Mineralogy and Petrology Research on the Web -  includes links to Journals, Publishers, Topic-oriented Sites, Mineralogical Databases, Professional Societies, Laboratories, Surveys, and other Organizations, Research Groups, Mineral Collecting and Commercial, Sites, and Basic Resources.  Compiled by Andrea Koziol of Dayton (Ohio) University.

Science and Technology Resources on the Internet - The Geosciences: Selected Web Resources -  This bibliography contains links to and brief descriptions of a variety of web resources, including reference works, publication indexes, style and citation manuals, photographs and images, earth science education resources as well as sources related to specific sub-disciplines of the geological sciences.  Compiled by Linda Zellmer of Western Illinois University.

Mineral and Petrology Databases

Athena Mineralogy -

Mindat.org - The largest mineral database on the internet. It was started by Jolyon Ralph in 1993 as a PC mineralogy software package for his own use - and was launched for free on the web in October 2000. Currently there are 11,125 different minerals, varieties and synonyms listed, and information on 144,323 mineral occurrences worldwide, from 26,867 different sites. What makes mindat.org different is you can take part. People all over the world are already adding their information into the database - it doesn't matter if you're an expert or not - you can help - register and add in the information on your local sites.

Mineral Database - mineral data on individual species searchable by crystallography (and a tutorial), X-ray powderdiffraction, chemical composition, physical and optical properties, Dana's New classification, Strunz classification, mineral pictures, and alphabetical listings of mineral species. By David Barthelmy.

Mineralienatlas-English or Mineralienatlas-German - Mineralienatlas is a non-commercial project with a focus on mineralogy, paleontology, geology, mining, and deposits (localities). By "The Team".

Mineral Spectroscopy Server - information about color in minerals and access to data on Mineral Absorption Spectra in the visible and infrared regions of the spectrum and Raman spectra of minerals. Most data on the server were obtained in the California Institute of Technology mineral spectroscopy labs.

Atlas der Krystallformen von Victor Goldschmidt (in German) The complete 9 volume Atlas der Krystallformen by Victor Goldschmidt.

Zeolite Database - provides structural information on all zeolite structure types. This includes crystallographic data and drawings for all zeolite framework types, simulated powder patterns for representative materials and relevant references.  By the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association.

LEPR, the Library of Experimental Phase Relations - an online database of experimentally determined magmatic phase relations compiled by members of Marc Hirschmann’s and Tim Groves’s research groups at the University of Minnesota and MIT and the database structure and web interface was built by Mark Ghiorso of OFM Research. LEPR contains experimental data on coexisting minerals and melts quenched from magmatic experiments, including phase compositions and, when available, proportions. LEPR also includes data pertaining to experimental techniques, such as the type of experimental device and container employed during each experiment, the duration of each experiment, and so on. Experimental conditions range from 0.1 MPa to 27 GPa and from 500 to 2550°C. More data will be added in the future. User registration is required but access is free.

MineralPedia by Tom Loomis of Dakota Matrix Minerals - alphabetical listing of the minerals combined with short descriptions the mineral's properties, the origin of its name, as well as geographic and geologic occurrences.

Igneous Rock Databases

PetDB database - for oceanic igneous rocks. To look at the data in geographical context use GeoMapApp http://www.geomapapp.org/
GeoRoc database - .
Geochemical Earth Reference Model - .
EarthChem - a 'One-stop-shop for geochemical data'
Geokem - .
PLUTO - worldwide data bank of major element chemical analyses of igneous rocks compiled for research and teaching purposes by Dr. Felix Mutschler and staff at Eastern Washington University.
Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data - Interactive maps and downloadable data for regional and global Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Mineral Resources from the USGS.
IGBA - IGneous data BAse - Global Database in Igneous Petrology.

Mineral discussion and message boards

Ask-A-Mineralogist - This discussion board is moderated by the Mineralogical Society of America and is open to the general public and MSA particularly encourage questions from students, teachers and mineral collectors of any age or expertise.

FMF - Minerals Forum - a place to share questions and answers with other mineral enthusiasts in both English and Spanish. Created by Jordi Fabre, it is moderated by John S. White and Peter Megaw to provide high standards in terms of its scientific content.

Mindat Chatroom - This is the chatroom for the www.mindat.org website and is dedicated to chatting about minerals, mineralogy, geology, rockhounding, fossils and lapidary! The chatroom is an English-Language chatroom.

MSA-Talk - The MSA-Talk list is a forum created for members of MSA and non-members to discuss topics of interest in the general areas of mineralogy, petrology, geochemistry, and crystallography.

