296-340 Rock and Mineral Resources: Lab Outline

Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
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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 17 November 2011

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