Mineralogy and Petrology I

What controls the chemistry of an atom?

The electrons on the outside of the atom

What is a process?

the transition from one phase to another

What are the most abundant elements?

Oxygen, Silicon, Magnesium, Iron

What does it mean for a mineral to be Felsic?

High Silica content, no magnesium or iron

What does it mean for a mineral to be Mafic?

High Iron (Fe) and Magnesium content

What process transforms sediment into a sedimentary rock?

Lithification

What is the mineralogy of a rock?

which minerals are present and in what proportion

What is the texture of a rock?

the size, shape, and orientation of the minerals within a rock

Large crystalline structure in a rock means…

it is intrusive (more time)

What extrusive igneous rocks are present at 50% silica

Basalt

What extrusive igneous rocks are present at 60% silica

Andesite

What extrusive igneous rocks are present at 70% silica

Rhyolite

What intrusive igneous rocks are present at 50% silica

Gabbro

What intrusive igneous rocks are present at 60% silica

Diorite

What intrusive igneous rocks are present at 70% silica

Granite

What happens to metamorphic minerals as they increase depth?

the pressure exerts all the h2o from them, causing new minerals to form

What’s an index mineral?

minerals that grow large during metamorphism, they give away the temperature and pressure conditions

What variables impact new phases?

temperature, pressure, and composition of environment

What is the consistency of NaCl crystals and water?

slushy

What is the consistency of salt water

liquid

What is the consistency of ice and NaCl crystals

solid

What is rheology?

how things flow

What are divergent centers

spreading ridges that cause magma to rise and fill spaces

Where did Earths minerals come from?

A sister suns supernova

what is volatile?

independent

What is refractory?

wants to condense

what crust is 50% silica?

oceanic

what crust is 60% silica?

continental

What is “crust”?

the crystallization of magma