GEO 120 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Clay Minerals, Olivine, Calcite

• School: URI
• Department: Geosciences
• Course: GEO 120
• Professor: Elizabeth Laliberte

Document Summary

Geo 120 - lecture 3 - minerals and rocks - elizabeth laliberte. Naturally occurring, solid, crystalline structure, definite chemical composition, most are inorganic. Luster (quality of reflected light- metallic or nonmetallic) Hardness (resistance to being scratched) ex: diamond is the hardest natural substance on earth. Carbonates, oxides, phosphates, sulfates, sulfides, halides, native elements. Sedimentary: cementation of mineral grains, chemical/biochemical precipitation. Classified based on their texture (mineral size) and composition (minerals present. Volcanic extrusive igneous rocks: fine-grained, rocks which cool quickly near the surface or after eruption (microscopic crystals or non-crystalline glass) Intrusive (plutonic) igneous rocks: coarse-grained, cool slowly beneath the surface (larger crystals) Chemical composition: depends on silica content (high(selicic/felsic)- Silicic- high in silica, low in iron & magnesium, high viscosity magma and lava, high volatile (gas) content magma. Mafic- high is iron & magnesium, low in silica, low viscosity magma and lava (more liquid), low volatile.