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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
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news [News] 5 O'Clock Shadow News you can't leave work without: Asamoah makes a deal News of record News of record reports for Chelan and Douglas counties Newport News police seek help on thefts from cars NEWPORT NEWS A rash of summer-night car break-ins and vandalism has police asking the public for help, and warning them to lock their vehicles. Newport News hit with rash of car break-ins NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are asking for help in solving a large number of car break-ins and vandalism cases in Newport News. According to police, 134 cases were reported in the area between J. Clyde Morris Blvd. and Oyster Point Road since June 1. Most of the incidents were between J. Clyde Morris and Middle Ground Blvd. and happened during the early evening hours. Police say many thefts happened ... NEWS ALERTS: Sign up to get breaking news on your mobile phone Get breaking local news as it happens. Enter your phone number: Standard Messaging Rates or other charges apply. To Opt-out text STOP to 4INFO (44636). For more information text HELP to 4INFO (44636). Contact your carrier for more details. Powered by 4INFO. Newport News police search for suspects in string of car thefts Newport News detectives are seeking assistance from the Community, in solving a large number of cases involving damage to, and larcenies from, cars. Newport News police seek information regarding larcenies and property damage NEWPORT NEWS -- Police are investigating 134 cases of damage to cars and larcenies from cars that occurred between June 1 and July 25, according to police. News in brief Here are a selection of brief news items from this week?s paper edition, and possibly a few news briefs that didn?t make it in the paper. Newport News townhouse damaged by fire NEWPORT NEWS A townhouse in the 1000 block of Willow Green Drive was damaged by fire this morning, fire officials said. One of the residents had minor burns to his hand, a Fire Department news release says. An off-duty city firefighter/medic helped evacuate the adjoining homes. News of the Past who has deep genealogical roots to Winston County, provides news from past editions of the Winston County Journal. The Winston County Board of Supervisors posted a notice of the new "Dog Law" which was passed in the July term. Site: news - Google News Arizona News Round Up - San Francisco Chronicle (blog)
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for outdoors Outdoors calendar: July 29 OUTDOORS CALENDAR Outdoors Calendar Submit items one week in advance for the Outdoors Calendar, a weekly listing of hiking, mountain biking, paddling, running and other activities in Western North Carolina. Outdoors car show too good to pass up The suggestion by a friend to see an outdoors auto show on the scenic grounds of Meadow Brook Hall was too good to pass up on a hot, sun-soaked Sunday. Johnson Outdoors to Release Third Quarter 2010 Results on August 6, 2010 RACINE, Wis. -- Johnson Outdoors Inc. , a global company engaged in the design, manufacture and marketing of branded outdoor recreation products, will release financial results for the third fiscal quarter of 2010 on Friday, August 6, 2010 before the New York Stock Exchange trading day begins. OUTDOORS: Minority opinion New nature program launched here and in Philadelphia seeks to get minority and urban families hooked on outdoors.When she hikes, bikes, camps, fishes and generally gets outdoors, Tarsha Scovens notices how few minorities are out there.So the Philadelphia woman, who is black, along with her twin sist... Early bird outdoors report for 07.29.10 The Times-Picayune's outdoors editor Bob Marshall gives you his early bird fishing report. ... Outdoors: Family fun at Yellowstone Park Camping and fishing among highlights for Darnell clan Outdoors Girl: Md. wildlife panel adds diversity In a world of paper vs. plastic and candy mint vs. breath mint, my early memories involved a debate about the merits of freshwater vs. saltwater. On the one hand, a great uncle?s fishing cabin on the Susquehanna River beckoned, but so did family gatherings on the Jersey Shore. Outdoors: Increased harvest quotas causing fishermen concern - From the Poughkeepsie Journal And the beat goes on. Striped bass ? certainly the king of the Hudson River's fishing interests ? is center stage again in the long playing tug of war between commercial fishermen and recreational anglers. Outdoors Calendar, July 28 Aug. 4 Site: outdoors - Google News Cabela's Inc. Announces Plans for Store in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - MarketWatch (press release)
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