Minerals

A. What is a mineral?
 is a solid inorganic material of the Earth that
has both a known chemical composition and
a crystalline structure that is unique to that
mineral.
 is homogenous, naturally occurring
substance formed through geological
processes that has a characteristic chemical
composition, a highly ordered atomic
structure and specific physical properties.
Physical Properties of Minerals
Color
– A visual measure.
– Not very useful for identification as color of
minerals varies considerably.
 Quartz

 Purple Amethyst
 •Clear
Fluorite •Blue
•Green
•Purple
Physical Properties of Minerals
Streak
– This is the color of the mineral when it is finely
powdered.
– Rubbed across a piece of tile, leaving a fine
powder of the mineral on the tile.
 Physical Properties of Minerals
Hardness
– Resistance of the material to being
scratched.
– Measured using the Mohs hardness scale,
which compares the hardness of the
mineral to 10 reference minerals.
 Mohs Hardness Scale
1 Talc Softest
2 Gypsum
3 Calcite
4 Fluorite
5 Apatite
6 Potassium feldspar
7 Quartz
8 Topaz
9 Corundum
10 Diamond Hardest
 Physical Properties of Minerals
Crystal form
– Related to the internal geometric
arrangement of the atoms that make up the
crystal structure.
Physical Properties of Minerals

Fracture
– Breaks irregularly,
jagged edges
– The broken surface
is irregular and not
in a flat plane.
Fracture
Physical Properties of Minerals
Luster
– How light shines off a mineral
– Metallic or Nonmetallic
• Surface sheen
• Metallic – like metal
• Pearly – like pearl
• Vitreous – like glass
• Earthy
Luster
 Metallic  Nonmetallic
Mineral-forming Processes
– Magma
• Molten rock from which minerals are formed
– Lava
• Magma that is forced to the surface
– Influences on the mineral forming process
• Temperature
• Pressure
• Time
• Availability and concentration of ions
 A rock is a naturally occurring solid
mixture of one or more minerals, or
organic matter
 Elements are chemically combined
to form minerals
 Minerals are physically combined
to form rocks.
 Rocks change over time through
the rock cycle.
 Igneous Rocks
 Sedimentary Rocks
 Metamorphic Rocks
 Igneous rock got its name
from a Latin word “ignis”
which means fire. The
parent material of igneous
rocks is usually magma, a
molten material from deep
within the Earth that cools
& harden.
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/igneous.htm
 Intrusive igneous rock
(Plutonic Igneous)
 Formed when magma cools deep
within the Earth’s surface
 Cools very slowly as it is in contact
with molten rock.
 Produces course-grained igneous
rock.
 Ex. Granite, Gabbro, Andesite and
Diorite.
 Extrusive igneous rock
(Volcanic Igneous)
 Magma that cools above the
Earth’s surface.
 Produces fine-grained igneous
rocks.
 This rapid cooling does not allow
time for crystals to form.
 Ex. Basalt, Obsidian, Pumice &
Scoria
 Coarse-Grained: Cooled Fine-Grained: Cooled
slowly, underground quickly, at surface

Light-
colored

Granite Rhyolite

Dark-
Colored

Gabbro Basalt
Obsidian is a dark-colored volcanic glass that forms from the very rapid
cooling of molten rock material. It cools so rapidly that crystals do not form.

fine grained, extrusive

 Form from material from
previously existing rock.
When igneous rocks are
exposed at the surface, they
begin to wear away. They are
altered either by physical or
chemical weathering
processes. Heat from the sun
breaks the rock apart.
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/sediment.htm
 Rainwater may fill the cracks
in rocks and eventually break
them down. Sedimentary
rocks are formed from
“lithification”, a process of
cementing soft,
unconsolidated sediments
(weathered & dissolve rock
materials) into hard rocks.
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/sediment.htm
 Sedimentary Rocks are formed at or near the
Earth’s surface

 No heat and pressure involved

 Strata – layers of rock

 Stratification – the process in which

sedimentary rocks are arranged in layers
1. Eroded sediments end up in the water and
begin to settle (sedimentation)
2. With time, more layers pile up and presses
down the lower layers (compaction)
3. More layers (strata) and further compaction
forces out water of the layers.
4. Salt crystals glue the layers together
(cementation). Rock mass formed is
sedimentary.
 Clastic sedimentary rocks
 Chemical sedimentary rocks
 Organic sedimentary rocks
 are derived from mechanical weathering which involves the
breakdown of rocks into smaller ones at the surface of the crust,
accumulate as clasts, piled on top of one another and “lithified”.

