2: Rock Forming Minerals
Identify processes of the rock cycle and the different rock types associated with each step.
- Identify igneous rocks and the steps of the rock cycle related to their formation.
- Identify sedimentary rocks and the steps of the rock cycle related to their formation.
- Identify metamorphic rocks and the steps of the rock cycle related to their formation.
One of the related fields of geology is mineralogy: the study of minerals. Geologists rely on minerals for many reasons. Not only are some minerals considered resources we use, such as gypsum, but they are the basis for the formation of rocks. Minerals are classified in different ways based on the elements that they contain. Matter (elements) makes up the minerals and minerals make up rocks. We can’t understand rocks and rock forming process or some of the other areas of geology until we have a basic knowledge of minerals.
Thumbnail: Close-up (1×1 cm) of sand from the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. (CC BY-SA 3.0;
).Contributors and Attributions
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Original content from Kimberly Schulte (Columbia Basin College) and supplemented by Lumen Learning . The content on this page is copyrighted under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.