Mineral properties
The word mineral comes from the Latin minera, or mine. Until the nineteenth century, minerals were simply things that came out of mines—things that had […]
Mineralogy
What Causes Color in Topaz?
Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine with the chemical formula Al2SiO4(F,OH)2. Topaz crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, and its crystals are mostly […]
The largest gold nugget ever found In Alaska
The largest gold nugget ever found In Alaska It weighs a whopping 294.10 troy ounces (9.14 Kilograms, 20.16 pound), and was found near the town […]
Sedimentary Rocks Represent Past Environments
Distinguish among three broad categories of sedimentary environments and provide an example of each. List several sedimentary structures and explain why these features are useful […]
Igneous Textures: What Can They Tell Us?
Identify and describe the six major igneous textures. The term texture is used to describe the overall appearance of a rock based on the size, […]
How Magmas Evolve
Describe how magmatic differentiation can generate a body that has mineralogy (chemical composition) that is different from its parent magma. Geologists have observed that, over […]
Gemstones and minerals;
Precious stones have been prized since antiquity. Although most gemstones are varieties of a particular mineral, misinformation abounds regarding gems and their mineral makeup.
Mineral Structures and Compositions
Distinguish between compositional and structural variations in minerals and provide one example of each. Many people associate the word crystal with delicate wine goblets or […]
Conglomerate and Breccia
Conglomerate consists largely of rounded gravel-size particles (Figure 1). As Figure 2 indicates, these particles can range in size from large boulders to particles as […]
Silicate Versus Nonsilicate Minerals
It is worth noting that only eight elements make up the vast majority of the rock-forming minerals and represent more than 98 percent (by weight) […]