Associate Professor
Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences
3450 University St.
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H3A 0E8
Courses
EPSC 210. Introductory Mineralogy.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
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Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Elementary crystallography, chemistry and identification of the principal rock-forming and ore minerals, in hand specimens and using optical microscopy. Demonstrations of other techniques applied to the identification of minerals and to the analysis of their composition and structure. Optional 2-day field trip.
- Fall
- 2 hours lectures, 3 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite(s): CHEM 110 or equivalent, or permission of the instructor.
- A nominal fee is charged to cover expenses of materials and supplies for identification kits (pen magnet, streak plate, hand lens and acid bottle) used to identify minerals during laboratory exercises.
- Des frais seront prelevés pour couvrir l'usage des collections d'enseignement et les accessoires (loupe, aimant, bouteille d'acide chlorhydrique dilué, plaque de porcelaine) essentiels à l'identification des minéraux pendant les travaux pratiques.
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EPSC 225. Properties of Minerals.
Credits: 1
Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
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Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Survey of the physical and chemical properties of the main mineral groups. Discussion of their relationships to the chemical composition and structure of minerals. The practical exercises emphasize the physical and chemical properties that relate to industrial uses and environmental issues, and the identification of hand specimens.
- Winter
- 1 hour lecture, 1 hour laboratory
- Restriction: Open to Engineering students only
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken EPSC 210
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EPSC 334. Invertebrate Paleontology.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
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Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Preservation of fossils; the fossil record of invertebrates; use of fossils in stratigraphy and paleoecology; fossils in evolutionary studies. Fossils of invertebrates are studied in the laboratory.
- Winter
- 2 hours lectures and one laboratory period
- Prerequisite: EPSC 201 or EPSC 233 or ENVR 202 or permission of instructor
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EPSC 501. Crystal Chemistry.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Earth & Planetary Sciences (Faculty of Science)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Discussion of crystal structures and compositions of important mineral groups, especially oxides, sulphides and silicates. Solid solution. Relation of structure to morphology and to chemical and physical properties of the rock-forming minerals.
- Winter
- 2 hours lectures, 1 hour seminar
- Prerequisite(s): EPSC 210 (or equivalent) and at least one 300- or higher-level course in petrology, or permission of the instructor.
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Research
Chemistry and crystallography of carbonate minerals. The effect of environmental factors (e.g. solution composition and temperature) on the morphology and composition of calcite is investigated experimentally. The results help us to relate compositional zoning patterns in natural carbonate minerals (including dolomite) to specific growth mechanism and eventually determine the conditions that controlled their crystallization. Techniques involved include cathodolumninescence microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, differential interference contrast microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
Publications
Normandeau, P., Harlov, D., Corriveau, L., Paquette, J., and McMartin, I., (2018). Characterization of Fluorapatite Within Iron Oxide Alkali-Calcic Alteration Systems of the Great Bear Magmatic Zone: A Potential Metasomatic Process Record. The Canadian Mineralogist, 56(2), doi:10.3749/canmin.1700035.
Yang, Z, Chang, Z., Paquette, J., White, N.C., Hou, Z., and Ge, L., (2015). Magmatic Au Mineralization at the Bilihe Au deposit, China. Economic Geology, 110(7), 1661-1668, doi:10.2113/econgeo.110.7.1661.
Haddad, M., Vali, H., Paquette, J., and Guiot, S.R., (2014). Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans in the conversion of calcium phosphate from amorphous to crystalline state. PLoS ONE, 9(2), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089480 .
Nelea, V., Chien, Y.-C., Paquette, J. and, McKee, M.D., (2014). Effects of Full- Length Phosphorylated Osteopontin and Constituent Acidic Peptides and Amino Acids on Calcite Dissolution. Crystal Growth & DesignArticle ASAP, 13(3), 979-987, doi:10.1021/cg4012394.
Complete list