| |
| |
|
Outdoors Information |
|
|
|
How Are Minerals Formed?
HOW ARE MINERALS FORMED? MINERALS are naturally occuring, inorganic solids, with a characteristic chemical composition, having a regular atomic structure throughout. Man-made industrial diamonds are not considered true minerals. Having said that, there are also some Organic Minerals, such as Amber. Purists are reluctant to call organic minerals minerals, but they satisfy at least three of the criteria for inorganic mineral makeup, and therefore the point is open to debate. How Many Minerals are there? There are about 4000 listed minerals on this planet but only a relatively few have gained popularity due to their pleasing apperance, often bizarre shapes, exquisite spectrum of colours, and trading value. Minerals are generally composed of more than one element or compound. Those which are made up of only one element are called Native Elements e.g. gold, silver, mercury, copper. The Conquistadores fell in love with New World gold and "liberated" it by the ship-load to fill the coffers of Government and Church in Spain. Silver too, along with Topaz, Tourmaline, Agate, Ruby, Diamond and many other precious rocks and minerals, have been highly prized for as long as Man was first enchanted by their beauty, commercial value and status it imparted to the wearer. So, just how are minerals formed? Minerals can be formed in a wide variety of geological environments; deep inside volcanos, at the bottoms of deep oceans, deserts, salt lakes and cooling deep deposits of molten rock. Also, under the influence of heat and or pressure, when solutions and gasses holding concentrations of specific elements cool or evaporate, minerals growths are deposited inside rock fissures or voids. These minerals are sometimes forced through as a suspension in water, the water then evaporating leaving the mineral deposits as crystals (e.g. Amethyst) when the rock void is not fully filled or as Agates, when the rock is completely filled. These minerals are only visible when the rock is split open; it takes some skill to decide which rock to crack open! More about that later. An example of such crystal and mineral specimens for collectors are Geodes which are round rocks containing precipitated mineral salts, these being comomonly Agates (caused by mineral salt crystals forming inside Basalt rocks), Amethysts, Quartz, Jasper. Minerals don't necessarily need heat or pressure to be formed; water saturated with mineral salts can leave deposits (Stalactites) as it drips down from the roof of a cave, forming corresponding Stalagmites directly below, over the centuries, where the drips hit. Eventually both grow to meet each other and thicken over the years. Sometimes, as a novelty, tourists can hang an item on a line at a cave, over which calcium carbonate saturated water runs; over a period of a few months it becomes encased in a hardening deposit of Calcium Carbonate. THE THREE TYPES OF ROCK.
Ok, the basic scene has been set, now let's examine in more detail the different mechanisms involved in mineral formation. All minerals are formed from ROCKS, which are an aggregate or mixture of various minerals and are the basic materials from which a mineral is formed.
Rocks can be either: IGNEOUS ROCKS(from the Latin ignis - fire) can be further categorised as being MORE RESOURCES:
Outdoors - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Inflatable Boat Trailers An inflatable boat trailer is needed if the user has a Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB), since those boats have only a deflatable collar surrounding a solid hull. RIB's are regular boats in many ways. Edible Wild Plants For Backpackers Knowing a few edible wild plants can make your next backpacking trip, or any trip into the wilderness, a lot more enjoyable.You can pack lighter if you eat wild berries every morning for breakfast, for example, and leave your oatmeal behind. Holidays in Goa Sun, Sand and Surf - an apt description for Goa? But Goa is much more. Ancient temples and old churches? Yes. The Benefits of Inflatable Fishing Boats Inflatable fishing boats are great yacht tenders/camping boats that are light enough to be carried in a backpack. Some 8-foot inflatable fishing boats are good for two and gear, and are large enough to float in moderate whitewater rivers. About Table Mountain Cape Town - Well Known in South Africa and Around the World Table Mountain sheltered the original Cape explorers in the 16th century, the first European settlers and the many following generations of slaves, immigrants and Capetonians who helped to build and develop our special city.Your first impression of Table Mountain from the city bowl and beyond from Blouberg beach, is almost misleading. Alaska Hunting Guide WHAT TO HUNT AND WHERE: Alaska is a hunter's paradise. Hunting here can provide the full scope of experiences- from caribou to deer and moose, from grizzly and brown bears to wolves, from Dall sheep and mountain goats to muskox, from waterfowl to ptarmigan and several grouse species. True North & Magnetic Declination - A Trick to Make it Stick Magnetic declination is an essential principle to understand when navigating your way through the wilds with map and compass.Yet it's a tricky thing to remember, at least the way it has traditionally been taught, using an addition / subtraction method. Catch Another Falling Star Recently we stayed at a state campground in Michigan near a couple of lakes and the Kalamazoo River.The sites were large and wooded and secluded and it was soooooo relaxing to be there. Chimborazo: Learning Spanish At 20,600 Feet Climbing the glaciers to the summit of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador isn't highly technical. It is mountaineering, but how hard can it be, considering I went to 20,600 feet the first time I used crampons and an ice axe? Okay, I used them once for practice, on a sledding hill near my house. Ultralight Backpacking Skills - A Three Day Test On Lake Michigan, at the end of the Stonington Peninsula, there's a stretch of empty beach. Part of the Hiawatha National Forest, it's framed on either side by private property, with no easy access. Ultralight Backpacking Versus Traditional Backpacking Contrary to what many think, ultralight backpacking is not just about the freedom to hike more miles or to take your whole pack up the mountain with you. It is also about comfort and safety. Book a Golf Package in Myrtle Beach for Golfing Fun and Great Times in the Sun Thousands of golfers flock to the Carolinas each spring and fall to enjoy some of the greatest golf courses in the country, and booking a golf package in Myrtle Beach is one of the best ways to experience what the area has to offer to devoted fans of the sport.Purchasing a golf package in Myrtle Beach not only provides visitors with great opportunities for golfing but can also make available the finest in first-class accommodations, great meals, and a chance to hear some of the area's best entertainment. Ultralight Backpacks - The Lightest Why ultralight backpacks? Devotees of ultralight backpacking know you reduce your packweight most by concentrating on the "big three;" backpack, shelter, and sleeping bag. Forget those 6-pound backpacks, 9-pound tents and 5-pound sleeping bags. Rigid Inflatable Boats A rigid inflatable boat is defined as a hard-hulled boat with air inflatable collars. RIB hulls are made of fiberglass, aluminum or composite materials. Solo Backpacking Tips Solo backpacking means peace and quiet. No one to talk to means no words are put between you and the beauty around you. Cycling in Europe: There's More to the Tour de France than Lance For the 92nd time, the Tour de France has started. This three week cycling race is one of the biggest sporting events in the world and undoubtedly the toughest on the individual participants. Three Places to Interact with Dolphins in Hawaii Visitors to Hawaii frequently see dolphins from shore or on a whale-watching cruise or fishing boat. Visitors sometimes happen to be in the water snorkeling or kayaking when a pod of dolphins swims by. How To Buy a Used RV - Part 2 The key to getting a good bargin, instead of a lemon, when buying your used RV is knowing what to look for. Here is a useful checklist to help with your search. Shark Pictures Not The Real Thing Pictures of a massive dead Great White shark on the back of a bakkie are doing the rounds on email with the subject line saying "Caught at Monwabisi and Strandfontein Beach yesterday" - but experts have dismissed it as a hoax.The grim pictures show the shark with a hook and trace still attached. Bird Watching in the East Usambara Mountains of Tanzania The Usamabara Mountains are very special mountains, often that tired cliché is used comparing them to Switzerland. These mountains are defiantly African mountains, not European but African.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |