DOUBLE-CHAIN SILICATES

This latest volume in the second edition of Rock-Forming Minerals deals mainly with the amphiboles, but sections have been added on deerite, howieite and multiple-chain silicates (biopyriboles). In the years since the first edition, the quantity and scope of research on amphiboles and relate minerals has grown enormously and has given rise to a wide variety of literature. This book, which has been completely re-written and greatly expanded, summarizes the important research results and presents them in an organized fashion. Each chapter is headed by a brief tabulation of mineral data and a sketch showing optical orientation, and concludes with full references to the literature. Diagrams of the crystal structures are presented and followed by discussion of the structural features, making use of data from spectroscopic as well as diffraction experiments. The chemical sections include over 550 analyses from which structural formulae have been calculated, illustrating the range of chemical and paragenetic variation exhibited by each mineral; also the results of P-T experiments, thermochemical and computer modelling techniques. The sections on optical and physical properties include much information gained by electron microscopy and also by deformation studies. The principal modes of occurrence are described in the paragenesis sections emphasizing correlations with chemistry. Rock-Forming Minerals is a standard reference work for professionals in mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry, as well as having a wide appeal as a reference work for postgraduate research students and research workers in related fields.