Key concepts in mineralogy and petrology are explained alongside beautiful full-color illustrations, in this concisely written textbook.

Minerals and rocks form the foundation of geologic studies. This new textbook has been written to address the needs of students at the increasing number of universities that have compressed separate mineralogy and petrology courses into a one- or two-semester Earth materials course. Key features of this book include: equal coverage of mineralogy, sedimentary petrology, igneous petrology and metamorphic petrology; copious field examples and regional relationships with graphics that illustrate the concepts discussed; numerous case studies to show the uses of earth materials as resources and their fundamental role in our lives and the global economy, and their relation to natural and human-induced hazards; the integration of earth materials into a cohesive process-based earth systems framework; two color thoughout with 48 pages of four color. Readership: students taking an earth materials, or combined mineralogy and petrology course in an earth science degree program. It will also be useful for environmental scientists, engineering geologists, and physical geographers who need to learn about minerals, rocks, soil and water in a comprehensive framework. A companion website for this book is available at: www.wiley.com/go/hefferan/earthmaterials.

Recent studies indicate that China accounts for about 96 percent of the world’s supply of rare earth materials (REMs). With REMs becoming increasingly important for a growing number of high-tech applications, appropriate action must be taken to mitigate the effects of a shortage of critical REMs in defense systems and components. Bringing together information previously available only from disparate journal articles and databases, Rare Earth Materials: Properties and Applications describes the unique characteristics and applications of 17 REMs. It defines their chemical, electrical, thermal, and optical characteristics. Maintaining a focus on physical and chemical properties, it addresses the history and critical issues pertaining to mining and processing of REMs. In this book, Dr. A.R. Jha continues his distinguished track record of distilling complex theoretical physical concepts into an understandable technical framework that can be extended to practical applications across commercial and industrial frameworks. He summarizes the chemical, optical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, and spectroscopic properties of REMs best suited for next-generation commercial and military systems or equipment. Coverage includes extraction, recycling, refinement, visual inspection, identification of spectroscopic parameters, quality control, element separation based on specific application, pricing control, and environmental / geo-political considerations. Potential applications are identified with an emphasis on scientific instruments, nuclear resonance imaging equipment, MRI systems, magnetic couplers for uranium enrichment equipment, battery-electrodes, electric motors, electric generators, underwater sensors, and commercial and military sensors. The book describes unique applications of rare earth magnets in all-electric and hybrid electric cars and microwave components. It also considers the use of rare earth magnets in commercial and military systems where weight and size are the critical design requirements. Suitable for both students and design engineers involved in the development of high-technology components or systems, the book concludes by summarizing future applications in electro-optic systems and components, including infrared lasers, diode-pumped solid-state lasers operating at room temperatures, and other sophisticated military and commercial test equipment

An understanding of rocks and the minerals that comprise them lies at the core of every geologist’s education. As more curricula combine mineralogy and petrology into a single course, Raymond and Johnson have responded with a concise introduction to the study of Earth materials. The authors have written at a level that won’t intimidate students encountering fundamental concepts for the first time, yet with enough rigor that they’ll be well prepared for future study. A broad approach to the subject that incorporates fluids and soils will appeal to instructors who teach engineering and environmental science students as well as future geoscientists. Abundant illustrations reinforce all of the ideas in the text. Many images are presented in color, with additional color images available at waveland.com/Raymond-Johnson. Problems appear throughout the book, encouraging a deeper understanding for students. Helpful appendices make it easy for instructors to assign further exercises in rock and mineral identification as well as optical mineralogy and petrography.

A range of natural earth materials, like arsenic or fluoride, have long been linked to significant human health effects. Improved understanding of the pervasive and complex interactions between earth materials and human health will require creative collaborations between earth scientists and public health professionals. At the request of the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, this National Research Council book assesses the current state of knowledge at the interface between the earth sciences and public health disciplines. The book identifies high-priority areas for collaborative research, including understanding the transport and bioavailability of potentially hazardous earth materials, using risk-based scenarios to mitigate the public health effects of natural hazards under current and future climate regimes, and understanding the health risks that result from disturbance of earth systems. Geospatial information - geological maps for earth scientists and epidemiological data for public health professionals - is identified as one of the essential integrative tools that is fundamental to the activities of both communities. The book also calls for increased data sharing between agencies to promote interdisciplinary research without compromising privacy.

This letter transmits the briefing in response to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010, which required a report on rare earth materials in the defense supply chain to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. Contents: Introduction; Objectives, Scope, and Methodology; Background; Summary; Objective 1: Current and Projected Availability; Objective 2: Defense System Dependency; Objective 3: Department of Defense Identified Risks and Actions; Agency Comments; Points of Contact. Charts and tables.

Electrical Spectroscopy of Earth Materials provides detailed coverage of theoretical and experimental methods of electrical spectroscopy of Earth materials, based on first-hand research and extensive data. The book includes actual data sets and specific explanations for the methods used in obtaining and analyzing the data, including graphical displays of results. It describes the electrical properties of various soil samples and offers both theory and techniques for researchers to apply to their own research. Including examination of the practical aspects of electrical spectroscopy measurements and extensive computer-readable data, Electrical Spectroscopy of Earth Materials is a unique resource for geophysicists to save both time and effort in understanding and analyzing Earth materials and soil properties. - Includes coverage of spectroscopic methods, including details of the measurement process and lab setup - Provides information about the data processing program for calculating all electrical parameters - Presents computer-readable data for all samples from a wide variety of electrical conditions, including high-loss and low-loss soils - Features case studies and complete data sets for soil electrical property measurements

This book starts with a theoretical introduction of the rare earth materials, and it subsequently analyzes the essential characteristics of these materials from elements, compounds to physical chemistry and metal materials, etc. Under the supplementary explanation of experimental data and results, the research is gradually guided into the multi-domain application scene. Through extensive analyses, this book displays comprehensively the distinguished values of the rare earth materials and the theoretical, empirical, and practical significance of rare earth materials is unraveled. It also covers an exhaustive review of 17 rare earth elements, their characteristics, and more possibilities in physical chemistry, functional materials, metallurgy, composites and engineering, and their prospects in production and technical applications. In-depth account of the whole spectrum of rare earth material research makes this book a unique reference to academic researchers, students, and engineers.

Deployment of Rare Earth Materials in Microware Devices, RF Transmitters, and Laser Systems describes the deployment of rare earth materials that offer significant improvement in the RF performance, reliability, weight, and size of microwave devices, RF transmitters, and laser systems. RF components, microware transmitters, laser systems, and special timing devices are described, with an emphasis on improvement in the performance parameters.