American Mineralogist

American Mineralogist
Title	American Mineralogist
Discipline	Mineralogy, Crystallography, Geochemistry, Petrology
Abbreviation	Am. Mineral.
Publisher	Mineralogical Society of America; Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland; Mineralogical Association of Canada
Country	United States
Frequency	Monthly
History	1916–present
Issn	0003-004X

American Mineralogist is a peer-reviewed scientific journal focused on mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry, and petrology. Established in 1916, it publishes original research, reviews, and technical notes that link laboratory studies with field observations and theoretical modeling. The journal serves as a central venue for authors and readers associated with institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, United States Geological Survey, Carnegie Institution for Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and California Institute of Technology.

History

The journal was founded during a period when figures like George Huntington Williams, Waldo Leland, and Frank Wigglesworth Clarke were shaping American earth sciences. Early editorial leadership included staff affiliated with Columbia University, Harvard University, and United States National Museum. Over the twentieth century the journal reflected developments led by researchers at University of Chicago, University of California, Berkeley, Stanford University, and Brown University, while responding to advances from European centers such as University of Oxford, ETH Zurich, and University of Cambridge. Milestones include adoption of modern peer review processes influenced by practices at Royal Society journals, transitions to monthly publication cadence, and integration of computerized typesetting pioneered by teams at Bell Labs and IBM Research.

Scope and Content

The journal covers experimental and theoretical studies on mineral structures and properties, linking mineralogical topics with work from Max Planck Society-affiliated laboratories, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, and Geological Survey of Canada. Subjects span crystallography and diffraction methods employed at facilities like Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, as well as spectroscopic studies performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and synchrotrons such as Diamond Light Source and European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. It publishes investigations on metamorphic and igneous petrology with data from field campaigns in regions like the Canadian Shield, Appalachian Mountains, Sierra Nevada (U.S.), and Andes, and geochemical studies connected to expeditions by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and United States Antarctic Program.

Publication and Editorial Information

The journal is produced on behalf of professional societies including the Mineralogical Society of America, the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Mineralogical Association of Canada. Editorial offices have historically involved staff drawn from University of Arizona, Pennsylvania State University, University of Minnesota, and University of Texas at Austin. Peer review draws on reviewers associated with organizations such as Geological Society of America, European Geosciences Union, and International Mineralogical Association. Publication formats include original research articles, invited reviews, and short communications reflecting methodological advances from groups at Massachusetts General Hospital (for spectroscopic techniques), Yale University (for isotope geochemistry), and University of Michigan (for experimental petrology).

Abstracting and Indexing

American Mineralogist is indexed in major bibliographic services alongside journals from Nature Publishing Group, Elsevier, and Springer Nature. Abstracting and indexing partners include Web of Science, Scopus, and GeoRef, and listings parallel those for titles in American Geophysical Union catalogs. The journal’s metadata integrate with digital libraries like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and institutional repositories at universities such as Princeton University and University of California campuses.

Impact and Reception

Articles published in the journal have influenced debates and progress in mineral physics and geochemistry alongside work recognized by awards such as the Crafoord Prize, the Wollaston Medal, and the V.M. Goldschmidt Award. Citation networks link contributions in the journal to landmark studies by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory, and Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. The journal is frequently cited in textbooks and monographs published by Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and Elsevier that synthesize mineralogical knowledge for curricula at University of Oxford and Harvard University.

Notable Articles and Contributions

Noteworthy papers include early twentieth-century descriptions of mineral occurrences tied to work by explorers associated with USGS Alaskan expeditions and later methodological advances in crystal-structure determination that built on techniques developed at Royal Institution and Institut Laue–Langevin. Seminal contributions addressed thermodynamic models that informed studies at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and isotope-systematics papers connected with research at Caltech and Penn State. The journal has published influential phase-equilibrium studies relevant to mantle processes researched at Carnegie Institution for Science and experimental petrology experiments performed at University of Tokyo.

Related Organizations and Awards

Closely related organizations include the Mineralogical Society of America, the Mineralogical Association of Canada, the Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, the International Mineralogical Association, and the Geological Society of America. Awards and recognitions with which the journal’s community is associated include the Roebling Medal, the Dana Medal, the V.M. Goldschmidt Award, and fellowships supported by agencies such as the National Science Foundation and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Category:Geology journals Category:Mineralogy