This book concerns the nature, origin, evolution and signifi cance of Earth materials. Earth is composed of a variety of naturally occurring and synthetic materials whose composition can be expressed in many ways. Solid Earth materials are described by their chemical, mineral and rock composition. Atoms combine to form minerals and minerals combine to form rocks. Discussion of the relationships between atoms, minerals and rocks is fundamental to an understanding of Earth materials and their behavior.

The term mineral is used in a number of ways. For example, elements on your typical breakfast cereal box are listed as minerals. Oil and gas are considered mineral resources. All these are loose interpretations of the term mineral. <...>

Over the past two decades, many curriculum changes have occurred in geology, Earth science, and environmental science programs in universities. Many of these have involved the compression of separate one-semester courses in mineralogy, optical mineralogy, and petrology into a singlesemester offering that combines mineralogy and petrology, commonly called Earth Materials. Such a course is a challenge to the instructor (or a team of instructors) and the students. This is especially so when few, if any, textbooks for such a one-semester course have been available.

The purpose of this book is to introduce civil and environmental engineering students – and those active in engineering – to the fundamental principles of the earth sciences as they affect their practice. In particular, this book is intended for the use of geotechnical and geoenvironmental students and those in that practice. Hopefully, the reader will come to appreciate the complex problems that exist in engineering practice in a geological environment and find them intellectually rewarding.