"The Birth of Opal" is the only book in the English speaking world that is devoted entirely to the topic of opal formation. It is a detailed investigative and enlightening account of the formation of opal both in nature and in the Lab. The investigation includes; the opal environment, Geography, Geology, Geochemistry, the decay cycle, soil reactions, the effect of salts and chemical reactions that result in "The Birth of Opal." Outside of Russia, "The Birth of Opal" is the most complete book about opal genesis in the world. It is a world first in its class. It dispels the myths and mystery that has surrounded the formation of opal for centuries. All those who love gemstones, or geology and are fascinated by opal in particular or are curious about its true origins will finally find the answers in this book. It is a must have for Schools, Colleges, Universities, and Libraries everywhere. Get your copy now

Although the great diversity of alkaline rocks, with their tion of alkaline rocks and carbonatites with rifting has long been acknowledged. However, many large, diverse relatively exotic rnineralogies. has always attracted the interest of petrologists, as have the more recently defined and important provinces are not widely known, includ carbonatites, it could be argued that little progress has ing the 20 or so major provinces of the U. S. S. R. and some of the major concentrations of South America. been made over the past 50 years towards formulating a comprehensive petrogenesis of these rocks. It could Although alkaline rocks are known to be characteristic also be maintained that as the alkaline varieties have the of stable, intra-plate environments, it is becoming clear most extreme compositions of all igneous rocks, so an that they also play an important role in the igneous activity concentrated at plate margins. In this respect understanding of their genesis is essential if we are to understand fully the workings of the solid earth, while also, therefore, it is concluded that thecollation of all the available regional data can make a significant contribu a knowledge of the most extreme products of differentia tion must inevitably cast light on rocks of less extreme tion to understanding these rocks. compositions. The importance of academic research on Sorensen (1974) in the Preface to 'The Alkaline Rocks' these rocks is thus clear."

Bentonite are usually found in deep geographical areas. They are produced from rock, fossils, weathering of volcanic ash and disposal of high-level of radioactive waste in many countries. Bentonite mainly consist of clay mineral such as montmorillinite and kaolinite. They mainly exist in cationic form of organic compounds such as aromatic or aliphatic hydrocarbon and are employed to modify high cations exchange capacity, higher structural integrity, thermal conductivity, high chemical buffering capacity, and stiffness. Bentonite is a layer of natural silicate clay mineral having numerous properties such as large specific surface area, great absorption and interlayer exchangeable cation. Bentonite consists of outstanding physico-chemical properties which make it applicable in the areas such as water treatment, medical, groundwater barrier, farming, and construction. They are well known to be one of the most versatile and inexpensive treatments. The current book describes the bentonite characteristic, uses and implications for the environment in many areas of environmental science in particular, such as remediation, clean energy, water research and waste management. Researchers working in the area will benefit from the fundamental concepts and advanced approaches described in the book. The book is going to also be beneficial to researchers who are working for their graduate and postgraduate degrees in the area of science and technology. The book also provides a platform for all researchers as it covers a wide background in the subject from recent literature, abbreviations, and summaries. Additionally, this book covers a broader research area of chemistry, physics, environmental science, materials science, polymer science and engineering to present an interdisciplinary approach. This book contains the fundamental knowledge as well as recent advancements in the research and development of bentonite. The book also covers recent approaches and prospects about the current research and development of bentonite.

Hydrothermal crystal growth offers a complementary alternative to many of the classical techniques of crystal growth used to synthesise new materials and grow bulk crystals for specific applications. This specialised technique is often capable of growing crystals at temperatures well below their melting points and thus potentially offers routes to new phases or the growth of bulk crystals with less thermal strain. Borate crystals are widely used as nonlinear optical, laser and luminescent materials due to their diversified structures, and good chemical and physical properties. The growth of high-quality borate crystals is required for their applications. A fundamental problem for borate crystal growth is the high-temperature melt structures in the crystal growth systems. This book discusses several crystals and the crystal growth processes.

