Rock-Forming Minerals & Rocks Lecture & Study Guide

(Spring 2020)
Pyrite (FeS2)

To what family of minerals does pyrite belong?

What does “pyritized fossil” mean? A fossil’s original compound it replaced
by pyrite through permineralization.

Elements

Element - a substance that cannot be decomposed into other substances except

by radioactive decay (Bates & Jackson 1984).
Periodic Table of the Elements from Hydrogen to Uranium + Transuranic
Elements

Periodic Table: Atomic Properties of the Elements

Atoms

Atoms are composed of a nucleus composed of positively-charged protons and

uncharged neutrons surrounded by negatively-charged electrons.
The atomic number refers to the number of protons within the nucleus of an
atom; hydrogen atoms have 1 proton and uranium atoms have 92 protons.
The atomic mass of an atom is essentially calculated by adding up the number of
protons and neutrons within an atom’s nucleus.

Ions vs. Isotopes

Differentiate Cations(-) and Anions(+)

Briefly describe the octet rule. Desire to achieve 8 outer shell electrons
Differentiate Radioactive Isotopes and Stable Isotopes Radioactive isotopes
will decay, stable ones will not.

Model of a Carbon Atom

How many protons does a carbon atom have? Six

Models of Several Common Elements, Each with a Different Number of Shells
What subatomic particles are found within the “shells” surrounding the nucleus?
Electrons(-)

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Models of Three Isotopes of Carbon

Which isotope of carbon is heaviest? Carbon 14

How do you know? Its number of protons and neutrons.

A Chemical Reaction Forms Sodium Chloride

What is a chemical reaction? Process therein rearranging the molecular or

ionic structure.
Define molecule. Bonded group of atoms
What type of bond is represented on the right? Ionic
What happens to halite crystals in water? Dissolve

Covalent Bonding in Diamond

Define covalent bonding. Sharing of electron pairs

Are covalent bonds typically stronger or weaker than ionic bonds? Stronger
Sodium Chloride (Halite)
What crystal form is halite? cubic
How many cleavage planes are in halite? Three

Calcite (CaCO3)
What would happen if you placed 10% HCl on calcite crystals? Fizzing would
occur, releasing a gas.
What gas is released? CO2

Aragonite (CaCO3)

What would happen if you placed 10% HCl on aragonite crystals? Fizzing.
What gas is released? CO2
Define carbonate mud. Mud made with carbonate material with clasts mainly
<2mm
What rock is formed of carbonate mud and the calcareous skeletons of marine
organisms? Limestone

Coral Skeletons

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 What form of calcium carbonate is found within the modern coral on the left?
Aragonite
What form of calcium carbonate is found within the fossil coral on the right?
Calcite
Which form of calcium carbonate is more stable? Calcite

Table of Major Mineral Groups or “Families”

Define the following chemical properties: luster: metallic, glassy, earthy, etc,
color: physical color, streak: color when used on scratch plate, hardness:
resistance to abrasion, density: mass per volume, crystal form: distinguish
crystal faces from cleavage planes, cleavage: planes at which there are
internal weaknesses, and fracture: shape mineral takes when breaking
apart.
Which 4 “families” of minerals form most rocks? Silicates, Sulfides,
Carbonates, and Oxides
Which of the 4 “families” minerals is the most common? Silicates
How does dolomite differ from calcite chemically? It contains Mg.

Rock-Forming Silicate Minerals

Is it easy to differentiate amphibole from pyroxene in a hand sample? No

Differentiate biotite mica from muscovite mica. Black vs opaque grey.
Which mineral is more resistant to weathering, quartz or feldspar? Quartz
What is clay? Fine grained natural rock with one or more clat materials.

Minerals to Know

amphibole
biotite mica
calcite
gypsum
halite
hematite
muscovite mica
orthoclase feldspar
plagioclase feldspar
pyrite
pyroxene

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 quartz

Rock Cycle

What are the three rock types? Igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary

What 2 observable features are used to classify rocks? Composition and
texture

Common Igneous Rocks

How do igneous rocks form? Melting and cooling

Define the following terms: aphanitic: small crystals, extrusive: cools on
surface, felsic: light color, intermediate: diorite/andesite, intrusive: cools in
the earth, mafic: dark color, phaneritic: big crystals , porphyritic: bigger
crystals in a finer crystal grain.
How do the rocks on the left differ from the rocks on the right? Aphanitic vs
How do the rocks on the top differ from the rocks on the bottom? Phaneritic

Igneous Rock Bodies are Derived from Magma

Define dike: magma body perpendicular to rock layers, lava: magma once it
hits the surface, pluton: igneous intrusive body, sill: magma body parallel to rock
layers, stock: passage to vent, tuff: cemented , volcanic vent: area on earth’s
surface where volcanic material is emitted.
Which features are intrusive? Sill, dike, pluton, stock
Which features are extrusive? Volcanic vent, lava, tuff
Where would you find basalt? Ocean bedrock
Where would you find granite? Continental bedrock
Where would you find pumice? Gaseous/waterful volcano
Where would you find obsidian? Felsic lava volcanoes

Sandstone Xenoliths on Top of a Mafic Sill

Define xenolith. An igneous rock from non-original magma within a

homogeneous rock.
Identify the mafic rock. Sandstone
Which rock formed first?

