Mineralogy (MIN)
Section Information
Mineralogy focuses on the composition, structure, properties, classification, and formation of minerals. It examines how minerals originate, evolve, and interact within geological environments, and how their physical and chemical characteristics reflect Earth and planetary processes.
Modern research in mineralogy includes crystallography, crystal chemistry, mineral physics, spectroscopy, thermodynamics, mineral–fluid interactions, mineral formation pathways, and the behavior of minerals under extreme conditions. Advances in analytical instrumentation, microscopy, synchrotron radiation techniques, computational modeling, and experimental petrology continue to deepen understanding of mineral systems.
This section publishes laboratory studies, field-based analyses, theoretical models, reviews, and applied research addressing mineral identification, formation mechanisms, stability relationships, geochemical processes, and applications in petrology, environmental science, materials science, and planetary geology.
Scope
- Crystal Chemistry and Crystallography
- Crystal structures, symmetry, and lattice defects
- Bonding, coordination, and structural classification
- Phase transitions and crystallographic transformations
- X-ray, neutron, and electron diffraction techniques
- Mineral Properties and Identification
- Optical, physical, mechanical, and thermal properties
- Electron microprobe, Raman, FTIR, and spectroscopic methods
- Mineral classification systems and databases
- Microscopy, imaging, and analytical mineralogy
- Mineral Formation and Stability
- Mineral genesis in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary systems
- Nucleation, growth processes, and dissolution mechanisms
- Thermodynamic modeling and phase equilibria
- Metastability and kinetic controls on mineral development
- Mineral–Fluid and Mineral–Rock Interactions
- Weathering, alteration, and diagenesis
- Hydrothermal systems, metasomatism, and ore formation
- Fluid inclusions, geochemical tracers, and reaction pathways
- Environmental mineralogy and contaminant immobilization
- Mineral Physics and Extreme Conditions
- High-temperature and high-pressure mineral behavior
- Elasticity, rheology, and deformation mechanisms
- Experimental studies using multi-anvil presses and diamond anvil cells
- Implications for mantle, core, and planetary interiors
- Economic and Applied Mineralogy
- Ore minerals, industrial minerals, and resource evaluation
- Mineral processing, beneficiation, and materials applications
- Critical minerals and strategic resources
- Applications in engineering, environmental science, and industry
- Planetary Mineralogy
- Minerals in meteorites, lunar samples, and planetary surfaces
- Cosmochemistry and extraterrestrial mineral formation
- Remote sensing and spectral identification of planetary minerals
- Comparative mineralogy across planetary bodies
- Modeling, Databases, and Analytical Advances
- Computational mineralogy and first-principles modeling
- Thermodynamic and crystallographic databases
- Machine learning and data-driven mineral classification
- Advances in analytical instrumentation and automation
Editorial Board
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Topical Advisory Panel
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Papers Published
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