Dictionaries

Lab Facilities Sites -

Electron Microprobe Labs in North America from Concord University

Sites devoted to (K-12) education -

Mineralogy 4 Kids from the Mineralogical Society of America

Learning About The Rock Cycle from StartLocal® from Australia

From the Mineral Information Institute (Mii):
    Classroom Demonstrations with Minerals
    Importance of Mining and Minerals
    Common Minerals and Their Uses
    The Role of Elements in Life Processes
    State Mineral Production Summaries
    Mineral & Rock Photographs (patient, a slow download)

Tutorials & Courses

Crystallography tutorials, sites by:
    Steffen Weber - quasicrystals, nanotubes and nanocones, fullerenes
    Virtual Museum of Minerals and Molecules - 3-D visualizations of molecules and minerals

Symmetries and Their Properties in a plane by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Interactive applets illustrating each symmetry operation,
    Part 1 Rotations
    Part 2 Reflections
    Part 3 Translations
    Part 4 Glides

Jeff Weeks' Topology and Geometry Software. Play with the 17 plane groups, the 10 point groups (plus 5-fold symmetry) and even symmetry along a line geometrygames.org. Click on Kali, and download the appropriate version. Easy to use, just start it and click away.

Atomic Scale Design Network's (ASDN) tutorial web page on silicates. Covers the Main Structural Unit, Crystalline Silicates, Non-crystalline natural silicates, Aqueous Silicates, as well as Crystalline, Semi-crystalline and Amorphous Synthetic Silicates.

Introduction to Lithophile Minerals for Planetary Scientists by Arden Albee. Basic Concrete and Cement Principles and Terminology Used in the Industry, A BASIC CONCRETE AND CEMENT TUTORIAL by Arden Albee. Jeff Weeks' Topology and Geometry Software. Play with the 17 plane groups, the 10 point groups (plus 5-fold symmetry) and even symmetry along a line geometrygames.org. Click on Kali, and download the appropriate version. Easy to use, just start it and click away.

Gemology tutorials, sites by:
     Mark Helper -
Gems and Precious Stones by Jill Banfield, Berkeley

Metamorphic Petrology tutorials, sites by:
     Freya Davies -

Mineralogy tutorials and courses, sites by:

Mineralogy	Richard April, Colgate University
Mineralogy	John Brady, Smith College
Mineralogy	Ray Coish, Middlebury College
Mineralogy	Bob Downs & Giba Ganguly, University of Arizona
Mineralogy	Barb Dutrow, Louisiana State University
Mineralogy and Optics	Inci Evren Ertan and Andreas Luttge, Rice University
Mineralogy	Steve Guggenheim, University of Illinois at Chicago
Mineralogy	Mickey Gunter, University of Idaho
Minerals and Human Health	Mickey Gunter, University of Idaho
Mineralogy	Bill Hames, Auburn University
Mineralogy	Stephen Klein, Arkansas Tech University
Mineralogy	Helen Lang, West Virginia University
Mineralogy & Optics	Bill Leeman, Rice University
Mineralogy and Petrology	Penelope Morton, University of Minnesota, Duluth
Mineralogy	Joseph Smyth, University of Colorado
Earth Materials	Bradley Singer, University of Wisconsin
Mineralogy	John Winter, Whitman College
Mineralogy	Texas Memorial Museum of Science and Technology

Optical Crystallography tutorials, sites by:
     Research, teaching, and fun in Optical Mineralogy - Mickey Gunter
     Optical crystallography - Olaf Medenbach

Petrology tutorials, sites by
     John Winter -

Montana State University and the Science Education Resource Center (SERC) at Carleton College site containing a Digital Collection of Teaching Materials:
     Teaching Mineralogy.
     Teaching Petrology.
     Teaching Geochemistry.
     Optical Mineralogy and Petrography.
     Clay Mineralogy.
     Mineral Physics.

Volcanoes, sites by:
     Michigan Tech -

Sites devoted to a specific mineral(s) or rock(s)

Calcite -
Famous Stones -
Fluorite -
Graphite -
Halite (= Table Salt) -
Perlite -
Quartz Page - Amir Chossrow Akhavan
Tourmaline - Darrell Henry
Uranium and Thorium Minerals of the World - Paul Schumacher
Vermiculite - The Vermiculite Association (TVA)
Zeolite Database - provides structural information on all zeolite structure types. This includes crystallographic data and drawings for all zeolite framework types, simulated powder patterns for representative materials and relevant references.  By the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association.

