The title of the short course reads "Natural Zeolites"; however, the subject matter treated in the course and reviewed here deals primarily with those zeolites that occur in sedimentary rocks and which have formed by authigenic or burial diagenetic processes. Unfortunately, only limited coverage has been given to the classical occurrences of zeolites--the megascopic crystals in the vugs and cavities of basalts and other basic igneous rocks. Our only justification is that since the late 1950s, almost all major efforts on zeol ites have been directed towards the "sedimentary" occurrences, and it is these occurrences of zeolites in sedimentary rocks that are still unfamiliar to many geologists and mineralogists. It is our intention that this short course and these notes will playa small role in alleviating this unfamiliarity. <...>

Many new mineral species have been documented in Arizona since the third edition of Mineralogy of Arizona was published in 1995. This new edition adds to the extensive work of the previous authors, who built the foundation on which this new effort rests. This edition is dedicated to these men: John Anthony, Sidney Williams, and Richard Bideaux.The field of mineralogy has undergone many changes since the third edition.

Minerals, both metallic and nonmetallic, and building stones have played key role in shaping human civilization since ancient times. Demand for and production of these earth resources increased manifold during the Industrial Revolution and both have seen an exponential growth during the last century, keeping pace with growing national and global economies. Ever-widening base of mineral use has made minerals an integral part of our everyday life.

The solid part of the Earth is made up of rocks. Rocks are made up of minerals. A mineral is a naturally
occurring inorganic solid. It has a specific chemical composition and a characteristic crystal structure.
Quartz is a very common mineral. Most beach sand is composed of quartz. It has the composition SiO2
and forms elongate 6-sided crystals that terminate at a point <...>