UBC Geological Engineering - EOSC 210 Rock and Mineral Quiz List

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering the chemical formulas, diagnostic physical properties, textures, compositions, protoliths, and depositional environments of rocks and minerals from UBC Geological Engineering EOSC 210.

Magnetite (iron ore)

An iron ore mineral with chemical formula $Fe_3O_4$. Diagnostic properties include being strongly magnetic, possessing high specific gravity, a metallic dull lustre, black colour, black streak, and a hardness of $5.5-6$.

Galena (lead ore)

A lead ore mineral with chemical formula $PbS$. Diagnostic properties include perfect 3-way cleavage at $90^\circ$, high specific gravity, cubic shape habit, metallic bright lustre, greyish blue colour, greyish black streak, and a hardness of $2.5$.

Hematite (iron ore)

An iron ore mineral with chemical formula $Fe_2O_3$. Diagnostic properties include metallic, earthy, or dull lustre, reddish grey, black, or blackish red colour, a reddish brown streak, and a hardness of $6.5$.

Pyrite (fool’s gold, not economic)

An iron sulfide mineral with chemical formula $FeS_2$. Diagnostic properties include a cubic, isometric habit (more geometric than chalcopyrite), metallic lustre, pale brass yellow colour, greenish black streak, and a hardness of $6.5$.

Chalcopyrite (copper ore)

A copper ore mineral with chemical formula $CuFeS_2$. Diagnostic properties include metallic lustre, bright brass yellow (sometimes golden) colour, greenish black streak, and a hardness of $3.5$.

Calcite

A mineral with chemical formula $CaCO_3$. Diagnostic properties include a strong reaction with acid, perfect 3-way cleavage at $120^\circ/60^\circ$, vitreous/glassy lustre, colourless, white, or yellow colour (sometimes pink and brown), white streak, and a hardness of $3$.

Pyroxene (Augite variety)

A silicate mineral with chemical formula $(Ca,Na)(Mg,Fe,Al)(Si,Al)_2O_6$. Diagnostic properties include perfect 2-way cleavage at $90^\circ$, vitreous lustre, brown green, green, light brown, dark brown, or black colour, greenish white streak, and a hardness of $5-6.5$.

Plagioclase (Albite variety - Na-rich Feldspar)

A sodium-rich feldspar mineral with chemical formula $NaAlSi_3O_8$. Diagnostic properties include perfect 2-way cleavage at $90^\circ$, polysynthetic twinning / albite twinning, vitreous/glassy lustre, white colour, white streak, and a hardness of $5-6.5$.

Quartz (massive or crystalline)

A silicate mineral with chemical formula $SiO_2$. Diagnostic properties include prismatic habit, conchoidal fracture, vitreous/glassy lustre, variable colour, white streak, and a hardness of $7$.

Orthoclase (K-rich Feldspar)

A potassium-rich feldspar mineral with chemical formula $(K,Na)AlSi_3O_8$. Diagnostic properties include perfect 2-way cleavage at $90^\circ$, perthitic texture, Carlsbad twinning, vitreous/glassy lustre, variable colour (commonly pink, colourless, or white), white streak, and a hardness of $6$.

Garnet (crystal)

A mineral with chemical formula $(Ca,Mg,Fe,Mn)_3Al_2Si_3O_{12}$. Diagnostic properties include a dodecahedron isometric habit, vitreous/resinous lustre, reddish brown colour, white streak, and a hardness of $7-8$.

Amphibole (Hornblende variety)

An inosilicate mineral with chemical formula $(Na,K)_{0-1}(Ca,Na,Mg,Fe)_2(Mg,Fe,Al)_5(Si,Al)_8O_{22}(OH)_2$. Diagnostic properties include $60^\circ/120^\circ$ cleavage, vitreous lustre, black colour, white streak, and a hardness of $5-6$.

Olivine

A nesosilicate mineral with chemical formula $(Mg,Fe)_2SiO_4$. Diagnostic properties include conchoidal fracture, vitreous/glassy lustre, yellowish green, olive green, or greenish black (sometimes reddish brown) colour, white streak, and a hardness of $6.5-7$.

Muscovite (White/Clear Mica)

A sheet silicate mineral with chemical formula $KAl_2(AlSi_3O_{10})(F,Cl,OH)_2$. Diagnostic properties include perfect 1-way (basal) cleavage, vitreous/pearly lustre, white, gray, or silver white colour, white streak, and a hardness of $2.5$.

Biotite Mica (Black Mica)

A sheet silicate mineral with chemical formula $K(Mg,Fe)_3(AlSi_3O_{10})(F,Cl,OH)_2$. Diagnostic properties include perfect 1-way (basal) cleavage, vitreous/pearly lustre, black, dark brown, or blackish brown colour, grey streak, and a hardness of $2.5-3$.

