Crystal Habits of Minerals

The book is a comprehensive crystallogenetic overview on the morphology of minerals based on the authors original ideas. Current theories of crystal growth are briefly dealt with, attention being paid to the classical layer-by-layer and dislocation mechanisms. The modification of crystal forms of the most important rock-forming and ore-forming minerals, presented by their principal crystal habits, is checked by both observation in their natural occurrences and laboratory experiments. Crystal growth by accretion of clusters and/or submicroscopic crystallites under specific natural environments is also discussed. The examples used illustrate crystallization and variation in the crystal habits of minerals in magmatic, pegmatitic, hydrothermal, weathering, sedimentary and metamorphic environments. The trends of crystal habit variation have been used genetic interpretations and for outlining corresponding morphological zonalities. A rich bibliography is included, attention focused especially on publications in Slavic languages-relatively less-known to the Western reader. The book is intended mainly for geoscientists (mineralogists, crystallographers, geochemists, petrologists and economic geologists), but may also profit chemists, soil scientists, ore-dressing specialists and others of akin trades.