Earth Materials

This course will provide students with a background in textures, mineralogy, origins, and occurrences of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks. This will include the topics of the most common rock-forming minerals, the physiochemical principles that govern the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks, rock textures, classification systems of rocks, occurrences and origins of common igneous and metamorphic rocks. This course includes a laboratory section with an emphasis on the identification of rocks and minerals in hand specimen.