Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide Non-Silicate Minerals

Name Apatite Image Color green Hardness 5 Streak white

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Cleavage 1 (poor)

Luster vitreous

Other Properties effervescences with hydrochloric (HCl) acid effervescences with hydrochloric (HCl) acid

Calcite

various

white to gray

rhombohedral

nonmetallic nonmetallic

Corundum

various

white

none

insoluble

Fluorite

various

white

octahedral

vitreous

fluorescent in ultraviolet light

Galena

silver-gray

2.5

gray

cubic

metallic

high specific gravity (7.6) and brittle

Graphite

gray to black colorless, white or gray

gray to black

basal

metallic

feels greasy

Gypsum

white

1 (2 poor)

vitreous

soluble in acids

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide Non-Silicate Minerals

Name Halite Image Color various Hardness 2.5 Streak white

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Cleavage cubic

Luster nonmetallic

Other Properties soluble in water, taste salty

Hematite

gray-silver

5 - 6.5

dark red

none

metallic

high specific gravity (5.3)

Limonite

brown to yellow black to gray brassy yellow yellow, brown or black

5 - 5.5

brown to yellow

none

metallic to dull nonmetallic

occurs commonly in irregular shapes magnetic and high specific gravity (5.2) high specific gravity (5.0), commonly cubic and brittle

Magnetite

black

none

Pyrite

6 6.5

green to black pale yellowbrown

none

metallic

Sphalerite

3.5 4

dodecahedral

metallic smells like sulfur when broken

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide Silicate Minerals

Name Amphibole Image Color green to black brown to black typically dark red to brown clear Hardness 5.5 Streak pale green

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Cleavage 2 directions (60 & 120)

Luster nonmetallic nonmetallic

Other Properties insoluble

Biotite

2.5 3

gray brown

basal

soluble in sulfuric acid

Garnet

6.5 7.5

white

none

vitreous

can be of gem quality

Muscovite

2 2.5

white

basal

nonmetallic

soluble in acids

Olivine

green

6.5 7

colorless

none

vitreous

soluble in hydrochloric acid similar to plagioclase, but with no striations on cleavage surfaces commonly has parallel striations on cleavage surfaces

Orthoclase

pink or white white to gray

white

2 directions (90) 2 directions (90)

nonmetallic nonmetallic

Plagioclase

white

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide Silicate Minerals

Name Pyroxene Image Color green to black Hardness 5.5 Streak white

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Cleavage 2 directions (87 & 93)

Luster nonmetallic

Other Properties insoluble

Quartz

various

white

none

vitreous

soluble in hydrofluoric acid

Staurolite

brown

7 7.5

colorless to gray

nonmetallic

crystals typically cross and are coffin-shaped in cross-section

Talc

white to green

white

greasy

feels soapy

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide Igneous Rock Classification

Composition Ultramafic Mafic Common Minerals in order by Bowens Reaction Series Olivine Pyroxene Amphibole Intermediate Biotite Na-Plagioclase Ca-Plagioclase Ca/Na-Plagioclase Color Green Dark Black to Gray Plutonic

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Textures Volcanic Porphyritic x Porphyritic Basalt Porphyritic Andesite Pyroclastic x x Pyroclastic Andesite Glassy x x x x Porphyritic Rhyolite Pyroclastic Rhyolite & Tuff x x x

Phaneritic Aphanitic Dunite Gabbro Diorite x Basalt* Andesite

Orthoclase Felsic Muscovite Quartz These samples do not contain minerals. They are composed of glass only. Dark Light x x x x Pink to White Granite Rhyolite

x x

x x

Obsidian Pumice*

* Basalt and Pumice can contain small holes (from trapped gas bubbles) called vesicles, and so their texture would be called Vesicular Images Gabbro

Andesite

Basalt

Diorite

Dunite

Granite

Obsidian

Pumice

Rhyolite

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Sedimentary Rocks Detrital Classification

Size Range Sediment Name (Size Classification) < 1/256 mm Clay 1/256 1/16 mm Silt Siltstone 1/16 2 mm Sand Quartz Sandstone > 2 mm Pebbles, Cobbles, Boulders Conglomerate

Claystone

(contains quartz) Rock Name Shale Arkose Sandstone (contains feldspar) (fissle i.e. splits into thin layers)

(rounded fragments) Breccia

(angular fragments)

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Sedimentary Rocks Non-detrital Classification

Dominant Non-detrital mineral Calcite Limestone Dolomite Dolostone Others (including non-minerals) Coal

(effervescence with HCl; often contains fossils) Rock Name Coquina

(NO effervescence with HCl)

(contains organic matter)

Chert

(effervescence with HCl; contains shell fragments)

(contains microcrystalline quartz)

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Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Rock and Mineral Study Guide

http://web.eps.utk.edu/courses/RMGuide.pdf

Metamorphic Rock Classification

Texture Foliated (Regional Metamorphism) Slate Phyllite Schist Gneiss Non-foliated (Contact Metamorphism) Marble Quartzite

Rock Name

Increasing Metamorphism Medium to Coarse Medium to Coarse Schist, Granite, or volcanic rocks Medium to Coarse Limestone, Dolostone Medium to Coarse

Grain Size Parent Rock (Protolith)

Very fine

Fine

Shale

Slate

Phyllite

Quartz Sandstone

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