Vocab 2 Minerals

  • Minerals Naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a crystalline structure and a specific chemical composition [1].

  • Crystalline structure An orderly arrangement of atoms chemically bonded together [1].

  • Chemical composition The specific elements and their ratios that make up a mineral, which can be represented by a chemical formula [1].

  • Chemical bonds The forces that hold atoms together in a mineral's structure [2].

  • Ionic bond: A weak bond where atoms gain or lose electrons to form ions [2]. Example: salt (halite) [2, 3]

  • Covalent bond: A strong bond where atoms share electrons [2]. Example: diamond [4]

  • Metallic bond: Electrons move freely among atoms, allowing for electrical conductivity [4]

  • Mineral polymorphs Minerals with the same chemical composition but different crystalline structures [4]. Examples: graphite and diamond [4].

  • Crystal habit: The characteristic shape in which a mineral grows, which is determined by its internal arrangement of atoms [5].

  • Color: A physical property of a mineral that results from the way it absorbs and reflects light, which can also be influenced by the presence of certain chemical elements and impurities [5, 6]

  • Allochromatist: Minerals that can have different colors based on impurities [6]

  • Anions: Negatively charged ions, used to classify minerals by their chemical formula [7].

  • Native elements: Minerals made of a single element, such as gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), and sulfur (S) [3, 7].

  • Carbonate group: Minerals containing the (CO3 2-) anion, such as calcite (CaCO3) [3].

  • Halides group: Minerals containing chlorine (Cl1-) or fluorine (F1-) anions, also called salts. Examples: halite (NaCl) and fluorite (CaF2) [3].

  • Oxide group: Minerals containing the (O2-) anion, such as hematite (Fe2O3) and corundum (Al2O3) [3].

  • Sulfides group: Minerals based on sulfur [3]

  • Sulfates group: Minerals based on sulfur [8].

  • Silicate group: Minerals that have silica tetrahedrons as their building blocks and comprise most of Earth’s crust [8].

  • Silica tetrahedron: A structure made of one silicon atom and four oxygen atoms [8]

  • Mafic silicates: Silicates rich in iron and magnesium, often dark in color, and found in the oceanic lithosphere [9, 10]. Examples: olivine, pyroxene, amphibole [9, 10].

  • Single tetrahedron silicates: Silicates made of individual silica tetrahedrons such as Olivine [8, 9].

  • Chain structure silicates: Silicates with chains of silica tetrahedrons [9, 10].

  • Single chain: Pyroxene is an example [9]

  • Double chain: Amphiboles are an example [10]

  • Layer/sheet structure silicates: Silicates made of layers of silica tetrahedrons, also called phyllosilicates, including the mica and clay groups [10, 11].

  • Mica group: Layered silicates, such as biotite (mafic) and muscovite (felsic) [11]

  • Clay group: Layered silicates, very common all over the crust [12]

  • 3D framework silicates: Silicates with a three-dimensional framework of silica tetrahedrons such as quartz and feldspars [12, 13].

  • Quartz (SiO2): The second most abundant mineral in the continental crust [12]

  • Feldspar group: The most common minerals in the crust, including orthoclase and plagioclase [12, 13].

  • Magma: Molten rock from which minerals can crystallize [13].

  • Precipitation: The process where minerals form from fluid solutions, often in cavities or cracks [13].

  • Evaporation: A process where minerals form from water-based fluid solutions when the water evaporates [14].

  • Condensation: A process where minerals form from hot gases [14].

  • Mineral aggregates: Collections of many small, microscopic crystals [15].

  • Paragenesis: The process where different minerals grow together in the same environment [16].

  • Mineral inclusions: Minerals that become trapped within larger, faster-growing crystals [16].

  • Crystal twins: Groups of two or more crystals of the same mineral connected at precise angles [17].