Introduction to mineralogy and petrography: Formation of chemical elements in supernovae; birth of the solar system and the Earth; accretion of the Earth; internal structure of the Earth; cooling of the planet and plate tectonics; plate tectonics and rock formation.
The materials of the solid Earth: Definition of mineral; how minerals are classified; the name of the minerals; what is a crystal; the crystalline state; what is a rock; how rocks are formed; some familiar rocks; plate tectonics and rock origin.
How minerals are identified: habit; state of aggregation; color and shine; cleavage; hardness; specific weight; magnetism, acid solubility, radioactivity; instrumental methods for the characterization of minerals.
The minerals of igneous rocks: the chemical elements of the earth's crust, minerals and rocks; calculation of mineral formulas: ternary diagrams; systematic description of the most abundant minerals of igneous rocks; felsic and mafic minerals;
The direction and speed of natural processes, introduction to kinetics and thermodynamics: fundamental thermodynamic terms; heat, work and the first law of thermodynamics; entropy and second and third law of thermodynamics; Gibbs free energy; variations of Gibbs free energy as a function of T and P; variation of Gibbs free energy as a function of the composition; thermodynamic equilibrium; thermodynamic phase diagram, multicomponent phase diagrams; speed of geological processes; radioactive decay;
How igneous rocks are formed: how and why a rock melts; the three main causes of mantle fusion and their tectonic context; effect of pressure on melting; physical properties of magma; ascent of the magma; solidification of magma in the crust; evolution of the isotopic reservoirs of the Earth and origin of magmas.
Igneous rocks: location, classification and tectonic significance: why a classification of igneous rocks is necessary; location of igneous rocks; IUGS igneous rock classification; igneous rocks and their tectonic context; special association of Precambrian rocks.
Classification of igneous rocks: fashion and norm; CIPW calculation; classification criteria and terminology based on IUGS standards (Weaving, fashion and chemistry); R1-R2 diagram.
Magmatogenesis: core and mantle process, partial melting, ascent and differentiation of magmatic and fluid liquids.
Petrogenesis: compositional variation of comagmatic associations; phase equilibria in granite and basaltic igneous systems; fractional crystallization; convection, accumulation, immiscibility, mixing and admixture.
Petrotectonic associations, tectopetrogenesis, magmatigenetic and geodynamic developments: convergent plates, MORB, intraplate, continental rifts, LIPSs, cratonic, etc
Notions of deposits: minerogenesis, types of deposits, critical metals, uses
The minerals of metamorphic rocks: systematic description of common minerals in metamorphic rocks.
Metamorphic transformations: degree and metamorphic facies; texture of metamorphic rocks; classification of metamorphic rocks; metamorphism of the pelites; metamorphism of carbonate rocks; migmatization; geothermometers and geobarometers; tectonic significance of metamorphism.
Minerals of economic interest: critical metals; precious metals; building materials; energy resources.