Chart 171 - Rock & Minerals

Rocks & Minerals Chart

Spectrum Chart - 171 : Rocks & Minerals

1. Igneous Rock - Igneous rock is formed when melted rock cools and hardens. Created by lava from volcanoes or magma that cools inside the Earth.
2. Granite - Granite is one of the most common rocks on Earth, and is the most common igneous rock. This dense stone is used in construction, for everything from basic building to beautiful polished countertops.
3. Basalt - Basalt is a dark coloured, fine-grained, igneous rock composed mainly of plagioclase and pyroxene minerals. It most commonly forms as an extrusive rock, such as a lava flow. Crushed basalt is used for road base, concrete aggregate, asphalt pavement aggregate, railroad ballast, filter stone in drain fields and may other purposes.
4. Obsidian - Most igneous rock forms below the Earth's surface, but one rock-obsidian forms above the surface.This jet-black glass is actually cooled lava. Obsidian gathered from volcanic eruptions is used to make arrow heads, weapons, household knives and more. Even today some surgical instruments are made from obsidian-tipped tools.
5. Pumice - Pumice stone is found near the site of a volcanic eruption which sent rock and molten lava to the surface. This lightweight, airy rock is often ground up and used as an abrasive in soaps and household cleaners, as well as for industrial purposes.
6. Olivine - Olivine is a very common silicate mineral that occurs mostly in dark-coloured igneous rocks like peridotite and basalt. It is usually easily identifiable because of its bright green colour and glassy luster. Olivine is a mineral that is not often used in industry. Most olivine is used in metallurgical processes as a slag conditioner.
7. Syenite - Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas. For the formation of Syenite, it is necessary to melt granitic or igneous protolith to low degree of partial melting.
8. Diorite - Diorite is the name used for a group of coarse-grained igneous rocks with a composition between that of granite and basalt. In the stone industry, diorite is often cut into facing stone, tile, ashlars, blocking, pavers, curbing and a variety of dimension stone products. These are used as construction stone or polished and used as architectural stone.
9. Graphite - Graphite archaically referred to as plumbago, is a crystalline form of carbon. Graphite is naturally found in Sri Lanka, Canada and USA. It is also called Lead Black because it looks like the metal lead. Graphite is used in batteries, steel making, pencils etc.
10. Talc – Talc is a clay mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate. It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses. It is the softest known mineral and listed as 1 on the Mohs hardness scale. Talc is used in many industries - including paper making, plastic, paint and coatings, rubber, food, electric cable, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and ceramics.
11. Sedimentary Rock - Sedimentary rock is weathered into many pieces of rock and soil which then settles into layers. The layers are squeezed together until they harden into rock. Found in locations where oceans, lakes or other bodies of water exist or once existed.
12. Shale - Shale rocks are those that are made of clay-sized particles and are have a laminated appearance. Shale is the abundant rock found on Earth. Roughly 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by shale. Shale that has a high content of natural gas has been recently used as an energy source.
13. Conglomerate - Conglomerate is a coarse-grained clastic sedimentary rock that is composed of a substantial fraction of rounded to subangular gravel-size clasts. Conglomerate has very few commercial uses. Its inability to break cleanly makes it a poor candidate for dimension stone.
14. Sandstone - Sandstone is a type of rock that forms when grains of sand are compacted together over significant periods of time. Sandstone comes in a variety of colours including red, yellow, grey and brown. Sandstone is popular in constructing buildings because it is resistant to weathering.
15. Lime Stone – Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃). Limestone is very common in architecture. Many landmarks across the world, including the Great Pyramid are made of limestone.
16. Coal – Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. Coal is extracted from the ground by coal mining. Coal is primarily used as a solid fuel to produce electricity and heat through combustion. It is also used as a source of heat for manufacturing processes.
17. Serpentinite – Serpentinite is a rock composed of one or more serpentine group minerals. Minerals in this group are formed by serpentinisation, a hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle. Serpentinite is used as a decorative stone in architecture.
18. Lignite - Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft brown combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat content. It has a carbon content around 60-70%. It is mined all around the world and is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation.
19. Metamorphic Rock - Metamorphic rock forms when igneous, sedimentary or other metamorphic rock is changed by heat and pressure. This type of rock is buried deep within the Earth where it is created from the heat and pressure found there.
20. Slate - Slate is a metamorphic rock that forms from mudstone or shale. Slate is mostly made of clay but the clay can change to mica under extreme degrees of pressure. Slate normally forms in basins between convergent plate boundaries. Slate is used for different varieties of flooring and roofing.
21. Marble - Marble is a metamorphic rock that is formed when limestone or dolomite is exposed to the right heat and pressure conditions. Marble has a uniform texture when it forms and is sought after as a building material for its strength, its beautiful striations and colours and its sheen when polished.
22. Schist - Schist is a metamorphic rock that contains flakes of mica. Schist is often referred to as schistosity because of its large mica flakes. Most schist rocks originate as some type of clay or mud. Schist is often used as a guide to measure specific sizes and dimensions of objects. Schist has been previously used to make decorative rock walls.
23. Gneiss - Gneiss is a type of metamorphic rock that forms when a sedimentary or igneous rock is exposed to extreme temperatures and pressure. Gneiss is so abundant on the lower level of the Earth's crust that if you drill anywhere on the surface, you will eventually strike gneiss. Gneiss has also been used to construct buildings and gravestones.
24. Quartzite - Quartzite is formed when grains of quartz sand melt together under high heat and extreme pressure. While most quartzite is white or grey, if the sand contained iron oxides, then the quartzite formed can be a nice shade of soft pink or rose. The resulting rock is very hard and very uniform in its texture.
