A course about minerals, rocks, and soils. We practice identifying and describing Earth materials using their physical, optical, and chemical properties. We learn to use field and lab techniques to test hypotheses about how Earth materials form and change in different tectonic and environmental settings. We also analyze interactions between humans and Earth materials, such as economic importance, potential health hazards, and environmental contamination. This is a hands-on lab course that meets for a total of six hours each week (1.25 course credits). The prerequisite is any 100-level ESCI course, but interested students should contact Dr. Pollock if prerequisites have not been met.
