Optical Mineralogy Paul F Kerr.pdf

For those seeking a legitimate copy, there are several reliable options:

Austin F. Rogers passed away in April 1957 before the third edition could be completed. Kerr continued the revision alone, writing in the preface: “His wise counsel as a former professor and his judgment as a mineralogist have been greatly missed during this revision”. The third edition was released in 1959 and contained 442 pages.

Kerr was a leader in his professional community. He served as Secretary of the Mineralogical Society of America from 1934 to 1944 and was elected its President in 1946. He was also Vice President of the Geological Society of America in 1947. In recognition of his contributions, he was made an honorary member of the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland in 1972.

When you open that PDF, go straight to page 87 (in the 3rd edition) and read the section on "The Becke Line Method" three times. Master that, and you will identify 90% of unknown minerals before your classmates even find their Bertrand lens. Optical Mineralogy Paul F Kerr.pdf

It is considered an "invaluable identification guide," with one geologist stating, "I can highly recommend it... this remains the best book made for identification in optical mineralogy". Reviewers also noted its "clear and very readable" style, commending the "experimental 'know how'" it provides.

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She needed the bible. The old bible.

The ongoing search for a digital copy highlights the textbook’s status as a foundational resource in geoscience. Even decades after its last revision, the book’s step-by-step approach to mineral identification remains directly applicable in the lab.

Before diving into the specifics of the PDF, it is vital to understand the author. Paul Francis Kerr (1897–1981) was a distinguished American mineralogist and a long-time professor at Columbia University. He was not merely an academic; he was a field geologist who worked on the Manhattan Project (identifying uranium ores) and consulted for the U.S. Geological Survey.

This section provides a detailed catalog of minerals, organized by their chemical and structural classes. For those seeking a legitimate copy, there are

This section functions as a reference manual. Kerr organizes minerals by classification (primarily Silicates, Oxides, Sulfides, etc.) and provides detailed "diagnostic characteristics" for each.

"Optical Mineralogy" by Paul F. Kerr is a foundational geological textbook, widely used for identifying minerals in thin sections via polarizing microscopes. The text, which reached a fourth edition in 1977, provides detailed techniques on optical crystallography, instrument usage, and systematic mineral descriptions. Access the text and related materials at Amazon.com Optical Mineralogy - Paul Francis Kerr - Amazon.com

In a memorial published in the American Mineralogist, it was said that “The addition of Paul F. Kerr to the select list of American mineralogists so recognized is both deserved and fitting, inasmuch as it emphasizes not only his many and manifold contributions to mineralogy and its development but also italicizes the esteem in which he is held by his colleagues and his erstwhile students”. He passed away in 1981, but his scholarship lives on through his textbook. The third edition was released in 1959 and