HOW ARE MINERALS FORMED?
MINERALS are naturally occuring, inorganic solids, with a characteristic chemical composition, having a regular atomic structure throughout. Man-made industrial diamonds are not considered true minerals. Having said that, there are also some Organic Minerals, such as Amber. Purists are reluctant to call organic minerals minerals, but they satisfy at least three of the criteria for inorganic mineral makeup, and therefore the point is open to debate.
How Many Minerals are there? There are about 4000 listed minerals on this planet but only a relatively few have gained popularity due to their pleasing apperance, often bizarre shapes, exquisite spectrum of colours, and trading value. Minerals are generally composed of more than one element or compound. Those which are made up of only one element are called Native Elements e.g. gold, silver, mercury, copper. The Conquistadores fell in love with New World gold and "liberated" it by the ship-load to fill the coffers of Government and Church in Spain. Silver too, along with Topaz, Tourmaline, Agate, Ruby, Diamond and many other precious rocks and minerals, have been highly prized for as long as Man was first enchanted by their beauty, commercial value and status it imparted to the wearer.
So, just how are minerals formed? Minerals can be formed in a wide variety of geological environments; deep inside volcanos, at the bottoms of deep oceans, deserts, salt lakes and cooling deep deposits of molten rock. Also, under the influence of heat and or pressure, when solutions and gasses holding concentrations of specific elements cool or evaporate, minerals growths are deposited inside rock fissures or voids. These minerals are sometimes forced through as a suspension in water, the water then evaporating leaving the mineral deposits as crystals (e.g. Amethyst) when the rock void is not fully filled or as Agates, when the rock is completely filled. These minerals are only visible when the rock is split open; it takes some skill to decide which rock to crack open! More about that later. An example of such crystal and mineral specimens for collectors are Geodes which are round rocks containing precipitated mineral salts, these being comomonly Agates (caused by mineral salt crystals forming inside Basalt rocks), Amethysts, Quartz, Jasper.
Minerals don't necessarily need heat or pressure to be formed; water saturated with mineral salts can leave deposits (Stalactites) as it drips down from the roof of a cave, forming corresponding Stalagmites directly below, over the centuries, where the drips hit. Eventually both grow to meet each other and thicken over the years. Sometimes, as a novelty, tourists can hang an item on a line at a cave, over which calcium carbonate saturated water runs; over a period of a few months it becomes encased in a hardening deposit of Calcium Carbonate.
THE THREE TYPES OF ROCK. Ok, the basic scene has been set, now let's examine in more detail the different mechanisms involved in mineral formation. All minerals are formed from ROCKS, which are an aggregate or mixture of various minerals and are the basic materials from which a mineral is formed. Rocks can be either:
Igneous - formed due to volcanic activity from the Earth's core.
Metamorphic - formed because of pressure or heat (e.g. tectonic plates colliding) on existing rocks, changing them into another type of rock.
Sedimentary - resulting from the layered compaction of weathered rock materials and/or shells.
Let us examine these rocks a little further:-
IGNEOUS ROCKS(from the Latin ignis - fire) can be further categorised as being
Whale watching is a spellbinding, entertaining, and thought-provoking adventure trip.... Read More
The Cairns Fishing Adventure A Great Australia Road TripYou love... Read More
Zambia is Africa's best kept secret as far as safaris... Read More
If you you find yourself saying "Hey, that's a good... Read More
River rafting is a major attraction in California. The most... Read More
Pictures of a massive dead Great White shark on the... Read More
Touted as one of the world's fifty destinations of a... Read More
Have you ever thought you might like to try a... Read More
Ask me which Pacific island has the most to offer... Read More
It was the end of my first year as a... Read More
When you search online for a camping gear outlet you... Read More
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest and one of the deepest... Read More
This truly beautiful country at the southern tip of dark... Read More
Maybe your favorite backpacking food is a freeze-dried turkey dinner.... Read More
There's nothing that will quicken the interest of RVers like... Read More
The last thing you want on an African safari is... Read More
As the weather cools in late summer and the days... Read More
Yuma, Arizona. In the winter, it's the best town in... Read More
Okay, it wasn't quite a sleeping bag. However, it was... Read More
For the dedicated water sport enthusiast there can be no... Read More
Soon, the busy summer tourist season will be over in... Read More
There are two types of used inflatable boats for sale... Read More
Back from our family's vacation to Costa Rica, I am... Read More
There were four of us on that first Tom Sawyer... Read More
Contrary to what many think, ultralight backpacking is not just... Read More
If your aim is not good, or is not quite... Read More
Drive along one of South Africa's scenic strips and you... Read More
Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk... Read More
When you look at a river, what do you see?... Read More
Yuma, Arizona. In the winter, it's the best town in... Read More
Do you like to take one day hiking trips? Do... Read More
Are you sick and tired of not knowing what to... Read More
Ask about perfect wildlife destinations and a Tanzania safari will... Read More
We recently planted our saskatoon berry trees. I am sure... Read More
You would think that a cheap safari in Africa for... Read More
If you've been dreaming of traveling the highways in your... Read More
When you are planning a vacation to Maui or Rio... Read More
Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain, after Kilimanjaro. It... Read More
Directly south of Louisville, just off Interstate 65 and not... Read More
A camping gear checklist is an important tool to help... Read More
Yes, it's real. There is a place called Timbuktu and... Read More
Soon, the busy summer tourist season will be over in... Read More
Western Australia ? South-West Coast driving holiday. Great Australian Road... Read More
Mystic Seaport celebrates the seafaring past of New England. Known... Read More
It is the end of the season for the year... Read More
Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but... Read More
A South Africa safari is the ideal wildlife trip to... Read More
On Lake Michigan, at the end of the Stonington Peninsula,... Read More
Visitors to Hawaii frequently see dolphins from shore or on... Read More
One afternoon during a trip across the country in our... Read More
|