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Earthsci 2

The document discusses key concepts in earth science including minerals, rocks, the rock cycle, and weathering. It provides definitions and explanations of these topics in 3 paragraphs or less: Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. Rocks are naturally occurring aggregates of minerals found in the lithosphere, which is the rigid, outer part of the Earth composed of crust and upper mantle. The rock cycle describes how rocks are formed from magma or sediments and transformed through processes like weathering, erosion, deposition, and metamorphism. Weathering is the breakdown of rocks at Earth's surface by physical or chemical means. There are two types of weathering - mechanical, which breaks rocks into fragments, and chemical

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29 views3 pages

Earthsci 2

The document discusses key concepts in earth science including minerals, rocks, the rock cycle, and weathering. It provides definitions and explanations of these topics in 3 paragraphs or less: Minerals are the building blocks of rocks. Rocks are naturally occurring aggregates of minerals found in the lithosphere, which is the rigid, outer part of the Earth composed of crust and upper mantle. The rock cycle describes how rocks are formed from magma or sediments and transformed through processes like weathering, erosion, deposition, and metamorphism. Weathering is the breakdown of rocks at Earth's surface by physical or chemical means. There are two types of weathering - mechanical, which breaks rocks into fragments, and chemical

Uploaded by

wa la
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Earth Science Reviewer 2

Minerals-are the building blocks of rocks.

Rock-is a naturally-occurring, coherent aggregate of minerals, found in the lithosphere.

lithos- “stone”

Lithosphere-is the rigid, rocky, outermost part of Earth, composed of the Crust (oceanic and
continental crust), and uppermost part of the upper mantle.

Rock Cycle-is a model that describes all the processes by which rocks are formed, modified, transported,
decomposed, melted, and reformed.

 Magma; exposed to lower


temperature=minerals and amorphous
solids crystallize, solidify, and form
igneous rocks.
 Uplift; brought to the surface=exposed
to weathering and erosion.
 Sediments; rocks broken down into
smaller pieces by weathering and
erosion.
 Transportation via agents such as wind,
water, glaciers, rivers and oceans.
 Settle in an area where they will
undertake deposition.
 Lithification-sediments into
sedimentary rocks; more materials
settle=temperature and pressure
increase.
 Temperature and pressure increase; sedimentary rocks=metamorphism, transform to
metamorphic rocks.
 If temperature continue increase and exceed melting point of rocks; undergo melting.
 Magma

Five Criteria of a Mineral

 SOLID
 NATURALLY OCCURING
 INORGANIC
 FIXED CHEMICAL FORMULA
 ORDERLY STRUCTURE

SILICA TETRAHEDRA-The most common arrangement of Silicon and Oxygen atom within a mineral.
(SiO42-)

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Earth Science Reviewer 2

Physical Properties of a Mineral

 COLORS
 HARDNESS
 TEXTURE
 APPEARANCE
 SHAPES
 TASTE

Weathering-disintegration of rock near the surface of the earth, breaks down and loosens the surface
minerals of rock.

TWO TYPES OF WEATHERING:

o Mechanical Weathering-is the disintegration of rock into smaller and smaller fragments.
o Chemical Weathering-transforms the original material into a substance with a different
composition and different physical characteristics.

Erosion-the process by which soil and rock particles are worn away and moved elsewhere by gravity, or
by a moving transport agent – wind, water or ice.

Residual minerals-the rock-forming minerals that are either stable in the surface environment or
unstable but react so slowly that they are not appreciably broken down.

LUSTER-refers to the way light reflects from the surface of the minerals.

 Metallic-having the look of a polished metal.


o Submetallic-having the look of a metal that is dulled by weathering or corrosion; nearly
opaque.
 Non-Metallic-doesn’t look like a metal at all.
o Non-Metallic sub-types

Adamantine Resinous Glassy/Vitreous Pearly


having the hard, having the look of having the look of having the iridescent
sparkly look of a amber – not quite glass look of mother-of-
diamond glassy pearl
Greasy/Oily Silky Dull Earthy
having the look of an having the look of silk, having a plain looking having the look of soil
oil-coated substance fine parallel fibers of surface that is not or clay
mineral, chrysotile submetallic
"asbestos";

Hardness-measures the mineral’s resistance to scratching.

Moh’s Scale of Hardness-was developed by Friedrick Mohs


in 1812.

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Earth Science Reviewer 2

CLEAVAGE-refers to the way some minerals break along certain lines of weakness in their structure.

Cleavage is often measured by three factors:

 Quality of Cleavage
 Number of Sides Exhibiting Cleavage
 Cleavage Habit
One must determine the number of unique cleavage directions and their angle with respect
to each other.

QUALITY of CLEAVAGE

 PERFECT- it will cleave without leaving any rough surfaces; a full, smooth plane is formed where
the crystal broke.
 GOOD-also leave smooth surfaces, but often leave over minor residual rough surfaces.
 POOR-the smooth crystal edge is not very visible, since the rough surface is dominant.
 INDISCERNIBLE-mineral exhibits cleavage, but it so poor that it is hardly noticeable.
 NONE-never exhibit any cleavage, thus broken surfaces are fractured and rough.

NUMBER of SIDES

 One Direction
 Two Directions
 Three Directions
 Four Directions

CLEAVAGE HABIT

Rhombohedral Pinicoidal Prismatic

Octahedral Cubic Basal

STREAK-refers to color of mark or powder left by rubbing the mineral against a streak plate.

o It appears to be darker in color than that of the non-metallic ones.


o Color of mineral in powdered form

HABIT-refers to the overall shape or growth pattern of the mineral.

Three terms to describe the habit of minerals:

o Equant-Three dimensions of the mineral have about the same length, like that of a cube
or sphere.
o Elongate-Minerals from prismatic or prism-like crystals that are thicker than needles as
in a pencil. Indicolite shows an elongated habit.
o Platy-Looks like a flattened and thin crystal (like plates). Wulfenite shows a platy habit.

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