Rocks & Minerals Notes

Name:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Color:

Quartz

0 cleavage

Harder than glass (5.5+)
Cloudy white

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Muscovite

Clear or silvery

1 cleavage (flaky)

Softer than fingernail (-2.5)

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Streak:

Biotite:
Black
1 cleavage (flaky)

Softer than fingernail (-2.5)

Olive green streak

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Orthoclase Feldspar (K-Spar)

Salmon color
2 cleavage
Harder than glass (5.5+)

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Plagioclase Feldspar
Gray/ frosted
2 cleavage

Harder than glass (5.5+)

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Olivine

Green

0 cleavage

Harder than glass (5.5+)

Name:
Color:

Streak:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Hematite

Gray with red

Brown Streak

0 cleavage

Harder than glass (5.5+)

Name:
Color:

Special feature:

Streak:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Magnetite

Gray

Magnetic

Gray streak

0 cleavage

Harder than glass (5.5+)

Name:
Color:

Special feature

Cleavage:

Streak:

Galena

Metallic

High specific gravity (heavy)

3 cleavage

Black streak

Name:
Color:

Special feature:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Streak:

Pyrite

Gold Metallic
High specific gravity

Harder than glass (5.5+)

No cleavage

Black streak

Name:
Color:

Hardness:

Cleavage:

Streak:

Gypsum

Clear

Softer than fingernail (-2.5)

3 cleavage

White streak

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Special feature:

Calcite

Clear

3 cleavage

Reacts to acid

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Horblende

Black/dark green

2 cleavage

Harder than glass (5.5+)

Name:

Special feature:
Color:

Cleavage:

Hardness:

Halite

Salty

Clear

3 cleavage

Harder than fingernail, softer than glass

Name:
Color:

Cleavage:

Streak:

Hardness:

Graphite

Metallic gray

0 cleavage

Gray streak

Softer than fingernail (-2.5)

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Granite

Felsic (pink, clear, white, little black specks)

Phanaritic (can see crystals)

Minerals: Quartz, K-spar, Biotite

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Rhyolite

Felsic (pink)

Porphyritic (coarse & fine-grained)

Minerals: Quartz, muscovite, biotite

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Gabbro

Mafic (Dark gray & black)

Phanaritic (can see crystals)

Minerals: Olivine, pyroxene, anorthite

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Basalt

Mafic (black)

Aphanaritic (Can’t see crystals)

Minerals: Olivine, pyroxene, anorthite

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Vesicular Basalt

Mafic (black)

Vesicular (has holes)

Minerals: Olivine, pyroxene, anorthite

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Diorite

Intermediate (looks like bird poop- black & white)

Phaneritic (can see crystals)

Minerals: Plagioclase, pyroxene, amphibole

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Identifying feature:

Minerals:

Andesite

Mafic (black)

Porphyritic (big pieces in matrix)

Has shiny black speckles

Minerals: Pyroxene, amphibole, plagioclase

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Special Properties:

Pumice

Intermediate (light gray)

Vesicular (many tiny holes)
Very light

Name:

Color index:

Textures:

Obsidian

Felsic (even though it’s black)

Shiny

Glassy

Name:

Color index:

Texture:

Minerals:

Tuff
Felsic (pink)

Pyroclasic (random pieces of rock welded together)

Minerals: Quartz, Biotite, K-spar

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Grain size:

Grain sorting:

Conglomorate

Clastic

Coarse

Rounded

Poorly sorted

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Grain size:

Grain sorting:

Breccia

Clastic

Coarse

Angular

Poorly sorted

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Grain size:

Grain sorting:

Bedding:

Sandstone (Tan)

Clastic

Medium

Rounded

Well sorted

Has bedding

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Grain size:

Grain sorting:

Bedding:

Sandstone (Red)

Clastic

Medium

Rounded

Well Sorted

Has bedding

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Bedding:

Color:

Shale

Clastic

Very fine

Has bedding

Dark gray/black

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Special features:

Coal

Non-clastic

Fine

Made from organic material

Paludal dep. environment

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Hardness:

Special feature:

Chert

Non-clastic

V. fine

Harder than glass (5.5+)

Smooth

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Special features:

Fossiliferous Limestone

Non-clastic

Medium

Has fossil imprints

Reacts with acid

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Special features:

Coquina

Non-clastic

Coarse

Has shells

Reacts with acid

Name:

Type of Sed. Rock:

Texture:

Hardness:

Special feature:

Chalk

Non-clastic

Fine

Softer than fingernail (-2.5)

Reacts with acid

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Protolith:

Slate

Foliated

V. fine

Protolith: Siltstone

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Protolith:

Mica Schist

Foliated

Coarse

Protolith: Shale

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Minerals:

Protolith:

Garnet Schist

Foliated

Medium

Minerals: Garnet crystals

Protolith: Siltstone

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Protolith:

Phyllite

Foliated

Fine

Protolith: Siltstone

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Protolith:

Gneiss

Foliated

Coarse

Protolith: Granite

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Mineral:

Protolith:

Special feature:

Marble

Non-foliated

Coarse

Mineral: Calcite

Protolith: Limestone

Reacts with acid

Name:

Foliation:

Texture:

Color:

Mineral:

Protolith:

Quartzite

Non-folaited

Fine-coarse

Purplish

Mineral: Quartz

Protolith: Quartz sandstone