1: Minerals:
Minerals are something you can touch and are fascinating to me.
Rocks are combination of minerals and are everywhere you can see,
While pure minerals are harder to find; one must carefully scope out
certain geological zones.
Minerals are solid inorganic(1) substances
and their exact locations are not always easily known.
Many minerals are useful to humans and there are many different types.
They all have a definite crystal and chemical structure(2),
remember this as I write,
And only nature can make them although humans have put them to use in
many ingenious ways,
In everything from talcum powder to computer chips and all things you
may use throughout the day.
The lead in your pencil is made of a soft greasy mineral called graphite.
Many minerals are used in paint pigment from the deepest black to the
brightest white.
Several are also used for gemstones like sapphires, rubies and jade,
And their beauty will not, like us, over time, slowly begin to fade.
1: Inorganic-The substance is not nor has ever
been alive. Organic means that it is alive or at one time was alive. The cells in your body are, of course, organic.
2: Crystal and Chemical Structure-This
is the shape of the mineral based on the structure of its molecules. Chemical structure is the elements and their proportions
in the mineral's molecules. (Example: FeO2 is the chemical structure of rust. The proportion is 2 atoms of oxygen to one atom
of iron in each molecule of rust.)
2: Mineral Formation:
As magma or lava cools, minerals form inside the earth through crystallization(3).
Minerals also form when materials dissolved in water crystallize through
evaporation.
Mineral deposits form from solutions heated by magma along the mid-ocean ridge(4) on the ocean floor.
When these solutions, erupting through ocean chimneys, come into contact
with cold seawater, they’ll crystallize for sure.
Minerals are the source of many materials including all metals, computer
chips and gemstones.
Geologists look for probable areas these minerals might be by examining
certain geological zones.
These ores(5) can be removed from the ground through pit, shaft, or strip mines(6).
Minerals, in their pure state, are much harder than rocks to locate
or find.
Unfortunately, a mine can look like a huge and gaping wound on mother
Earth.
Use minerals wisely and respect this planet that has life and gave you
birth.
3: Crystallization-In this case, it means solidify
based on the shape of the mineral's molecules.
4: Mid-ocean Ridge-A continuous seismic (geologically
active) mountain range on the floor of the ocean.
5: Ores-Metal mixed with rock. An example would
be iron ore.
6: Pit, Shaft or Strip Mines-Pit mines are basically
a huge open pit dug into the earth to get to the underlying minerals. A shaft mine is a mine in which an underground passage
is constructed. This type of mine is used to get minerals that are deep underground. A Strip Mine is somewhat similar to an
open pit mine in that the ground is slowly scraped down to remove minerals that are close to the surface. All three types
of mines can cause devastating environmental consequences.
