The book comprises the proceedings of the 9th Geoscience Conference for Young Scientists co-organized by the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry and the Institute of Mineralogy (Urals Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences) and Ural Federal University and held in Ekaterinburg, Russia, on February 5-8, 2018. The book is devoted to the relevant issues of crystal chemistry and mineral typomorphism; the structure and physico-chemical and technological properties of minerals; the computational modeling of mineral structure and properties. Much attention is drawn to the latest advances and applications of physical methods of investigation of mineral structure and composition, in particular, X-Ray diffraction, spectroscopic (optical, vibrational, ESR, Moessbauer, etc.) and microscopic (SEM, TEM, AFM, etc.) studies, as well as the methods of chemical and isotopic analysis. This book presents the current research trends of space and planetary mineralogy (meteorites, regolites, tektites). The book is intended explicitly for the specialists in the earth and planetary sciences.

Addressing the preservation of an increasingly important group of materials, this book outlines techniques for processing minerals and rocks in the field and laboratory, as well as the effects of treatments on specimens. The effects of light, temperature and relative humidity are covered and particularly sensitive minerals such as sulphides, including pyrite, meteorites and lunar rocks, are dealt with in detail.

This second edition is fully updated to include new developments in the study of metamorphism as well as enhanced features to facilitate course teaching. It integrates a systematic account of the mineralogical changes accompanying metamorphism of the major rock types with discussion of the conditions and settings in which they formed. The use of textures to understand metamorphic history and links to rock deformation are also explored. Specific chapters are devoted to rates and timescales of metamorphism and to the tectonic settings in which metamorphic belts develop. These provide a strong connection to other parts of the geology curriculum. Key thermodynamic and chemical concepts are introduced through examples which demonstrate their application and relevance. Richly illustrated in colour and featuring end-of-chapter and online exercises, this textbook is a comprehensive introduction to metamorphic rocks and processes for undergraduate students of petrology, and provides a solid basis for advanced study and research.

This book provides a wealth of geomathematical case history studies performed by the author during his career at the Ministry of Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada (NRCan-GSC). Several of the techniques newly developed by the author and colleagues that are described in this book have become widely adopted, not only for further research by geomathematical colleagues, but by government organizations and industry worldwide. These include Weights-of-Evidence modelling, mineral resource estimation technology, trend surface analysis, automatic stratigraphic correlation and nonlinear geochemical exploration methods. The author has developed maximum likelihood methodology and spline-fitting techniques for the construction of the international numerical geologic timescale. He has introduced the application of new theory of fractals and multi fractals in the geostatistical evaluation of regional mineral resources and ore reserves and to study the spatial distribution of metals in rocks. The book also contains sections deemed important by the author but that have not been widely adopted because they require further research. These include the geometry of preferred orientations of contours and edge effects on maps, time series analysis of Quaternary retreating ice sheet related sedimentary data, estimation of first and last appearances of fossil taxa from frequency distributions of their observed first and last occurrences, tectonic reactivation along pre-existing schistosity planes in fold belts, use of the grouped jackknife method for bias reduction in geometrical extrapolations and new applications of the theory of permanent, volume-independent frequency distributions.

The international Mont Terri rock laboratory in Switzerland plays a central role in the safety and construction of deep geological nuclear repositories in clay formations. The laboratory has developed and refined a range of new measurement and evaluation methods: it has e.g. advanced the determination of rock parameters using innovative borehole geophysics, improved the methodology for characterizing pore-water and microbial activity in claystones, and greatly improved our understanding of diffusion and retention processes of radionuclides in and through claystones. The methods and insights described in this compendium can also be applied to low-permeability rocks at various sites around the globe, and in other fields of application.

The book provides a model for structural evolution of the Himalaya with relevant background information so that earth scientists of other specialization will find it easy to comprehend. Hence the book is divided into two parts. The first part describes the basic principles of structural geology that are required to understand the evolutionary model described in the second part.

The book incorporates some of the ignored structural features, e.g. Pre-Himalayan rift tectonics, reactivation of faults, simultaneous development of folds and thrust faults, superposed folds, strike-slip faults developed during the early and superposed deformation, problems with the GPS data, erratic crustal shortening obtained by restoration of deformed sections, etc. The proposed model is essentially based on inversion tectonics and provides answers to some unsolved questions. It describes the accurate structure of the Himalaya as a primary arc. Supporting evidence for the model have also come from model deformation under controlled boundary conditions and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility studies.