Sites devoted to pictures of minerals and rocks

The Online Mineral Museum of John Betts Fine Minerals - contains over 60,000 photographs of 30,000+ mineral specimens representing 1491 valid mineral species searchable by mineral name, varietal name, mineral group, or locality.
YupRocks.com by Brooks R. Dillard - high-resolution rock and mineral pictures to help visitors in the field identification of rock and mineral specimens and promote the aesthetic value and natural wonder of rocks and minerals through the use of rock and mineral pictures.
MineralPedia by Tom Loomis of Dakota Matrix Minerals - alphabetical listing of the minerals combined with short descriptions the mineral's properties, the origin of its name, as well as geographic and geologic occurrences.

Sites devoted to a specific mineralogical topic

Alkaline mineral localities of the world -
Clay Minerals Images -
Color in Minerals -
Dana Classification of Minerals (new) -
Famous Rocks -
Famous Stones -
Fluid inclusions -
Fluorescent minerals, sites by:

• Kenneth Colosky -
• James E. Tozour -

Gemstones   - (R. V. Dietrich)
Gold Institute - everything you would want to know about gold.
Granite (Rob's Granite Page) -
Indiana University Molecular Structure Center -
Mineral Collecting, sites by:

• J. Adams -
• Mineralogy Club of Antwerp, Belgium -

Minerals Publications and Data Products of the U.S. Geological Survey - this is the place to look for information about mineral commodities: uses, industry, production, prices, publications, occurrences, etc.  It also contains of list of commodity specialiists who might be able to answer your questions about the economic aspects of mineral commodities.
Mineral Spectroscopy -
Planetary Sciences -
Radioactive Minerals -
Silver Institute - everything you would want to know about silver.
spectroscopyNOW.com - (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)
Unconventional Platinum Group Minerals and Mineraloids - Jacques Jedwab, Brussels University
Uranium and Thorium Minerals of the World - Paul Schumacher
Very Low-Grade Metamorphism (VLGM) -
Virtual Cave (and cave minerals) -
Zeolite Database - provides structural information on all zeolite structure types. This includes crystallographic data and drawings for all zeolite framework types, simulated powder patterns for representative materials and relevant references.  By the Structure Commission of the International Zeolite Association.

Sites devoted to mineral localities

Arkansas , USA -
Australia -
Bulgaria   -
Czech Republic -
Franklin-Sterling Hill, New Jersey, USA -
Greenland
Italian Mineral News, (in Italian and English)
Lengenbach Quarry, Binntal, Wallis, Switzerland -
Langesundsfjord, Norway -
Mont Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada -
North Carolina Blue Ridge - as well as field trip reports from all over the country
Scotland, United Kingdom -
Thuringian Forest, Germany - agates
Wisconsin, United States -

Sites devoted to the History of Mineralogy -

Virtual Museum of the History of Mineralogy Paul Tambuyser and Claude Hootelé
History of Mineralogy (through European Museums) -

Sites devoted to mining, tunnelling and quarrying industries -

www.Mining-Technology.com

Sites devoted to biographies of mineralogists -

Palache, Charles (1869-1954)
René-Just Haüy (1743-1822)

Sites that are mineral-related

Philatelic Mineralogy : Gem, Rock, and Mineral Postage Stamps from Around the World.  Searchable by either country or mineral.
Mineral Stamps
Diamonds on Stamps
Rock and Fossil Stamps of the United States

Virtual transmitted and reflected light Petrographic Microscopes

Virtual Atlas of Opaque and Ore Minerals in their Associations - from Birmingham University. This site provides over 400 full colour photomicrographs of the major ore-forming associations and opaque minerals in non-mineralized rocks. It describes typical examples of each material from many classical localities throughout the world. For each association there is a listing of the major (and important minor) primary ore minerals, alteration products and gangue, typical textures, a brief discussion of the geology of the association and a list of references.

Minerals under the Microscope - instructional website from the University of Bristol

The Open University's Virtual Microscope is a series of collections. Every rock sample in each collections is accompanied by a virtual thin section so that you can study the mineral optical properties, grain size, shape and proportion, and also analyse the rock micro textures as if using a specialist polarising microscope. Virtual hand specimens are available for many of the samples. Each hand specimen is a digital object that can be turned as if it was in your hand. The hand specimen can be examined as if using a hand lens, by zooming in to examine the minerals, grains or fossils in its surface.

• UKVM. The United Kingdom Virtual Microscope (UKVM) collection consists of igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks from around the UK.
• meteorites - digitised microscope images of rare and usually inaccessible extraterrestrial meteorite samples.
  
• lunar rocks - illustrates the full range of samples brought back to the Earth by Apollo astronauts.

Writing Resources

Top 100 Thesis and Dissertaion References on the Web: best resources online for those who need to buckle down and finish a Master’s Thesis or Doctoral Dissertation.