Earth and Planetary Materials: from Nature to Experiments

The Earth and Planetary Materials: from Nature to Experiments course provides an integrated overview of terrestrial and planetary materials, from their cosmic origin to the processes controlling their evolution and physical properties. It covers key mineralogical and petrological topics in a planetary perspective: mineral evolution and the occurrence of minerals in planetary nebulae and meteorites; the crystal chemistry of major mineral groups such as feldspars, pyroxenes, quartz, and SiO₂ polymorphs, with emphasis on polymorphism, twinning, and microstructural features; surface alteration processes and mineral associations in evaporitic, hydrothermal, and pegmatitic environments. Special attention is given to mineralogical models of the Earth's interior, including phases stable in the upper mantle and transition zone, hydrous phases, high-pressure structures of olivine and pyroxenes, and mineralogy extending to the lower mantle and core.

The course combines lectures with laboratory activities focused on hand-sample and optical-microscopy observation of meteorites and selected minerals, advanced mineralogical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, synchrotron radiation, and diamond anvil cell experiments, and practical exercises on qualitative analysis, phase-transition mapping, and crystal chemical formula recalculation. It also addresses planetary magmatic and terrestrial metamorphic processes, including subduction environments, and experimental methods at high temperature and pressure for the study and characterization of materials and geological processes in the deep Earth and other planetary bodies.