ROCKS and MINERALS

MINERALS

• Naturally occurring inorganic substances with a definite chemical

composition and specific crystal structure
• Crystal structure is controlled by composition that directly
determines which atoms of which elements will be distributed in
which arrangement
• Fundamental building blocks of rock materials in the earth
 Minerals
• PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:
Guidelines for filed identification of specimens
that may occur combined with other minerals or
in very small amounts in particular sample
Hand lens is used for this identification
Permit identification of hand specimens
without involving time consuming & difficult
laboratory procedures
 Minerals
SHAPE

TASTE HARDNESS

Physical
properties

LUSTER COLOR

WEIGHTS
 SHAPE
• Minerals grow into consistent crystal shape, which are
controlled by chemical composition of mineral
• Six crystal system that include all minerals
• Some mineral compounds can form more than one
mineral with entirely different crystal structures –
polymorphs which are quite different in appearance
• Study of mineral crystal forms is called crystallography
 HARDNESS
•How mineral resists scratching – hardness
•Only fresh mineral surfaces should be tested
•Weathered mineral surfaces will result in hardness
measurements that can be quite different from fresh
unweathered mineral
•Mohs’ hardness scale – scale from softest to hardest by
which mineral hardnesses are determined
LIST OUT THE MOHS’ SCALE!!!!!!!
 WEIGHTS
•Specific gravity of mineral – its weight relative to the
weight of an equal volume of water
•Obtained by dividing the weight of mineral in air by
difference between its weight in air & its weight in water.
•Most mineral specimens are difficult to measure because
associated with other minerals
•Very heavy and very light minerals easily recognized by
specific gravity
 LUSTER
•How mineral reflects light determine its type of luster
•Most minerals are considered to have metallic or
nonmetallic luster, with few having sub metallic luster.
 TASTE
•Some minerals have very distinctive taste qualities that
facilitate their immediate identification
•Rock salt (halite) & salvite are two minerals with distinctive
tastes.
 CLEAVAGE
•How mineral parts along weaknesses in its crystal lattice
•tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite
crystallographic structural planes
•result of the regular locations of atoms and ions in the crystal
•create smooth repeating surfaces that are visible both in the
microscope and to the naked eye
•Quartz tightly bonded & produce no cleavage
•Mica have one direction of cleavage and calcite has three
directions
 FRACTURE
•Random breakage of mineral along no particular
orientation
 ROCKS
• Three (3) types of rock:
1) IGNEOUS
2) SEDIMENTARY
3) METAMORPHIC

Sedimentary rocks: of interest to petroleum geology, as reservoir,

source, seals
Igneous & Metamorphic : not of interest, generally, but may form
potential reservoir for petroleum only when porosity is present, e.g.
fractures
 ROCKS
• IGNEOUS: formed from the crystallization of molten rock (magma or lava) from within
the earth’s mantle. Common igneous rocks include granite, basalt, and gabbro.

• METAMORPHIC : formed from pre-existing rocks by mineralogical, chemical and/or

structural changes in response to marked changes in temperature, pressure, shearing
stress, and chemical environment. These changes generally take place deep within the
earth’s crust. Examples of common metamorphic rocks include slate, marble and schist.

• SEDIMENTARY : formed as sediments, either from eroded fragments of older rocks or

chemical precipitates. Sediments are compacted and cemented after burial under
additional layers of sediment. Thus sandstone forms by the lithification of sand particles
and limestone by the lithification of shells and other particles of calcium carbonate.
These types of rocks are typically deposited in horizontal layers, or strata, at the bottom of
rivers, oceans, and deltas. Limestone, sandstone, and clay are typical sedimentary rocks.
ROCK CYCLE

 Tectonism controls the

rock cycle and is
important to many
surficial processes and
othe Earth Cycles.
 ROCKS
Types of ROCK IGNEOUS SEDIMENTARY METAMORPHIC

SOURCE OF MATERIAL • Melting of rocks in hot, • Weathering and • Rocks under HIGH
deep crust and upper erosion of rocks temperatures & HIGH
mantle exposed at surface pressures in deep crust
and upper mantle

ROCK-forming PROCESS CRYSTALLIZATION DEPOSITION -> BURIAL -> RECRYSTALLIZATION

LITHIFICATION
 WHAT ROCKS TELL US
IGNEOUS COMPSITION TECTONIC SETTING

TEXTURE COOLING HISTORY

SEDIMETARY CHEMICAL COMPOSITION SURFACE ENVIRONMENT

GRAIN SIZE ENERGY OF ENVIRONMENT

METAMORPHIC COMPOSITION ORIGINAL ROCK TYPE

MINERAL MAKEUP TEMPERATURE, PRESSURE

TEXTURE DEGREE OF CHANGE