Introduction to mineralogy and petrology / Введение в минералогию и петрологию

Since time immemorial the minerals, rocks and soil had been the major attraction for the growth, development, and survival of every living entity including human, animals, birds, plants, and trees. That indeed forced us to know more about the minerals (mineralogy) and the rocks and soils (petrology).

The crust of the mother Earth and the underlying relatively rigid mantle make up the lithophere. The crust is composed of a great variety of minerals and rocks. More than 80% of all raw materials that are used in various sectors of economy, society, and the environment are of mineral origin. The demand for minerals is greater every day. In most countries, the values of raw materials used for the metal industry and building materials exceed the value of the funds allocated for oil and gas, although, we hear more about oil and gas.

The deposits of raw materials (minerals, rocks, and soils) have to be found, investigated, explored, and estimated for their potential of actual reserves/resources and quality/grade. The geological studies of rock formations are extremely significant consequences for major construction projects (roads, railway tracks, airports, tunnels, canals, dam sites, high-rise buildings, industrial and inhabited settlements, and many more areas). Not a single project can be constructed without adequate geological research and documentation on the types of rock and their mineralogical, petrological, engineering, hydrogeological, and geotechnical characteristics. <...>