Mineral genesis and genetic mineralogy

The term “genesis” (from the Greek γένεσισ (genesis), meaning a productive cause) is synonymous with origin, and in this section we will describe the life cycle of minerals. In mineralogy, genesis refers to both primary crystallization and the subsequent history of minerals, which may include structural transitions, changes in texture (e.g., grain coarsening), exsolution processes and chemical reactions (e.g., oxidation). Both “syngenetic” and “epigenetic” aspects depend on the geological environment and are governed by physical and chemical laws.

Genetic mineralogy is one of the most interesting branches of mineralogy and relates directly to petrology, economic geology, physics (especially thermodynamics), and chemistry. Ultimately a mineral and its properties and composition cannot be understood in isolation from its environment. Whereas some processes are relatively simple and have been studied in much detail (e.g., the crystallization of clinopyroxene phenocrysts from a mafic magma), others are still very puzzling and lack a quantitative physical explanation (e.g., the formation of dolomite in sedimentary rocks, or the nucleation and growth patterns of minerals in metamorphic rocks).

The objects and purposes of genetic mineralogy are very diverse. To date, various directions of research have been pursued, including primarily: (1) empirical investigation of the principles that control mineral formation in the geological environment; (2) quantitative geothermometric, geobarometric, and chemical studies of mineral-forming systems; and (3) experimental modeling of crystal growth in the laboratory.