This site examines the crystal chemistry of some common mineral groups, including garnet, plagioclase, pyroxene, mica (muscovite and biotite), and amphibole. For each group, the topics considered include: the sites in the crystal structure on which the principal substitutions take place, the typical ranges of observed composition variation, how to assess the quality of analyses from looking at the stoichiometry of mineral formulas, how to estimate ferric iron, and any special considerations affecting formula recalculation. The computer models help illustrate the mineral crystal structures.
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Part of the Cutting Edge collection. The NAGT/DLESE On the Cutting Edge project helps geoscience faculty stay up-to-date with both geoscience research and teaching methods.