Gabbro Xenoliths Incorporated into Granite

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 What is gabbro? Phaneritic, mafic igneous rock
Which rock formed first? Gabbro

Recently Cooled Lava in Hawaii

Is this rock mafic or felsic? Mafic

What would you most likely call this rock? Basalt

Miocene Flood Basalts Along Columbia River Near Vantage, Washington

How did these rocks form? The plateau was flooded with lava.
Recent Pillow Basalt in Oman

How did these rocks form? Basalt erupts in underwater scenarios

Ancient Pillow Basalts (Greenstone) from Michigan

How did these rocks initially form? Underwater extrusion of lava

What are greenstones? Metamorphosed basalt

Classification of Sedimentary Rocks According to Grain Size

Know the relative sizes of clay, sand, silt, gravel (boulder, cobble, and pebble).

Alignment of Clay Particles

Define alignment: Horizontal layers and compaction: condense, cram
together.
What does fissile mean? Split by layers
What would you call a fissile mudstone? shale

The Settling Pattern of Sediment After It is Suspended in Water

Which particles settled first? the heaviest

Poorly Sorted Sediment

Why is this sediment described as “poorly sorted”? Varying clast sizes

What rock would form from “poorly sorted” sediments like this? breccia

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 What is breccia? Angular clasts, sedimentary rock

Well-Sorted Sand Grains

Why is this sediment described as “well-sorted”? Familiar grain sizes

What rock would form from “well- sorted” sediments like this? Sandstone

Calcite Cement (yellow) Bordering Quartz Grains in Sandstone as Seen in a Thin

Section

How was this image taken? Through a microscope

Chert Nodule (Flint) Made of Microcrystalline or Cryptocrystalline Quartz

Native American Projectile Point Made from Chert

Photomicrograph of Cretaceous Age Radiolarians from Pacific Ocean

What are radiolarians? Protists - can’t make own food, silica heterotrophe

Cross-Section of Fossiliferous Limestone

What fossils dominate this rock? Clinoides

What type of symmetry do these animals exhibit? Pentahedral
How many sides does the Pentagon building have? Five

Ooids and Oolite

What are ooids composed of? Calcium carbonate

Where do ooids form? Shallow Waters
What type of rock contains ooids? Limestone

The Origin of Coal

Understand the relationships among: anthracite coal, bituminous coal, lignite,

and peat. Peat -> lignite -> bituminous -> anthracite
What is another name for soft coal? bituminous
What is another name for hard coal? anthracite

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Graded Bed

What is a graded bed? Clasts settling out based on size

How do graded beds form? Clasts travel down a stream, etc.

Ripples and Cross-Bedding

Differentiate symmetrical ripples from asymmetrical ripples.

Where would symmetrical ripples form? Ocean tides
Where would asymmetrical ripples form? Sand dunes
What are cross-beds? Beds created by weathering, where there is
differentiation of particles
Bioturbation in Limestone

Define bioturbation. Living disturbances

Define mottled. Varying colors

Foliated Metamorphic Rocks

Identify the 3 metamorphic rocks on the right. Slate(low) -> schist ->
gneiss(high)
Differentiate between low-grade, medium-grade, and high-grade metamorphism.
What sedimentary rock do you suppose was the source for rock “A”? Shale

Nonfoliated Metamorphic Rock

How do non foliated metamorphic rocks differ from foliated metamorphic

rocks? Layers vs no layers
The rock to the right will “fizz” or “bubble” if exposed to 10% HCl. Identify this
metamorphic rock: limestone

Another Nonfoliated Metamorphic Rock

The rock to the right will not “fizz” or “bubble” if exposed to 10% HCl.
It is composed of quartz.
Identify this metamorphic rock. Quartzite

Igneous Rocks to Know

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 andesite
basalt
diorite
gabbro
granite
obsidian
pumice
rhyolite
Metamorphic Rocks to Know

gneiss
marble
phyllite
quartzite
schist
slate

Sedimentary Rocks to Know

anthracite coal
arenite
arkose
bituminous coal
breccia
chalk
chert (light color) or flint (dark color)
conglomerate
dolomite/dolostone
greywacke
lignite
limestone, crystalline
limestone, fossiliferous
limestone, micrite
limestone, oolitic
peat
shale
siltstone

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Vocabulary Terms to Know

isotope
Stable isotopes
chemical reaction
molecule
halite
chemical compound
chemical bonds
ionic bond
ion
covalent bonds
calcite
aragonite
carbonate mud
hardness
density
fracture patterns
cleavage planes
silicates
carbonate minerals
dolomite
sulfate minerals
oxides
granite
gabbro
basalt
magma
obsidian
diapir
stoping
xenoliths
intrusions
plutons
sills
dikes

vent
lava

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fissures
flood basalts
pillow basalt
tuff
pumice
clasts
siliciclastic
silt mud
mudstones
fissile
shale
sand
gravel
pebbles
cobbles
boulders
conglomerate
breccia
sandstone
arkose
lithic sandstone
greywacke
compaction
cementation
red beds
chemical sediments
biogenic sediments
evaporites
anhydrite
gypsum
chert
flint
banded iron formations
limestones
dolostones
carbonate rocks
carbonate sediments
aragonite needles
oolites

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ooids
intraclasts
fecal pellets
coal
peat
lignite
sedimentary structures
graded bed
ripples
cross-bedding/cross-stratification
mudcracks
bioturbation
grade
regional metamorphism
foliation
slate
schist
green schist
chlorite
gneiss
homogeneous granular metamorphic rocks
marble
quartzite
Contact metamorphism
hydrothermal metamorphism
shock metamorphism
fault zone metamorphism
burial metamorphism

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