MINERALS – are naturally inorganic
substances with definite and predictable
chemical composition and physical
properties.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
1) Cleavage – the breaking of minerals along
certain lines of weakness in their structure.
2) Fracture – the tendency of a mineral to
break along curved surfaces without a
definite shape.
3) Color – the constant and predictable
component of minerals
4) Streak – the color of the mineral when
turned into fine powder.
5) Luster – how light is reflected from the
surface of a mineral. Categorized by two
types:
a) Metallic
b) Non-metallic
6) Specific Gravity – this determines the
density of minerals.
7) Hardness – the scratching of a minerals
surface and to measure its resistance to
abrasion.
8) Tenacity – the resistance of a mineral to
breaking, bending, or otherwise being
deformed.
9) Crystal Forms – the external shape of a
mineral and determined largely by its internal
atomic structure.
OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF
MINERALS
 Refractive Index – how fast the light
travels on minerals
 Double Refraction – light rays enter into
birefringent minerals and the light divides
into two rays.
 Dispersion and Fire – the splitting of
white light into the colors of the spectrum.
 Absorption Spectrum – the spectral
wavelengths absorbed by a gem.
ROCK-FORMING MINERALS – any
minerals that forms igneous, sedimentary, or
metamorphic rocks and that typically, or
solely, forms as an intimate part of rock-
making processes.
9 MOST COMMON ROCK-FORMING
MINERALS
- Feldspar - Olivine -Clay
- Pyroxene -Dolomite - Calcite
- Mica -Amphibole -Quartz
When are rocks formed?
- During cooling of molten materials
- Evaporation of liquids
- Cooling of liquids
- At high temperatures and pressure
new crystals may grow in solid
materials.
Silicate Minerals – most common minerals
in the earth’s crust and mantle by 95% -
97% ex. Quartz
Non-silicate Minerals – rocks that do not
contain oxygen and silicon. Ex: oxides,
sulfides, sulfates, halides, carbonates
Clay Minerals – a very fine particle size
made up of aluminum silicate and other
elements. Composed of cations and
coordinated oxygen.
Clay mineral groups:
- Kaolinite, Illite, Vemicullite, Smectite,
Chlorite
 MINERAL ACCUMULATION
Mineral Deposit – concentration of metals or
minerals. Determined by the timing of ore-
forming processes
Type of mineral deposits- industrial & non-
industrial
CLASSIFICATION OF MINERAL
DEPOSIT
- Environment of formation
o Sedimentary, magmatic, and
metamorphic
- Form or symmetry to mineral deposits
o the symmetry or the form of a deposit
gives very defined groups of different
locations
- Content of chemical elements
o Scientific way
ROCKS
- a natural substance composed of solid
crystals of different minerals that are
fused together.
TYPES OF ROCKS
Igneous – Latin “ignis” meaning fire or
magnetic rock
TYPES OF IGNEOUS ROCKS
Intrusive – crystallize rocks earth’s surface,
and the slow cooling that occurs there allows
large crystals to form.
Extrusive – erupted to the earth’s surface
that quickly cooled and formed into a small
crystal where some of it formed into an
amorphous glass.
Sedimentary Rocks – rocks formed by
accumulation lithification of sediments
and also formed from eroded fragments of
other rocks and remains of plants or animals.
HOW DOES SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
FORM?
- They are formed from broken pieces
of rocks called sediments and
through the processes called
compaction, cementation, and
recrystallization of sediments.
TPYES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
1) CLASTIC 2) CHEMICAL 3) ORGANIC
Clastic – smaller grains of rocks broken off
from other rocks by physical weathering.
examples: mudstones, shales, sandstones,
conglomerate (made of gravel and larger
fragments)
Chemical – this are rocks formed by
precipitation of minerals from water.
examples: limestones (formed from
precipitation of calcium carbonate),
dolomite (formed from limestones or lime
mud that is modified by magnesium-rich
groundwater), Iron ore (formed when iron
and oxygen combine, Quarts/Chert
(composed of silicon dioxide and was used
as cutting tools and weapon).
Organic – form from the actions of
organisms.
examples: Coquina (limestone formed form
broken shell fragments), Coal (carbon-rich
rock formed from compacted plant remains),
Coral reef rock (mineral calcite rock
formed by coral organisms.)
METAMORPHIC ROCKS – rocks that
are modified by heat, pressure and chemical
processes. This rocks were once igneous or
sedimentary but changes because of
temperature and pressure. The word META
“TRANSFORM” and MORPH means
change of shape.
TYPES OF METAMORPHIC ROCKS
- Non-Foliated – this rocks do not
have layered or banded appearance.
o Ex. Hornfels, marble,
quartzite and novaculite.
- Foliated -have layered or banded
appearance that produced by exposure
to heat and pressure.
o Ex. Gneiss, phyllite, schist
and slate