The chapters of this book are grouped into five topics: Mineralogy and Crystal Chemistry, Petrology, Biomineralization, Geochronology, and Materials Applications. In the first section, three chapters are devoted to mineralogical aspects of apatite, a phase with both inorganic and organic origins, the most abundant phosphate mineral on earth, and the main mineral phase in the human body. Monazite and xenotime are highlighted in a fourth chapter, which includes their potential use as solid-state radioactive waste repositories. The Mineralogy and Crystal Chemistry section concludes with a detailed examination of the crystal chemistry of 244 other naturally-occurring phosphate phases and a listing of an additional 126 minerals. In the Petrology section, three chapters detail the igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary aspects of phosphate minerals. A fourth chapter provides a close look at analyzing phosphates for major, minor, and trace elements using the electron microprobe. A final chapter treats the global geochemical cycling of phosphate, a topic of intense, current geochemical interest. The Biomineralization section begins with a summary of the current state of research on bone, dentin and enamel phosphates, a topic that crosses disciplines that include mineralogical, medical, and dental research. The following two chapters treat the stable isotope and trace element compositions of modern and fossil biogenic phosphates, with applications to paleontology, paleoclimatology, and paleoecology. The Geochronology section focuses principally on apatite and monazite for U-Th-Pb, (U-Th)/He, and fission-track age determinations; it covers both classical geochronologic techniques as well as recent developments. The final section, Materials Applications, highlights how phosphate phases play key roles in fields such as optics, luminescence, medical engineering and prosthetics, and engineering of radionuclide repositories. These chapters provide a glimpse of the use of natural phases in engineering and biomedical applications and illustrate fruitful areas of future research in geochemical, geobiological and materials science.

The Crystal Structure of Apatite, Ca₅(PO₄)₃(F,OH,Cl)
     by.......... John M. Hughes, John Rakovan

Compositions of the Apatite-Group Minerals: Substitution Mechanisms and Controlling Factors
     by.......... Yuanming Pan, Michael E. Fleet

Growth and Surface Properties of Apatite
     by.......... John Rakovan

Synthesis, Structure and Properties of Monazite, Pretulite, and Xenotime
     by.......... Lynn A. Boatner

The Crystal Chemistry of the Phosphate Minerals
     by.......... Danielle M.C. Huminicki, Frank C. Hawthorne

Apatite in Igneous Systems
     by.......... Philip M. Piccoli, Philip A. Candela

Apatite, Monazite, and Xenotine in Metamorphic Rocks
     by.......... Frank S. Spear, Joseph M. Pyle

Electron Microprobe Analysis of REE in Apatite, Monazite and Xenotime: Protocols and Pitfalls
     by.......... Joseph M. Pyle, Frank S. Spear, David A. Wark

Sedimentary Phosphorites - An Example: Phosphoria Formation, Southeastern Idaho, U.S.A
     by.......... Andrew C. Knudsen, Mickey E. Gunter

The Global Phosphorus Cycle
     by.......... Gabriel M. Filippelli

Calcium Phosphate Biominerals
     by.......... James C. Elliott

Stable Isotope Composition of Biological Apatite
     by.......... Matthew J. Kohn, Thure E. Cerling

Trace Elements in Recent and Fossil Bone Apatite
     by.......... Clive N. Trueman, Noreen Tuross

U-TH-Pb Dating of Phosphate Minerals
     by.......... T. Mark Harrison, Elizabeth J. Catlos, Jean-Marc Montel

(U-Th)/He Dating of Phosphates: Apatite, Monazite, and Xenotime
     by.......... Kenneth A. Farley, Daniel F. Stockli

Fission Track Dating of Phosphate Minerals and the Thermochronology of Apatite
     by.......... Andrew J.W. Gleadow, David X. Belton, Barry P. Kohn, Roderick W. Brown

Biomedical Application of Apatites
     by.......... Karlis A. Gross, Christopher C. Berndt

Phosphates as Nuclear Waste Forms
     by.......... Rodney C. Ewing, LuMin Wang

Apatite Luminescence
     by.......... Glenn A. Waychunas