naturally occurring, inorganic,

solid element or compound with a

definite chemical composition and
a regular internal crystal structure
solid, cohesive, aggregate
of one or more minerals
Ex: Granite - mixture of
quartz, feldspar, and mica
crystals.
• cycle of creation, destruction, and metamorphosis
• • Understanding something of how this cycle works
helps explain the origin and characteristics of different
types of rocks, as well as how they are shaped, worn
away, transported, deposited, and altered by geological
forces.
• Solidified from magma, welling up from the
earth’s interior

• from igni, the Latin word for fire

• fine-grained rocks such as basalt, rhyolite, and
andesite
• coarse-grained crystalline rocks such as granite
and gabbro
• Preexisting rocks can be modified by heat,
pressure, and chemical agents to create new
forms
• Some common metamorphic rocks are marble
(from limestone), quartzite (from sandstone),
and slate (from mudstone and shale).
• Metamorphic rocks are often the host rock for
economically important minerals such as talc,
graphite, and gemstones.
is the physical breakup of
rocks into smaller particles
without a change in chemical
composition of the
constituent minerals.
is the selective removal or
alteration of specific
components that leads to
weakening and disintegration
of rock.
 Particles of rock are transported by wind,
water, ice, and gravity until they come to
rest again in a new location. The deposition
of these materials is called
compacted mud cemented sand volcanic ash aggregates of gravel,
sand, silt, and clay
• are also formed from crystals that
precipitate out of, or grow from, a solution.
• • rock salt, made of the mineral halite
Study of the processes that
shape the earth’s surface
and the structures they
create.
is the study of resources that are valuable for manufacturing and
are, therefore, an important part of domestic and international
commerce

Most economic minerals are metal-bearing ores, minerals with

unusually high concentrations of metals.
• Lead generally comes from the mineral galena (PbS)
• Copper comes from sulfide ores, such as bornite (Cu5FeS4)
 geological resources include
graphite, feldspar, quartz crystals,
diamonds, and other crystals that are
valued for their usefulness or beauty.
 Most economically valuable crustal
resources exist everywhere in small
amounts; the important thing is to find
them concentrated in economically
recoverable levels.
The metals consumed in greatest quantity by world
industry
● iron (740 million metric tons annually)
● aluminum (40 million metric tons)
● manganese (22.4 million metric tons)
● copper and chromium (8 million metric tons each)
● nickel (0.7 million metric tons)
Most of these metals are The largest sources are:
consumed in the: ● China
1. United States ● Australia
2. Japan ● Russia
3. Europe ● Canada
● United States
 The rapid growth of green
technologies, such as renewable
energy and electric vehicles, has
made a group of rare earth metals
especially important. Worries about
impending shortages of these
minerals complicate future
developments in this sector.
 are a broad class that covers resources from
silicate minerals (gemstones, mica, talc, and
asbestos) to sand, gravel, salts, limestone, and
soils. Durable, highly valuable, and easily portable,
gemstones and precious metals have long been a
way to store and transport wealth.
are used mainly in brick and
concrete construction and
paving, as loose road filler, and
for sandblasting. High-purity silica
sand is our source of glass.

These materials usually are

retrieved from surface pit mines
and quarries, where they were
deposited by glaciers, winds, or
ancient oceans.