Chondrules are spherical silicate grains which formed from protoplanetary disk material, and as such provide an important record of the conditions of the Solar System in pre-planetary times. Chondrules are a major constituent in chondritic meteorites, however despite being recognised for over 200 years, their origins remain enigmatic. This comprehensive review describes state-of-the-art research into chondrules, bringing together leading cosmochemists and astrophysicists to review the properties of chondrules and their possible formation mechanisms based on careful observations of their chemistry, mineralogy, petrology and isotopic composition. Current and upcoming space missions returning material from chondritic asteroids and cometary bodies has invigorated research in this field, leading to new models and observations, and providing new insight into the conditions and timescales of the solar protoplanetary disk. Presenting the most recent advances, this book is an invaluable reference for researchers and graduate students interested in meteorites, asteroids, planetary accretion and solar system dynamics.

This book describes the Aguablanca Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide deposit, the first, and to date only, mineralization of this type in southwestern (SW) Europe. Since its discovery in 1993, this ore deposit has attracted the attention of the resource geology community due to its unusual geodynamic context, namely an active plate margin. The book focuses on the key features of the deposit and reports on the ore-forming processes that were most important for its formation.

The renowned geologist Robert Jameson (1774-1854) held the chair of natural history at Edinburgh from 1804 until his death. A pupil of Gottlob Werner at Freiberg, he was in turn one of Charles Darwin's teachers. Originally a follower of Werner's influential theory of Neptunism to explain the formation of the earth's crust, he was later won over by the idea that the earth was formed by natural processes over geological time. Jameson was a controversial writer, accused of bias towards those who shared his Wernerian sympathies, such as Cuvier, while attacking Playfair, Hutton and Lyell. This book, first published in 1805, of which the 1816 second edition is reissued here, gives physical descriptions of the minerals discussed in his three-volume System of Mineralogy (also reissued in this series). Dividing minerals into solid, friable and fluid types, he describes and gives the English, German, French and Latin names of each.

This book provides an overview of the application of IR spectroscopy in mineralogical investigations, as well as modern trends in the IR spectroscopy of minerals. It includes the most important methodological aspects; characteristic IR bands of different chemical groups and coordination polyhedra; application of IR spectroscopy to the investigation of the crystal chemistry of amphiboles, phyllosilicates, tourmalines etc.; neutral molecules entrapped by microporous minerals; and analysis of hydrogen in nominally anhydrous minerals. About 1600 IR spectra (illustrations as well as a list of wavenumbers) of minerals and some related compounds are accompanied by detailed descriptions of the standard samples used. Each spectrum provides information about the occurrence, appearance, associated minerals, its empirical formula, and unit-cell parameters. The book also provides insights into sample preparation and/or spectrum registration methods. It includes IR spectra of 1020 minerals that were not covered in the book "Infrared spectra of mineral species: Extended library" published in 2014 and written by one of the authors. On average, each page provides information on two minerals/compounds. Subsections correspond to different classes of compounds (silicates, phosphates, arsenates, oxides etc.). About 290 new spectra have been obtained, and the remaining 1310 spectra are taken from most reliable literature sources (published over the last 60 years) and are redrawn in a unified style.

This book describes in detail numerous geological sites throughout the mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Eastern Arabia. The region is well known for its oil and gas reserves in the desert interior, and Permian-Mesozoic shelf carbonates exposed in the mountains of the Musandam peninsula, Jebel al-Akhdar and Saih Hatat, where deep wadi canyons provide impressive three-dimensional views into the crust. The region has numerous globally important geological sites, including the world's largest and best-exposed ophiolite complex, the Semail Ophiolite, which is a vast thrust sheet of Cretaceous ocean crust and upper mantle emplaced onto the Arabian continental margin. Other sites include spectacular fossil localities, subduction zone metamorphic rocks (eclogites, blueschists, amphibolites), fold-thrust belts, giant sheath folds and Precambrian salt domes, as well as the huge sand dunes of the Rub al'Khali, the Empty Quarter, and the separate Wahiba (Sharkiyah) sandsea of Eastern Oman. Written by Mike Searle, who has worked on geological research projects throughout Oman and UAE almost every year since 1978, this book describes the field geology of each site and includes a wealth of maps, field photos and diagrams illustrating key features. It also discusses the history of exploration of Arabia and the search for its hidden geological secrets. The book provides the geological basis for the establishment of a series of World Heritage Sites, National GeoParks and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) throughout the region. As such, it is of interest to geologists, tourists, mountaineers, trekkers, rock climbers and naturalists.

This edited volume deals with the attempts made by the scientists and practitioners to address contemporary issues in geoenvironmental engineering such as characterization of dredged sediments, geomaterials and waste, valorization of waste, sustainability in waste management and some other geoenvironmental issues that are becoming quite relevant in today's world especially in view of the high urbanization rates, advancement in technologies, and changes in consumption behavior of people. In this regard, wastes generated through the daily activities of individuals and organizations pose many challenges in their management. The volume is based on the best contributions to the 2nd GeoMEast International Congress and Exhibition on Sustainable Civil Infrastructures, Egypt 2018 - The official international congress of the Soil-Structure Interaction Group in Egypt (SSIGE).

Lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites are important resources for rare metals. For Cs, only the LCT pegmatites with the zeolite group mineral pollucite at Bikita (Zimbabwe Craton) and Tanco (Superior Province Craton) are of commercial importance. Common characteristics of world-class LCT pegmatite deposits include their Meso- to Neoarchean age and geological setting within greenstone belt lithologies on Archean Cratons. This study presents the first coherent and comparative scientific investigation of five major LCT pegmatite systems from the Yilgarn, Pilbara and Zimbabwe Craton. For the evaluation of their Cs potential and of the genetic concepts of pollucite formation, the pegmatites from Wodgina, Londonderry, Mount Deans and Cattlin Creek were compared to the Bikita pollucite mineralization.  The integration of the new data (e.g., geochronological and radiogenic isotope data) into the complex geological framework: 1) enhances our knowledge of the formation of LCT pegmatite systems, and 2) will contribute to the further exploration of additional world-class LCT pegmatite deposits, which 3) may host massive pollucite mineralisations. 

Der Historiograph al-Maqrizi (15. Jh.) befasst sich in seinem kurzen Traktat mit den Mineralien, ihrer Klassifikation, ihren medizinischen Anwendungen sowie Theorien uber ihre Entstehung. Kas legt hier erstmals eine kritische Textedition mit deutscher UEbersetzung und ausfuhrlichem Kommentar vor. The 15th century historiographer al-Maqrizi deals in his short treatise with minerals, their classification, medicinal uses and theories of their coming into being. Kas presents for the first time a critical edition of this text along with a German translation and a detailed commentary.

Study of microstructures is an indispensable component of understanding structural geology of any terrain. A number of ‘new’ microscopic structures such as ‘flanking microstructures’, trapezoid-shaped mineral grains, reversal of ductile shear sense, micro-duplexes, V-pull aparts, and new minerals nucleating inside host minerals have recently been described in individual manuscripts. However, for the sake of brevity, microstructural papers cannot show all possible variation in their morphology. The proposed book aims to present these structures with attractive colour photographs. Each photomicrograph will have a comprehensive caption. The book also presents grain boundary migration, boudins, symptoms of metamorphic retrogression, and how well known shear sense indicators (S-C fabrics, mineral fish etc.) vary in morphology in serial-sections. The target audience is for graduate and postgraduate geosciences students and researchers of structural geology.

Study of structures associated with shear zones is a crucial aspect to understand the deformation mechanism associated with such zones. Shear zones have been emphasized since it will lead to many latest applied studies such as radioactive waste disposal, groundwater flow etc. For the sake of brevity, research papers cannot show all possible variation in structures found in shear zones. The proposed book aims to present some of these structures in great details with attractive colour photographs. Each photograph will have a comprehensive caption.

Thermodynamically constrained averaging theory provides a consistent method for upscaling conservation and thermodynamic equations for application in the study of porous medium systems. The method provides dynamic equations for phases, interfaces, and common curves that are closely based on insights from the entropy inequality. All larger scale variables in the equations are explicitly defined in terms of their microscale precursors, facilitating the determination of important parameters and macroscale state equations based on microscale experimental and computational analysis. The method requires that all assumptions that lead to a particular equation form be explicitly indicated, a restriction which is useful in ascertaining the range of applicability of a model as well as potential sources of error and opportunities to improve the analysis.

This book presents several intelligent approaches for tackling and solving challenging practical problems facing those in the petroleum geosciences and petroleum industry. Written by experienced academics, this book offers state-of-the-art working examples and provides the reader with exposure to the latest developments in the field of intelligent methods applied to oil and gas research, exploration and production. It also analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of each method presented using benchmarking, whilst also emphasizing essential parameters such as robustness, accuracy, speed of convergence, computer time, overlearning and the role of normalization. The intelligent approaches presented include artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, active learning method, genetic algorithms and support vector machines, amongst others. Integration, handling data of immense size and uncertainty, and dealing with risk management are among crucial issues in petroleum geosciences. The problems we have to solve in this domain are becoming too complex to rely on a single discipline for effective solutions and the costs associated with poor predictions (e.g. dry holes) increase. Therefore, there is a need to establish a new approach aimed at proper integration of disciplines (such as petroleum engineering, geology, geophysics and geochemistry), data fusion, risk reduction and uncertainty management. These intelligent techniques can be used for uncertainty analysis, risk assessment, data fusion and mining, data analysis and interpretation, and knowledge discovery, from diverse data such as 3-D seismic, geological data, well logging, and production data. This book is intended for petroleum scientists, data miners, data scientists and professionals and post-graduate students involved in petroleum industry.