Since the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Act) was passed in 2010, relevant U.S. agencies have undertaken various activities related to responsible sourcing of conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjoining countries. In response to the Act, the Department of State (State) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) developed a strategy in 2011 to address the linkages among human rights abuses, armed groups, and the mining of conflict minerals and are implementing various strategy objectives. This book examines, among other things, the extent to which relevant U.S. agencies have undertaken activities related to responsible sourcing of conflict minerals; and what is known about the status of, and information provided by, stakeholder initiatives focused on responsible sourcing of conflict minerals from the DRC and adjoining countries.

Granites are emblematic rocks developed from a magma that crystallized in the Earth's crust. They ultimately outcrop at the surface of every continent. This book - translated, edited, and updated from the original French edition Petrologie des Granites published by Vuibert in 2011 - gives a modern presentation of granitic rocks, or granites, from magma genesis to their emplacement into the crust and their crystallization. Mineralogical, petrological, physical, and economical aspects are developed in a succession of 14 chapters. Special 'info boxes' discuss topics for those wishing to deepen their knowledge of the subject. Also included is a glossary, a comprehensive bibliography, as well as descriptions of modern techniques. Granites are considered in their geological spatial and temporal frame, in relation with Plate Tectonics and Earth History, and assisted by a large number of high quality illustrations.

Nanocrystalline apatites constitute the main inorganic part of human hard tissues (bone and teeth), and a growing focus is devoted to prepare synthetic analogs, so-called "biomimetic", able to precisely mimic the morphological and physical-chemical features of biological apatites. In fact, it is reasonable to hypothesize that by virtue of their high similarity with the biogenic calcium phosphates, synthetic nano-sized and ionic substituted apatite nanocrystals can display better biological performances than coarser and ceramic hydroxyapatite. For this reason, the study of their crystallization mechanisms and the possibility to tailor the structural and physical-chemical properties of these materials open several possibilities to prepare optimal devices in medical sciences and also to better investigate the biomineralization processes of living organisms. This book is divided in three main parts and is principally devoted to highlight the recent progresses on the preparation and characterization of multifunctional nanocrystalline apatites with tailored properties to be used as healthcare materials (i.e. nanoparticles for drug or gene delivery and materials for bone substitution and regeneration). The first part is intended to be a comprehensive review of the importance and the occurrence of calcium phosphates in nature (geological and biological occurrence) and to underline the peculiar characteristics of nanocrystalline apatites. The aim of the second part is to show the most important analytical techniques for the characterization of apatite features and to describe the new theories behind the apatite crystallization and dissolution processes. The last part describes the traditional and the most exciting and innovative applications of pure, ionic-substituted, and organic-functionalized apatite as biomaterial. The chapters, written by eminent scientists, will serve as an important and useful reference source for a broad audience that consists of both expert (materials scientists, biomedical engineers and biologists) and non-expert readers to who want to improve their knowledge in the field of apatite based biomaterials.

This book is intended to provide the reader with information regarding diamond prospecting. It also points out areas to prospect. I have prospected in this area of Virginia and West Virginia in the past, but my ill health prevents me doing it anymore. It's all yours now. Finding diamonds will not be that difficult, but remember, they should be two carats or larger and free of flaws to be worth much. You may want to save everything smaller, too. Some third world company may purchase them from you.

In this book, the authors present current research in the study of the mineral composition, geology and petrogenesis significance of feldspar, a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals that make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust. Topics discussed in this compilation include the patterns of phosphorus enrichment in alkali feldspars; crystallisation conditions of feldspars in basement rocks in Bangladesh; industrial evaluation and beneficiation of Jordanian feldspar for application in the ceramic industry; unimpeded growth of K-feldspar megacrysts in granitic liquids; the extent to which simple twinning occurs in igneous K-feldspar; and multiple growth twinning of K-feldspar in hypersolvus granite.

Here is a state-of-the-art survey of artificial intelligence in modern exploration programs. Focussing on standard exploration procedures, the contributions examine the advantages and pitfalls of using these new techniques, and, in the process, provide new, more accurate and consistent methods for solving old problems. They show how expert systems can provide the integration of information that is essential in the petroleum industry when solving the complicated questions facing the modern petroleum geoscientist.