Gypsum

A hydrous sulfate mineral with chemical formula $CaSO_4 \cdot 2H_2O$. Diagnostic properties include pearly lustre, white, colorless, or yellowish white colour, white streak, and a hardness of $2$.

Staurolite

A metamorphic mineral that indicates high grade metamorphism. Diagnostic properties include penetration twins (cross twins), vitreous/dull lustre, brownish yellow, brownish black, yellow brown, dark brown, or reddish brown colour, grey streak, and a hardness of $7-7.5$.

Kyanite

A metamorphic mineral indicating high grade metamorphism (equal or greater than staurolite). Diagnostic properties include a blade-like habit, vitreous/pearly lustre, commonly blue (sometimes white, grey, green, black) colour, grey streak, and a hardness of $4-4.5$ parallel and $6.5$ perpendicular.

Gabbro

A mafic, intrusive igneous rock with a crystalline, phaneritic texture. Composed of calcium-rich minerals including pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase feldspar, and amphibole.

Granite

A felsic, intrusive igneous rock with a crystalline, phaneritic texture. Composed of sodium-rich minerals including quartz, potassium feldspar, biotite, and amphibole.

Obsidian

A felsic, extrusive igneous rock (glass composed of silica) characterized by a non-crystalline, glassy texture and conchoidal fracture.

Pumice

A felsic, extrusive igneous rock with a non-crystalline, glassy texture. Diagnostic properties include being lightweight and very porous.

Basalt

A mafic, extrusive igneous rock with a crystalline, aphanitic texture. Composed of calcium-rich minerals including pyroxene, olivine, plagioclase feldspar, and amphibole.

Ash Tuff

A felsic, extrusive igneous rock characterized by a noncrystalline, fragmental/pyroclastic texture.

Porphyritic Andesite

A mafic-intermediate, extrusive igneous rock formed by $2\text{-stage cooling}$ with a crystalline, porphyritic texture. Composed of pyroxene, plagioclase feldspar, and amphibole.

Foliated Slate

A low-grade, fine-grained metamorphic rock formed by regional metamorphism. Characterized by a sheet-like texture (slatey foliation), composed of micas and quartz, and derived from a mudstone/shale protolith.

Schist

A medium-grade, medium coarse-grained metamorphic rock formed by regional metamorphism. Characterized by schistosity (foliated), composed of micas, kyanite, and garnet, and derived from a mudstone/shale protolith.

Gneiss

A high-grade, medium coarse-grained metamorphic rock formed by regional metamorphism. Characterized by gneissosity (compositional banding), composed of quartz and feldspar, and derived from granite and mudstone/shale protoliths.

Marble

A low-to-high grade, non-foliated metamorphic rock formed by contact metamorphism with a hardness of $3$. It reacts strongly to acid, is composed of calcite and dolomite, and originates from a limestone protolith.

Quartzite

A medium-to-high grade, non-foliated metamorphic rock formed by contact metamorphism with a hardness of $7$. It exhibits no reaction to acid, is composed of quartz, and originates from a sandstone protolith.

Clastic Shale

A clastic sedimentary rock characterized by very fine, well-sorted, rounded grains. Typical depositional environments include river, lake, swamp, and less likely in tidal flat or lagoon.

Lithic Sandstone / Greywacke

A clastic sedimentary rock composed mostly of rock fragments with $>15\%$ fine-grained matrix like clay. It has fine-grained, poorly-to-moderately sorted, angular grains with low sphericity; typically deposited in high-energy river environments.

Arkosic Sandstone

A feldspar-rich clastic sedimentary rock composed of at least $25\%$ feldspar along with quartz and some rock fragments. It features poorly-to-moderately sorted, poorly rounded grains with low sphericity, is commonly reddish in colour, and is deposited in high-energy river environments.

Red Sandstone

A clastic sedimentary rock composed of quartz sand with variable iron-oxide amounts staining clasts red. It features well-sorted, rounded grains with high sphericity; deposited in desert (red), beach, or river environments.

Conglomerate

A coarse-grained, clastic sedimentary rock that is poorly sorted, consisting of rounded grains with high sphericity and varying composition; deposited in medium-to-high energy river environments.

Breccia

A coarse-grained, clastic sedimentary rock that is poorly sorted, consisting of angular grains with low sphericity and varying composition; deposited in high-energy river environments.

Chert

A non-clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of quartz, characterized by conchoidal fracture, variable colour, and very fine-grained, undistinguishable grains; deposited in deep marine environments.

Microcrystalline Limestone

A non-clastic sedimentary rock composed of calcite that reacts strongly with acid, having no visible clasts and potentially containing fossils; deposited in shallow marine environments.

Evaporite

A non-clastic sedimentary rock composed of halite (table salt) or gypsum with medium to coarse crystals; deposited in tide pools and lagoons.

Coal

A non-clastic sedimentary rock composed of organic material; deposited in swamp environments.