Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction to Earth materials; 2. Materials of the solid Earth; 3. How are minerals identified?; 4. Aspects of crystal structures; 5. Crystallography; 6. Minerals and rocks observed under the polarizing optical microscope; 7. Igneous rock-forming minerals; 8. How do igneous rocks form?; 9. Igneous rocks: their mode of occurrence, classification, and plate tectonic setting; 10. Sedimentary rock-forming minerals and materials; 11. Formation, transport, and lithification of sediment; 12. Sedimentary rock classification, occurrence and plate tectonic significance; 13. Metamorphic rock-forming minerals; 14. Metamorphic rocks; 15. Some economic minerals, mainly from veins and pegmatites (K); 16. Some selected Earth materials resources; 17. Earth materials and human health.

"The fundamental concepts of mineralogy and petrology are explained in this highly illustrated, full-color textbook to create a concise overview for students studying Earth materials. The relationship between minerals and rocks and how they relate to the broader Earth, materials and environmental sciences is interwoven throughout. Beautiful photos of specimens and Crystal-Maker's 3-D illustrations allow students to easily visualize minerals, rocks and crystal structures. Review questions at the end of chapters allow students to check their understanding. The importance of Earth materials to human cultural development and the hazards they pose to humans are discussed in later chapters. This ambitious, wide-ranging book is written by two world-renowned textbook authors each with over 40 years of teaching experience, who bring that experience to clearly convey the important topics"--