296-340 Rock and Mineral Resources: Lab Outline
Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, Universityof Wisconsin - Green Bay
Rock-Forming Minerals
- Quartz
- Potassium Feldspar
- Plagioclase Feldspar
- Biotite Mica
- Muscovite Mica
- Olivine
- Pyroxene
- Amphibole
- Calcite
- Dolomite
- Gypsum
- Halite
Identifying Minerals in Rocks
- Identifying an Unknown Mineral
- Color
- Hardness
- Luster
- Cleavage
- Crystal Form
- Geologic Setting
- A Useful Strategy
- If you see hoof prints, think horses, not zebras. Finding a rare mineral is exciting, but always suspect the most common minerals first.
- Will it Scratch Glass? If so, probably a silicate, next most likely an oxide
- Is it metallic in luster? Probably a sulfide. Sulfur smell confirms it. If not a sulfide, most likely an oxide, might be a metallic element.
- Does it have good cleavage? If soft, most likely a carbonate. Carbonates fizz in acid. Could also be a sulfate
- Is it brightly colored? Blue or green suggests copper. Other brightly-colored minerals are easy to learn.
Natural Crystals
Identifying and Describing Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Important Igneous Accessory Minerals
- Beryl
- Corundum
- Apatite
- Sphene
- Zircon
- Rutile
- Leucite
- Nepheline
- Lepidolite
- Tourmaline
- Topaz
Clastic Sedimentary Rocks
- Major Rock Types
- Mudrocks
- Sandstones
- Graywacke
- Arkose
- Conglomerate
- Breccia
- Determination of Maturity
- Unstable components
- Rounding
- Sorting
Sedimentary Structures
- Stratification
- Ripple Marks
- Mud Cracks
- Cross-bedding
- Salt Casts
- Burrows and Tracks
Biochemical Sedimentary Rocks
- Carbonates
- Evaporites
- Phosphates
- Important Sedimentary Accessory Minerals
- Glauconite
- Celestite
- Rhodocrosite
- Pyrolusite
- Borates
- Anhydrite
- Sylvite
- Barite
Important Ore Minerals
- Hematite
- Goethite/limonite
- Bauxite
- Sphalerite
- Galena
- Chalcopyrite
- Molybdenite
- Pyrolusite and Psilomelane
- Rhodonite
- Gold
- Silver
- Realgar and Orpiment
- Cinnabar
- Carnotite and Uraninite
- Vanadinite
- Scheelite
Principal Metamorphic Minerals
- Andalusite
- Kyanite
- Sillimanite
- Chlorite
- Biotite
- Garnet
- Staurolite
- Cordierite
- Talc
- Serpentine
- Epidote
- Vesuvianite
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
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Created 25 July 2001, Last Update 31 May 2020
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