1. Classification of Minerals Native Elements Native Elements – minerals naturally composed of only one element (e.g., diamond, sulfur, gold) Sulfides and Sulfates Sulfides and Sulfates – minerals containing SO 4 -2 or S -2 anions (e.g., galena, pyrite, gypsum) Oxides Oxides – minerals containing O -2 anions (e.g., hematite, magnetite, rutile) Silicates Silicates – huge family of minerals which all contain some variant of SiO 2 (e.g., quartz, garnets, micas, feldspars, clay minerals). Carbonates Carbonates – minerals containing the CO 3 anion (e.g., calcite, barite) Others Others – including salts (fluorite, halite), and a several other groups. Dana Classification System, the complete list of known minerals has 78 categories

2. Most Common Elements in Earth’s Crust O Al Si Na Mg KCa Fe Oxygen Sodium Magnesium Aluminum Silicon Potassium Calcium Iron

3. 1.81.91.92.53.3 K K K 6.2 20.560.5 Common Rock Forming Minerals Quartz Plagioclase feldspar Potassium feldspar Pyroxene Group Amphibole Group MuscoviteBiotite These minerals make up more than 90% of the Earth’s crust. All are silicates SiO Percent of atoms in Earth’s crust O O O O O O O Si Al Fe Ca Na KMg Ca SiO 2 AlSi 3 O 8 Al 2 Si 2 O 8 SiO 3 Si 8 O 22 AlSi 3 O 10 (OH) 2

4. Other Important Rock Forming Minerals Calcite - major component of limestone and seashells, “3” on Mohs Hardness Scale Dolomite - major component of limestone http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/gsc/calgary/geoscape/topics/resources_e.html

5. Other Important Rock Forming Minerals Gypsum Gypsum – very common evaporite in arid environments, used for plaster and drywall, “2” on Mohs Hardness Scale Halite Halite – common evaporite in arid environments, dietary staple Clay minerals Clay minerals – basis of most soils http://news.mpr.org/features/200208/21_losurem_ethanol/ http://militaryspecialtiesinc.com/ http://www.unicef.org/programme/nutrition/focus/micronut/iodine.htm

6. http://www.rootsweb.com/ Other Important Rock Forming Minerals Hematite Hematite – major ore mineral of iron Magnetite Magnetite – major ore mineral of iron Galena Galena – major ore mineral of lead Sphalerite Sphalerite – major ore mineral of zinc http://mine-engineer.com/mining/

7. Other Important Rock Forming Minerals Olivine Olivine – useful for interpreting igneous rock formation Garnet group Garnet group – useful for interpreting metamorphic rock formation http://www.whigham.org/Hawaii/ http://www.dsuper.net/~marcouet/my1.htm

8. http://www1.iwvisp.com/ Evaporite minerals with collector Minerals form wherever and whenever the molecular building blocks are present and local conditions allow those building blocks to bond. Local conditions can change dramatically in all of Earth’s mineral-forming environments (both on the Earth’s surface and within the Earth), making for interesting mineral associations. The rock types (igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic) are defined by the conditions under which they formed.