This book of Springer Proceedings in Geoarchaeology and Archaeological Mineralogy contains selected papers presented at the 7th Geoarchaeology Conference, which took place during October 19-23, 2020, at the South Urals Federal Research Center, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Miass, Russia. The Proceedings combine studies in archeometry, geoarchaeology, and ancient North Eurasian technologies, including paleometallurgy, stone tools investigation, past exploitation of geological resources, bioarchaeology, residue analysis, pottery, and lithics studies. This book also specializes in various non-organic materials, rocks, minerals, ores, and metals, especially copper and metallurgical slags. Many types of research also use modern analytical methods of isotopic, chemical, and mineralogical analysis to address the composition and structure of ancient materials and the technological practices of past human populations of modern Russia, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia. This book is intended for archaeologists, historians, museum workers, and geologists, as well as students, researchers from other disciplines, and the general public interested in the interdisciplinary research in the field of archaeology and archaeological materials, strategies and techniques of past quarrying, mining, metallurgy and lithic technologies at different chronological periods in Eurasian steppe and adjacent forest zone.

International Kimberlite Conferences (IKCs) are special events that are held across the world once in four to five years. IKC is the confluence platform for academicians, scientists and industrial personnel concerned with diamond exploration and exploitation, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics and origin of the primary diamond host rocks and their entrained xenoliths and xenocrysts (including diamond) to get together and deliberate on new advances in research made in the intervening years. Ever since the organization of first IKC in 1973 and its tremendous success, the entire geological world eagerly look forward to subsequent such conferences with great enthusiasm and excitement. The scientific emanations from IKCs continue to make significant impact on our understanding of the composition, nature and evolution of the planet we live on. The previous conferences were held at Cape Town (1973), Santa Fe, New Mexico (1977), Clermont-Ferrand, France, (1982). Perth, Western Australia (1987), Araxa, Brazil (1991), Novosibirsk, Russia (1995), Cape Town (1998), Victoria, Canada (2003) and Frankfurt, Germany (2008). The tenth IKC was held at Bangalore, India between 5th and 11th February 2012. The conference was organized by the Geological Society of India in association with the government organizations, academic institutions and Indian diamond mining companies. About 300 delegates from 36 countries attended the conference and 224 papers were presented. The papers include 78 oral presentations and 146 poster presentations on following topics: Kimberlite geology, origin, evolution and emplacement of kimberlites and related rocks, petrology and geochemistry of metasomatised lithospheric mantle magmas, diamond exploration, cratonic roots, diamonds, diamond mining and sustainable developments and policies and governance of diamond exploration. Pre- and post-conference field trips were organized to (i) the diamond bearing kimberlites of Dharwar Craton in South India, (ii) lamproites of Bundelkhand Craton in northern India and (iii) diamond cutting and polishing industry of Surat, Gujarat in western India. A series of social and cultural programmes depicting cultural diversity of India were organized during the conference. The Kimberlite fraternity enjoyed yet another socially and scientifically successful conference.

The book is a thoughtful discussion with scientists studying convergent plate boundaries such as the well-known, active India-Eurasia collision zone. It provides a comprehensive collection of petrographic images of ophiolitic rocks exhumed from oceanic lithosphere and mantle at the India-Asia plate boundary. Ophiolite is exposed in the northwestern Himalayas, eastern Indian plate margin and Andaman-Nicobar Islands. At the eastern margin, it occurs in a narrow strip comprising mantle peridotite tectonite, cummulate peridotite-gabbro-plagiogranite-anorthosite, mafic dyke, volcanics and oceanic sediments. Low temperature/high pressure rocks including blueschists and eclogites were extensively studied recently. Ophiolite derived sediments and podiform chromites will also be discussed to provide complete details. Supplemental maps, geological sections, field sketches and photographs will explain the structure, stratigraphy, ore mineralization, and metamorphic history.

The book provides a model for the structural evolution of the Himalaya with relevant background information making it easily accessible to earth scientists specializing in other areas. The book is divided into two parts: The first part describes the basic principles of structural geology that are required to understand the evolutionary model described in the second part. The book incorporates some of the commonly ignored structural features, such as Pre-Himalayan rift tectonics, reactivation of faults, simultaneous development of folds and thrust faults, superposed folds, strike-slip faults developed during early and superposed deformation, problems with GPS data, erratic crustal shortening obtained by restoration of deformed sections, etc. The proposed model is essentially based on inversion tectonics and provides answers to some previously unresolved questions. It describes in detail the structure of the Himalaya as a primary arc, with supporting evidence from model deformation under controlled boundary conditions and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility studies.