Kerr understood that students fear the physics of light. He demystifies it.
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Limitations
Paul F. Kerr was born in 1877 in New York, USA. He received his Bachelor's degree in Mining Engineering from Columbia University in 1903 and went on to earn his Master's degree in Geology from the same institution in 1905. Kerr's interest in mineralogy began during his graduate studies, and he subsequently worked as a mineralogist at the United States Geological Survey (USGS). His work at the USGS laid the foundation for his future research in optical mineralogy. Optical Mineralogy Paul F Kerr.pdf
Kerr, P. F. (1931). Optical Mineralogy. McGraw-Hill.
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| Chapter | Title | | :--- | :--- | | 1 | Mineral preparations for microscopic study | | 2 | The Polarizing microscope | | 3 | A summary of the properties of light | | 4 | Refraction | | 5 | Plane polarized light in minerals | | 6 | Convergent polarized light | | 7 | The universal stage | | 8 | Observational features: crystallization, color, mode of aggregation, cleavage and orientation | | 9 | Mineral fragments | | 10 | Systematic identification | Kerr understood that students fear the physics of light
Rock-forming mineral descriptions
No Kerr.
A legitimate, free PDF of the full text is not currently available for public access. Libraries hold physical copies of the 1977 edition in print. The ISBN for the fourth edition is (also 9780070342187). A search for a PDF is the most direct route to potentially find a copy, but results often lead to lecture notes, references, or library catalogs rather than the complete work. For legal and ethical access, you should check your university's physical and digital library collections. This link or copies made by others cannot be deleted
The text is divided into two main sections:
One of the most valuable assets in Kerr’s book is the inclusion of determinative tables. Unlike dichotomous keys that force a strict path, Kerr often utilizes tabular data where minerals are grouped by optical properties (e.g., "Minerals with Low Relief" or "Minerals with High Birefringence").
Optical crystallography and indicatrix
Understanding the history of “Optical Mineralogy” is essential to grasping its depth. The book did not start as a solo project.