Mineral Identification Lab

This story map provides materials to help complete the GEOS 110 laboratory for identification of 17 common rock-forming minerals. The purpose of this lab is to...

1. familiarize students with the concept of creating and testing multiple working hypotheses,
2. develop a systematic and scientifically sound procedure with which to identify an unknown mineral, and
3. identify a suite of unknown minerals by comparing observed characteristics with known physical properties of a select group of minerals.

The interactive 3-D models of the actual lab mineral samples were created using an ordinary camera and Agisoft Metashape Pro 3-D photogrammetry software. Using from 72 to 144 overlapping photos for each mineral specimen, the software calculates the detailed topography of the mineral using stereographic techniques and then overlays that 3-D geometry with a composite photographic texture of the mineral's surface. The 3-D model is then imported into SketchFab, which creates the interactive environment that is embedded into this story map. The videos of each mineral were taken with an iPhone 11, exported into HandBrake video compression software, and converted to MP4 format for inclusion into the story map.