Forming Minerals - immanuelcourtland.com•Ore= mineral deposit big/valuable enough to earn profit....
Transcript of Forming Minerals - immanuelcourtland.com•Ore= mineral deposit big/valuable enough to earn profit....
FORMING MINERALSAnd mining them…
MINERALS FROM WATER
Saltwater Evaporation
• water evaporates=
minerals left behind
• Ex. gypsum, halite
Halite= rock salt
Surface/Ground Water
• Dissolved minerals in surface/ground
water travel to lakes/seas
• Crystallize on the bottom= limestones
• Ex. calcite, dolomite
• LOTS of limestone found in this area of MN
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
• Pressure & temperature
change chemical makeup of rocks
• Ex. calcite, garnet, graphite,
hematite, magnetite, mica, talc
HOT-WATER SOLUTIONS
• Reacts with minerals=
hot liquid solution
• Dissolved metals,
elements crystalize
• Ex. gold, copper, sulfur,
pyrite, galena
• Black smokers…
Pegmatites
• Magma goes up
• Forms tear-shaped bodies
• Hot fluids= formations of huge crystals
• Can be several meters across
• Ex. topaz, tourmaline (gems)
Plutons
• Magma goes up, stops before
reaching surface
• Cools slowly= millions of crystals
• Ex. mica, feldspar, magnetite, quartz
FORMED FROM MAGMA
MINING MINERALS
A lot harder than you’d think…
MINE MORE THAN YOU NEED
• Mine ore and extract the
valuable stuff from inside
• Ore= mineral deposit
big/valuable enough to
earn profit
TWO MINING OPTIONS
Surface
• At or near the surface
• Open pits
• Strip mines
• Quarries
• Finding minerals
• Copper ores
• Bauxite (contains aluminum)
Deep
• Way down inside Earth
• Dig passages underground
• Ex. diamonds, coal
COMMON USES OF MINERALS
Chalcopyrite
Metal= copper=
coins, wire
Galena
Metal= lead=
batteries, paints
Chromite
Metal= chromium=
stainless steel, cast
iron, leather tanners
Aside from gems (rare, pretty mineral crystals; must be hard enough to be cut)
RECLAMATION
Returning land to its natural state
Law as of 1970
Mineral ores= nonrenewable
Recycle!
ROCKS
Solid mixture of crystals (one+ minerals)
CAN be made of organic materials
WHAT ARE ROCKS USED
FOR???
• Tools
• Hammers
• Arrowheads
• Scrapers
• Knives
• Buildings
• Piecing together history (fossils)
See pgs.82-83 for more information
CLASSIFYING ROCKS
Composition
• What minerals a rock contains
Texture
• Size, shape, position of grains
• Small grains (silt, clay)= fine
• Large grains (pebbles)= coarse
• In between= medium
Breaking down igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary even more
Clues on how and where a rock was formed