25. Phyllite – Phyllite is a type of foliated metamorphic rock created from slate that is further metamorphosed so that very fine grained white mica achieves a preferred orientation. It is primarily composed of quartz, sericite mica and chlorite. Phyllites are usually black to grey or light greenish grey in colour.
26. Ores – An ore is a type of rock that contains sufficient minerals with important elements including metals that can be economically extracted from the rock. The ores are extracted from the earth through mining, they are then refined to extract the valuable element or elements.
27. Gold - Gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements and is solid under standard conditions. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental form, as nuggets or grains, in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. Consumption of gold produced is about 50% in jewellery, 40% in investments and 10% in industry.
28. Silver - A soft, white, lustrous transition metal. Silver occurs naturally in its pure, free form, as an alloy with gold and other metals and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is produced as a byproduct of copper, gold, lead and zinc refining. Silver is used as jewellery, currency, silverware, water purification, solar energy etc.
29. Hematite - Hematite is the mineral form of iron oxide (Fe2O3), one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral lattice system and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum. It is mined as the main ore of iron. Hematite is harder than pure iron, but much more brittle.
30. Copper Ore - Copper is an element and a mineral. It is found in the oxidized zones of copper deposits in hydrothermal veins, in the cavities of basalt and as pore fillings and replacements in conglomerates. It is rarely found in large quantities. Most copper produced is extracted from sulfide deposits. Most copper mined today is used to conduct electricity - mostly as wiring.
31. Bauxite - Bauxite, an aluminium ore, is the world's main source of aluminium. Bauxite is a rock formed from a laterite soil that has been severely leached of silica and other soluble materials in a wet tropical or subtropical climate. Almost all of the aluminium that has ever been produced has been extracted from bauxite.
32. Mercury - Mercury occurs in deposits throughout the world mostly as cinnabar. The red pigment vermilion is obtained by grinding natural cinnabar or synthetic mercuric sulfide. Mercury is used in thermometers, barometers, manometers, sphygmomanometers, float valves, mercury switches, mercury relays, fluorescent lamps and other devices.
33. Uraninite - Uraninite, formerly pitchblende, is a radioactive, uranium-rich mineral and ore. Uraninite is a major ore of uranium. All uraninite minerals contain a small amount of radium as a radioactive decay product of uranium.Small amounts of helium are also present in uraninite as a result of alpha decay.
34. Crystals - A solid figure that is made up of a repeating pattern of geometric shapes is known as a crystal. Crystals form when a liquid cools and hardens. There are four types of crystals: covalent, metallic, molecular and ionic.
35. Corundum Crystal – Corundum crystal is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is one of the naturally transparent materials, but can have different colours when impurities are present. Corundum occurs as a mineral in mica schist, gneiss and some marbles in metamorphic terranes.
36. Fluorite – Fluorite is a mineral made up of calcium and fluoride or calcium fluoride. It can come in every single colour on the colour spectrum. Pure fluorite is colourless. When fluorite is coloured it is because of various impurities. Fluorite glows when it is exposed to UV light. Because of its soft texture, fluorite is used in carving.
37. Halite - Halite is a mineral, commonly known as rock salt or salt. It is made up of sodium and calcium. Halite is typically colourless or white. It is one of the oldest used minerals. Halite is typically found in underground salt beds. Halite is used as a seasoning for food and is pleasant to the taste. Halite is essential for the human body to function.
38. Sulphur - Sulphur (S) is a bright yellow non-metallic element with an atomic number of sixteen. Sulphur occurs naturally as an element but can also be found in a number of compounds and minerals. Sulphur is vital for living organisms.
39. Diamond - Diamonds, one of the most coveted gems on earth, are a different form of carbon. They are formed under intense pressure and heat over billions of years. Carbon atoms are arranged in diamonds in such a way that it makes the diamond the hardest natural material known to man. Diamonds are the most popular gem for wedding jewellery.
40. Opal – Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica. Because of its amorphous character, it is classed as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms of silica, which are classed as minerals. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most commonly found with limonite, sandstone, rhyolite, marl and basalt.
41. Emerald - Emeralds are a green-coloured gemstone, prized around the world for their beauty and value. Most emeralds are found in areas where large quartz deposits are also located. Emeralds are made of beryl. This is also what makes the aquamarine gemstone, but emeralds get their colour from small amounts of vanadium and chromium.
42. Ruby – Ruby is a pink to blood-red coloured gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum. The red colour is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Ruby has a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale. The world's most expensive ruby is the Sunrise Ruby.
43. Topaz – Topaz is a silicate mineral of aluminium and fluorine. Pure topaz is colourless and transparent but is usually tinted by impurities, typical topaz is wine red, yellow, pale grey, reddish-orange, or blue brown. Topaz is commonly occurs with silicic igneous rocks of the granite and rhyolite type.
44. Minerals – A mineral is a naturally occurring substance, re-presentable by a chemical formula, that is usually solid and inorganic and has a crystal structure. There are over 5,300 known mineral species.
45. Gemstone – A gemstone is a piece of mineral crystal, which in cut and polished form, is used to make jewellery or other adornments.
46. Rock Cycle - The rock cycle is geological concept that explains the changes over long periods of time that occur in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Each of these kinds of rocks undergoes changes or destruction when its environment is out of balance. This kind of change in equilibrium can be caused by atmospheric changes, plate tectonic activity, the movement of bodies of water and more.
    The rock cycle also demonstrates how three very different types of rock can be related to each other. It shows how the processes involved in changing rocks differ with the type of rock involved.

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