In the event was presented the UBʼs vice-rector for Information and Communication, Dr. Pere Quetglas; the vice-rector for Teaching Staff, Dr. Manel Viladevall; the dean of the Faculty of Geology, Dr. Lluís Cabrera; the head of the Department of Crystallography, Mineralogy and Mineral Deposits, Dr. Manel Labrador; the president of the Spanish Society of Mineralogy, Dr. Carles Ayora, and Dr. Joan Carles Melgarejo, co-author of the publication.
A reference work in the advanced studies of mineralogy and mineral resources
The project of this atlas began some years ago with the goal of providing advanced students of mineralogy and mineral resources with a reference book, which includes detailed information on minerals that are interesting for the scientific activity, regardless of whether they are common or rare minerals. Thanks to the financial support from the Folch Foundation, the project ended with the publication of
Atles dʼassociacions minerals en làmina prima, a study by Professor Joan Carles Melgarejo, which was published by the UBʼs
Publications and Editions Service (1997) and which is also available in Spanish.
This first atlas, in which more than twenty authors from around the world collaborated, included information on mineral assemblages, both in natural and synthetic environments. The work thoroughly describes the characteristics of about 600 mineral species, and contains bibliography of all of them, as well as a selection of 2,000 colour photographs. All sections were carefully studied through a series of techniques that enable the accurate identification of more complex minerals. Some of these techniques are: optical microscopy, electron microscopy, electron microprobe, and powder X-ray diffraction patterns.
The journal The Canadian Mineralogist publishes the English version
Thanks to the collaboration of Robert F. Martin, co-editor of The Canadian Mineralogist, the Atlas of Non-Silicate Minerals in Thin Section (2011) could be published by the Mineralogical Association of Canada, with the support from the UB, the Folch Foundation and the Canadian mining company Osisko Mining Corporation. The work, published in English, follows a scientific and editorial line that began with the previous editions of the atlas.
The new volume presents an exhaustive compilation of information on 408 non-silicate minerals (carbonates, sulphates, borates, arsenates, tungstates, etc.). The contents of the book are organized in sixteen chapters according to the traditional Dana classification of minerals. Each chapter starts with an introduction into the mineral group and describes the most important details of each mineral, such as name and formula approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA), physical properties, crystallographic information, optical parameters, industrial applications, etc. The selection of bibliographical references must also be highlighted, as they contain key information of each mineral species. All minerals have been chosen because of their general interest and their petrographic, economic, environmental importance.
The most exhaustive collection of systematic mineralogical exploration in thin section
The new publication is especially aimed at students in advanced levels or at students who already hold a degree in Geology, Geological Engineering and Mining Engineering, or related to the study of solid substances (Materials Science, Environmental Science, Archaeology, and also Chemistry, Medicine, and Pharmacy), areas in which the thin section techniques are not usually taken into account on a daily basis work. The prestigious magazine Elements wrote a book review on this atlas and claimed that “particularly noteworthy is that this volume showcases minerals that are
neglected in many other publications, namely, diverse species in the borate, phosphate, arsenate, and vanadate groups, a range of minerals occurring primarily in mine waste environments, and a selection of more common organic minerals”.
The volume, with 1,500 copies printed in the first edition, comes with a DVD disk containing photos of considerable scientific interest, which are used to illustrate the attributes of the minerals. In the nearer future new publications based on silicates and on minerals under reflected light are foreseen.
