams and interactive topics accompany the text, along with an interactive applet on Bragg's Law. Full description.

This site, maintained by the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming, contains four QuickTime videos of actual crystal growth. To access the videos, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on any of the downloads that are available. These videos enhance understanding of the processes involved in crystallization. Full description.

This online version of a classic out-of-print sedimentary petrology textbook by Robert L. Folk is hosted by the Walter Geology Library at the University of Texas at Austin. The user can choose between high (PDF) and low resolution downloads of the textbook. Full description.

This website contains an introduction to the principles of optical mineralogy. Topics include the petrographic microscope, light, thin sections, and basic theoretical concepts. The website features text illustrated with ample photographs, drawings, diagrams and movies. The site also contains self-tests using photomicrographs. This resource is a useful tutorial for an introduction or a review of optical ... Full description.

This resource is a table for the identification of minerals with a petrographic microscope. The table lists minerals and their properties, including color in thin section, refractive index, extinction and extinction angle, interference figure, birefringence, twinning and other notes. The table is available in html for web viewing and RTF for printing. Full description.

This site is a lecture by Dr. Stephen Nelson from Tulane University that discusses crystallographic calculations. Topics include a review of Miller indices, axial ratios, angles corresponding to a Miller Index, and angles between crystallographic axes in monoclinic or triclinic systems. Step by step examples of the calculations are provided, including associated illustrations and diagrams. Full description.

This site is a lecture about crystal structure from Dr. Stephen Nelson at Tulane University. Topics include axial ratios, intercepts of crystal faces (Weiss Parameters), determination of the Miller Index of a crystal, the modified notation of hexagonal systems, which is referred to as Miller-Bravais Indices, and using the Miller Index notation to designate crystal forms. Tables and illustrations accompany ... Full description.

This collection features examples of using visualization in teaching and includes concept maps, microscope videos, and animations of crystal structures. The concept maps are used to show how information can be linked. The scope videos are used to show how optical properties change as a function of orientation. These videos show minerals in plane polarized light, cross polarized light, and conoscopic ... Full description.