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• Mineral


  A naturally occurring substance that is solid and stable at room temperature, representable by a chemical formula, usually abiogenic/inorganic, and has an ordered atomic structure
• As of July, 2015, there are 5048 valid species of minerals in the list of International Mineralogical Association (IMA)
• The silicate minerals compose over 90% of the Earth's crust
• Silicon and oxygen constitute approximately 75% of the Earth's crust, which translates directly into the predominance of silicate minerals
• Common Distinguishing Characteristics of Minerals

  • Crystal structure and habit
  • Hardness
  • Luster
  • Diaphaneity
  • Color
  • Streak
  • Tenacity
  • Cleavage
  • Fracture
  • Parting
  • Specific gravity
• Five (5) Requirements a Material has to meet to be considered as Mineral

  • Naturally occurring
  • Inorganic/Abiogenic
  • Stable at room temperature
  • With a definite chemical composition
  • Has an ordered internal structure
• Mohs Hardness Scale


  Measures the hardness of a material, it is a purely ordinal scale
• Talc, the number 1 on the hardness scale, is the softest and can be easily scratched; diamond, the last on the hardness scale, is the hardest among all minerals
• Minerals as Indicators of Specific Environment Conditions


  Minerals can be used as indicators of specific environmental parameters on a variety of scales ranging from the micro to macro to profile to landscape to even continental scale
• Environment Conditions Indicated by Minerals

  • pH - Acid or Alkaline with dominant anion
  • Redox Conditions
  • Drainage or water activity
  • Landscape or Catenaries' Position
  • Temperature & Climate
  • Transported vs. in situ regolith
• Importance of Minerals


  • Presence in food keeps us energized and active
  • Construction industry
  • Agriculture
  • Chemical industry
• Examples of Industrial Rocks and Minerals

  • Limestone
  • Clays
  • Sand
  • Gravel
  • Diatomite
  • Kaolin
  • Bentonite
  • Silica
  • Barite
  • Gypsum
  • Talc
• Environmental Damage from Mineral Development

  • Air, land, and water pollution
  • Damage of vegetation
  • Ecological disturbance
  • Degradation of natural landscape
  • Geological hazards
• Minerals are naturally occurring inorganic crystalline substances with physical and chemical properties with prescribed limits
• Rocks are aggregates of a mineral or minerals
• There are over 5000 minerals, however only a few are necessary to identify most of the rocks