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foundation of understanding geology and geologic processes that affect us everyday ... academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...
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THE CASE OF THE SCARLETT STREAK:MINERAL IDENTIFICATION Virginia T. McLemore New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Tech
What is a mineral? • naturally occurring • inorganic • solid • homogeneous • crystalline material • with a unique chemical element or compound with a set chemical formula • usually obtained from the ground
A crystal is composed of a structural unit that is repeated in three dimensions. This is the basic structural unit of a crystal of sodium chloride, the mineral halite.
Why are minerals important? • Identification of rocks • commodities that we use every day • foundation of understanding geology and geologic processes that affect us everyday • understanding geologic hazards
New Mexico is at the edge of one of the world’s greatest metal-bearing provinces
Stone House zeolite mine, Sierra County (18.3 million tons of reserves).
Minerals have distinctive physical and chemical properties that allow for their identification.
Habit (Crystal forms and shapes) Hardness Cleavage Streak Color Luster Transparency Twinning Fracture Specific Gravity Associated Minerals Fluorescence Magnetism Odor Feel Taste Solubility Reaction to acids Radioactive minerals Meteoritic minerals Properties of minerals
Hardness • ease or difficulty with which the mineral can be scratched • controlled by the strength of bonds between atoms
Cleavage • Way the mineral breaks or fractures • one direction of weakness, or in other minerals, 2, 3, 4, or as many as 6 may be present • determine the angular relation between the resulting cleavage surfaces • perpendicular • acute • obtuse
color of a mineral when it is powdered crushing and powdering a mineral eliminates some of the effects of impurities and structural flaws Black - Graphite Black - Pyrite Black - Magnetite Black - Chalcopyrite Gray - Galena Limonite - Yellow-brown Hematite - Red-brown Streak
academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...
way a mineral’s surface reflects light metallic earthy waxy greasy vitreous (glassy) adamantine (or brilliant, as in a faceted diamond) Luster From:geology.csupomona.edu/alert/mineral/minerals.htm
Habit (Crystal forms and shapes) Hardness Cleavage Streak Color Luster Transparency Twinning Fracture Specific Gravity Associated Minerals Fluorescence Magnetism Odor Feel Taste Solubility Reaction to acids Radioactive minerals Meteoritic minerals Properties of minerals
Color From:geology.csupomona.edu/alert/mineral/minerals.htm
Crystal shape six crystal systems governed by the mineral's internal structure triclinic monoclinic orthorhombic tetragonal hexagonal isometric Habit From:geology.csupomona.edu/alert/mineral/minerals.htm
Specific Gravity • specific gravity • ratio of mineral density to the density of water • similar to weight • density • ratio of the mass of a mineral to its volume
academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...
academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/geology/leveson/core/linksa/mineral_id...