By definition, biosphere is the Earth's geological shell populated by living organisms. Therefore, the biosphere's origin and evolution is primarily a geological problem. At present geological problems are solved using methods of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. The multidisciplinary approach is a basis of this book. Life origin problems occupy the main part of the book. What is life, and can we understand its origin and evolution on the basis of laws of physics and chemistry? A number of works are dedicated to experimental study of the synthesis of organic compounds of the prebiotic significance, including ATP and photoactive systems. The characteristic feature of our scientific approach is to consider the problem of life origin in the context of the origin and evolution of the solar system, beginning with the protoplanetary stage and including the events of the Earth's early history. The last chapter comprises papers that concern modern problems and approaches to the study of various aspects of biological evolution. The present edition is a collection of articles by scientists representing more than 20 institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and other organisations, joined by the science program "Problems of Biosphere Origin and Evolution". This book will be interesting for a wide range of researchers: physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians. The book represents the stance of the Russian scientific school on the problem of life origin, which does not always coincide with opinions of other scientific schools.

By definition, biosphere is the Earth's geological shell populated by living organisms. Therefore, the biosphere's origin and evolution are primarily a geological problem. At present geological problems are solved using methods of physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. The multidisciplinary approach is a basis of this book. Life origin problems occupy the main part of this book. What is life, and can we understand its origin and evolution on the basis of laws of physics and chemistry? A number of works are dedicated to experimental study of the synthesis of organic compounds of the prebiotic significance, including ATP and photoactive systems. The characteristic feature of our scientific approach is to consider the problem of life origin in the context of the origin and evolution of the solar system, beginning with the protoplanetary stage and including the events of the Earth's early history. The last chapter comprises papers that concern modern problems and approaches to the study of various aspects of biological evolution. The present edition is a collection of articles by scientists representing more than 20 institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and other organisations, joined by the science program "Problems of Biosphere Origin and Evolution". This book will be interesting for a wide range of researchers: physicists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians. The book represents the stance of the Russian scientific school on the problem of life origin, which does not always coincide with opinions of other scientific schools.

The present work focuses on two fluorite-structured groups of materials: the hydrides of the rare earths (and actinides) and several specific metal oxides, and is authored by researchers among the most competent and active in the field. By contrast to the classical "historic" alkaline-earth halides, non-stoichiometry appears as a key issue for both groups treated here. The former group has attracted particularly close attention because of its possible candidature as hydrogen storage material within the vast prospect of the clean energy economy. In addition, the amazing property of transiting from the metallic to the semiconducting state and back by simply changing the hydrogen concentration between dihydride and trihydride had led to the development of the so-called "switchable mirrors" evolving between the opaque or the reflecting and optically transparent.

In this book, the authors discuss the occurrences, physical properties and applications of spinels. Topics include optical spectroscopy of transition metals in a-ZnAl2S4 wide band gap semiconductors; development of spinel NiZn ferrites for power field applications; spinel ferrites as catalysts for light alkanes combustion; application of magnesium spinel nanometric coating on aluminum oxide as an ionizing radiation sensor for personal and environmental dosimetry; chromium spinel oxides in high magnetic fields; the structural behavior of natural Cr-bearing spinels compared with synthetic ones; negative temperature coefficient thermistors based on spinel-type ceramics; and synthesis of high surface area MgAl2O4 spinel particles by a new method.

In this book, the authors present current research in the study of the crystallography, chemistry and catalytic performance of perovskites. Topics discussed include the defect structure and defect-induced expansion of perovskite oxides; perovskite-based catalysts for transformation of natural gas and oxygenates into syngas; Bi containing multiferroic perovskite oxide thin films; perovskites as catalysts for environmental remediation; microwave-assisted synthesis and characterisation of perovskite oxides; perovskite and lead based ceramic materials; photocatalytic properties of perovskite-type layered oxides; structure of perovskite electron-ionic conductors; and distorted perovskites.