GEOLOGY- PART 1 (Rocks and Minerals)

• What is geology?• How has modern geological thought evolved?• What is really inside the Earth?• What is a mineral? A rock? What is the

difference?• What is a crystal?• How do minerals/rocks form?• Why are minerals/rocks important?

ROCKS AND MINERALS

• Does the Earth’s crust look the same everywhere?

• What are some natural materials in the crust?

• If you were interested in finding out firsthand what the Earth’s crust is made of, how would you go about it?

• [8.4.1, 8.4.2,8.4.3,8.4.4, 8.1 and 8.2]

Atoms to Crystals to Minerals

• All minerals are made of crystals which form in the following ways:– Evaporation of solutions– Cooling of molten liquid magma– Precipitation from mineralized solutions in underground

caverns– Condensation or sublimation of hot vapors (volcanic activity)– Growth by recrystallization of existing minerals during the

metamorphic process of rocksAll minerals have a definite chemical composition; therefore,

have a definite crystal structure.

WHAT IS A MINERAL?

• To be a mineral, an object of matter must have the following properties:

Naturally OccurringInorganicSolidCrystal StructureDefinite Chemical Composition

Rocks are mixtures of minerals!!!

IDENTIFYING MINERALS

• Color

• Luster

• Hardness

• Streak

• Density

• Crystal Shape

• Cleavage/Fracture

ROCKS

• How are rocks formed?

• What is the Rock Cycle? Describe each type of rock.

WORKS CITED

• http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/geology/rocks_intro.html

• http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/navigation/chapter05.cfm