How can we identify different minerals?Many physical and chemical features can tip off the identity of a mineral!
(Source: http://www.uky.edu/KGS/rocksmn/methods.htm) |
How are minerals formed?There are three different ways that minerals can form! They can form through crystals, cooling of a melt, and crystallographic transformation.
CrystallizationIn crystallization, ions in the near environment need to be in close proximity. Ions are electrically charged atoms. Formation occurs when mineral crystals precipitate from a saline solution, When there is a concentrated amount of ions in a solution they link together and start to form crystalline structures.
Cooling of a MeltCrystallization can occur in a cooling in water, called freezing, or by the cooling of melted magma or lava which causes crystallization. This is the most important method of mineral formation and accounts for the bulk of the mineral formation in the crust of the Earth.
Crystallographic TransformationThe last way of mineral formation is much more uncommon. Every mineral is stable through many temperatures and pressures and this is called it's stability field. When the temperature or pressure change out of this range than a solid transformation can occur. This new mineral will be in complete equilibrium with the changed environment. Chemical reactions can also dissolve minerals and form them differently. This less common form of mineral formation is usually observed around the tectonic plates where the pressure and temperature are always changing.
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