Soil-Forming

Rocks And
Minerals
Prepared by: Maria Cristina A. Loreńo
 OBJECTIVES

● To be able to know the properties of

common soil-forming rocks and minerals.

● To familiarize some of the important minerals

and rocks
 MINERAL
● A naturally-occurring
inorganic substance which
has a fairly definite chemical
composition and physical
properties.
 Mineralogy – study of minerals

Georgius Agricola Friedrich Mohs

Father of Mineralogy Mohs’ Scale of Hardness
 www.sandatlas.org

https://mineralexpert.org
www.britannica.com CALCITE
PYRITE
QUARTZ
Physical Properties of Minerals
Luster
Cleavage or Fracture
Hardness
Color
Streak
1. LUSTER
- the color of a mineral in reflected light.

a. Metallic - opaque and

reflects light
b. Non-metallic – Dull colors
(e.g. pearly, silky)

www.studyiq.com
2. CLEAVAGE OR FRACTURE

Cleavage
– minerals break
along one or more smooth,
parallel planes.
Fracture – minerals break in
irregular patterns or
randomly
3. HARDNESS

- The resistance which a

mineral offers to scratching or
abrasion.

- Based on Mohs’ Scale

of Hardness
4. COLOR

- not a good means of distinguishing

minerals because it is extremely
variable.
- a mineral can be of many different
colors.

Example: MICA
https://geology.com

https://en.wikipedia.org
BIOTITE
MUSCOVITE https://tinyrituals.co

LEPIDOLITE
5. STREAK
- color of finely powdered
mineral
- More constant than color
- Done by rubbing a mineral
on a piece of unglazed
porcelain or streak plate
- When gold is run across a streak
plate it makes a yellowish-gold
color.

- When pyrite is run across a

streak plate, it has a black or
dark green streak.

www.pinterest.ph
TYPES OF
MINERALS
PRIMARY MINERALS

- formed from the cooling and solidification

of magma.
- major element of volcanic rocks.
- found in the sand and silt fraction in the soil
that is produced.
 PRIMARY MINERALS

http://nevada-outback-gems.com
https://geologyscience.com ORTHOCLASE www.minerals.net
QUARTZ HORNBLENDE

www.minerals.net
BIOTITE
SECONDARY MINERALS

- formed from the weathering of primary minerals

Feldspar (primary mineral) Kaolinite (Secondary mineral)

 SECONDARY MINERALS

www.eiscolabs.com https://geologyscience.com

GYPSUM KAOLINITE
https://parcoscientific.com

HEMATITE
 REVIEW!

5 Properties of Mineral

Other term of PYRITE

2 Types of Minerals
 ROCK
● a consolidated aggregate of
one or more minerals.

• parent material of most

mineral soils.
Types of Rocks
1. IGNEOUS ROCK

- Considered as “Mother of all rocks”.

- formed from the solidification and
crystallization of magma/lava.
- Most abundant rocks in the
Earth’s crust.
Based on Chemical Composition

a. Acidic igneous rocks

- contain more than 65% silicates or quartz.
- light colored
b. Basic igneous rocks
- have less than 50% SiO2
- dark colored
Based on Chemical Composition

c. Intermediate igneous rocks

- have between 50-65% SiO2
b. Ultrabasic igneous rocks
- less than 45% SiO2
Based on Mode of Occurrence
1. Intrusive/Plutonic Igneous rocks
- formed deep within the Earth’s
crust
- Slow cooling process
- coarse-textured

GABBRO
Based on Mode of Occurrence
2. Extrusive/Volcanic Igneous rocks

- formed at or near the Earth’s surface

- Very rapid cooling process

- Fine grain or glassy-texture

BASALT
https://slideplayer.com
 EXAMPLES OF IGNEOUS ROCKS

https://www.sandatlas.org https://geology.com

BASALT ANDESITE
https://en.wikipedia.org https://geology.com

RHYOLITE GRANITE
2. SEDIMENTARY ROCK

Sedimentary – comes from latin word

sedimentum “to settle”.
- deposition and cementation of weathering
products
Lithification – process formed from compaction
and cementation of sediments.
SEDIMENTARY ROCK

1. Clastic (Fragmental)
- Sedimentary rocks which have been formed
through physical or mechanical means.
- formed from compacted and cemented
sediments from the weathering of igneous rocks.
SEDIMENTARY ROCK

2. Precipitate

- produced by chemical or biochemical

precipitation of ions from solution.
- evaporates and precipitates in
water.

HALITE
 EXAMPLES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

http://geologylearn.blogspot.com www.azomining.com
www.thoughtco.com
SANDSTONE LIMESTONE
SHALE
2. METAMORPHIC ROCK

- “Meta” and “morph” – change in form.

- Alteration of pre-existing rocks due to
heat and pressure.
Metamorphism – process where rocks are
exposed to extreme heat and pressure.
METAMORPHIC ROCK

1. Banded (foliated)

– minerals arrange in layers more or

less parallel to each other.
GNEISS
- Alternate light and dark colors.
 METAMORPHIC ROCK

2. Non-banded metamorphic rocks

– have random pattern of mineral

crystals.
QUARTZITE MARBLE

https://en.wikipedia.org https://geologyscience.com
 REVIEW!

3 Types of Rocks

Considered as the Mother of all rocks

Give 1 example of Igneous, Sedimentary

and Metamorphic Rocks

It is called the parent material of most

mineral soils.
 REFERENCES

• Soil Science 22 Laboratory Manual

• Huang, W.T.H.1962. Petrology. McGrawHill Book
Co.,New York
• Jacobs, H.S., R.M. Reed, S.J. Thien (eds.)1971.
Soils Laboratory Exercise Source Book. American
Society of Agronomy, Madison, Wisconsin.
• Geologypage.com (Image sources)
• www. pinterest.com (Image sources)