11.

14 ROCKS AND MINERALS

Minerals are solid chemical substances
Rocks are made of minerals, often mixtures of many that occur naturally in the Earths crust.
minerals. They are classified as igneous, sedimentary The most common mineral is silica
or metamorphic according to their origins. (quartz or SiO2). Many rocks also
Igneous rocks are formed when molten rock, in the contain complex aluminosilicates called
form of magma or lava, cools and solidifies. More than feldspars. Various forms of calcium
90% of the Earths crust is composed of igneous carbonate (CaCO3) are also common.
rocks, with only a thin covering of sedimentary and
metamorphic rocks. Granite is an example of an igneous rock that cooled slowly, well below the
Earths surface. It consists of large crystals of several different minerals. Gabbro is an igneous
rock that formed closer to the surface. It cooled more quickly so the crystals are smaller. It also
contains less quartz and more dark minerals than granite. Basalt is solidified lava. It cooled very
quickly on the surface of the Earth and the crystals are too small to be seen. All igneous rocks
contain quartz (translucent), feldspars (white or pink), and darker minerals. When igneous rocks
are weathered, the quartz becomes sand and most of the other minerals become clay.

quartz
feldspar

GRANITE GABBRO BASALT

Sedimentary rocks are formed from layers of sediment that accumulated on the floors of ancient
lakes or seas. Many of the particles in these sediments were carried there by rivers as a result of
weathering and erosion. The sediments are consolidated by their own weight and by chemical
changes over geological periods of time. They may later be
uplifted by tectonic events. The layers, or strata, can be seen in fossil of shell
the sandstone and limestone cliffs in the photos below. The strata
may be crumpled during uplift. Sandstone is made of sand
particles (mostly SiO2), and limestone is made of crushed shells
and the remains of other sea creatures (mostly CaCO 3). Coal is a
sedimentary rock made of the remains of trees and other plants. It
contains a lot of carbon and is a useful industrial fuel. Sedimentary
rocks may contain fossils. Fossils are the remains of animals or
plants, preserved in the sediments and turned into stone. LIMESTONE

SANDSTONE STRATA LIMESTONE CLIFFS CRUMPLED STRATA

Metamorphic rocks began as igneous or sedimentary rocks, but they have

been changed by heat and pressure in the Earths crust. These changes
are the result of plate tectonic movements or of magma moving up into the
crust. Examples of metamorphic rocks are slate and marble. Slate began
as a sedimentary rock called siltstone and marble began as limestone.
Marble is a beautiful rock used for carving statues and for public buildings.
1. Name three minerals. For each one, name some of the rocks in which it is found.

2. What is the main factor that determines the size of crystals in an igneous rock?

MARBLE STATUE 3. Explain how each of the following are formed: (i) crumpled strata, (ii) fossils, (iii) marble.

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