Breccia is a term most often

used for clastic sedimentary
rocks that are composed of
large angular fragments
(over two millimeters in
diameter).
  form when dissolved materials precipitate.
Precipitation is the process of separating a solid
substance from a liquid.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock

composed primarily of calcium
carbonate (CaCO3) in the form of
the mineral calcite. It most
commonly forms in clear, warm,
shallow marine waters.
 are formed by the accumulated sedimentary debris caused by
organic processes. These are rocks that may contain fossils of
plants & animals trapped in the sediments as the rock was formed.

Coal is an organic
sedimentary rock that
forms from the
accumulation and
preservation of plant
materials, usually in a
swamp environment. 
 The metamorphic rocks get
their name form “meta”
(change) and “morph”
(form). Earth movements can
cause rocks to be pressed,
bent or deeply buried under
layers of other rocks. This
leads to an increase in
temperature and pressure.
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/metamorph.htm
 These conditions cause
physical and chemical
changes in the rock-prolith
(may be an igneous,
sedimentary or another older
metamorphic rock). The old
rocks are forcefully change
into a new kind
(metamorphism).
http://www.fi.edu/fellows/payton/rocks/create/metamorph.htm
  Contact (thermal) Metamorphism – evolves when
rocks near igneous intrusive get heated. This
produces non-foliated metamorphic rocks.

Hornfels is a fine-grained non-foliated

metamorphic rock produced by
contact metamorphism
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/geology/meta_contact.html&edu=h igh&fr=t
  Regional Metamorphism
(pressure) – affects a larger
area, commonly due to
mountain formation. Foliated
rocks are produced and
strong pressure effects.

http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/geology/meta_regional.html&edu=high&fr=t
The
Rock Cycle
There is a hierarchy
Atoms to the
make up elements.
elements of Geology

Elements combine to form

the natural compounds.

Natural compounds
and elements combine
to form minerals.
.

Minerals make up rocks.

Rocks make up the Earth.

What is the

Rock Cycle ?
 The Rock Cycle explains
how Rocks and Natural Processes
are related
weathering
Sedimentary Metamorphic

at
he
me

e,
lt

ur
ing

s
es
pr

Igneous
A more traditional definition is:

Rock Cycle
is a sequence of events involving the
formation, alteration, destruction, and
reformation of rocks as a result of
natural processes ...

Glossary of Geology, Bates & Jackson, AGI

The Rock Cycle
All rocks are in a constant (although
extremely slow) state of change due to:
Weathering and erosion (breaks rocks
into sediments)
Compaction and cementation (creates
new Sedimentary rocks)
Movement of Earth’s crust (causes
pressure and heat)
Volcanic activity (melts rocks into
magma and creates igneous rocks)
The Rock Cycle shows how one rock type
can transform into another type of rock.
 The Rock Cycle

Metamorphic
Igneous
Sedimentary
Rocks
form from
molten rock or
magma in the
me

subsurface or
lt
ing

from lava
extruded at
Igneous the surface
 The Rock Cycle

weathering
Rocks are
Sedimentary Metamorphic weathered,
eroded,
transported,
deposited,and
lithified
to form
sedimentary
rocks
Igneous
 The Rock Cycle

Pressure,
Metamorphic heat
Sedimentary
and fluids
cause
preexisting

at
he
rocks or

e,
sediments to
urs
es
become
pr

metamorphic
Igneous rocks
Becoming a METAMORPHIC ROCK …

If the sedimentary rock limestone or

dolomite is metamorphosed it can
become the metamorphic rock marble.

If the sedimentary rock sandstone

is metamorphosed it can become
the metamorphic rock quartzite.

If the sedimentary rock shale is

metamorphosed it can become the
metamorphic rock slate.
Becoming a METAMORPHIC ROCK …

If the metamorphic rock slate is

metamorphosed it can become the
metamorphic rock phyllite

If the metamorphic rock phyllite is

metamorphosed it can become the
metamorphic rock schist.

If the metamorphic rock schist is

metamorphosed it can become the
metamorphic rock gneiss.
 The Rock Cycle

weathering The Rock Cycle

Sedimentary Metamorphic does not go in just
one direction.
Any given rock can
go through any

at
he
me

part of the cycle

e,
lt

ur
ing

s any number of
es
pr

times.

Igneous

DEQ GSD - The Rock Cycle in Michigan - February 2001