2-Discussion Questions to answer:
Discussion Questions to answer:
Humans use minerals and rocks for every object we have.
- Choose a mineral, mineraloid, or rock that has been important enough to mine for our human civilization. Explain how we use it?
- What method of mining is used to extract it from the ground?
- Are there any hazards associated with mining this substance?
As before, you should not post a choice that already has been posted by another student.
Readings
Required Reading
- Chapters 1, 2 & 8 in Foundations of Earth Science,
Recommended
- The Rock Cycle (2006). Rock cycle & how rocks can give information about the earth’s past. Science Reference Center, 1.
- Formation of Rocks (2006). Science Reference Center, 1.
For Your Success
What is a rock? What is a mineral? They all seem to look the same! To an untrained eye, minerals and rocks do look the same. Strictly defined, a mineral is the simplest, solid compound exhibiting specific geological characteristics. If you break a mineral down further, you are left with nothing but atoms and molecules, and you have lost the characteristics of that mineral.
Why study minerals and rocks? This fundamental question is important—not because this is an earth science course, but because minerals and rocks have significant importance to human history and civilization. If you are a student of human history, you know that minerals and rocks play an important role in the development of civilizations, economies, and wars, as well as in daily life.
The types of tools a civilization used help to identify its historical period. For example, the Stone, Copper, Bronze, Iron, Industrial, and Information Ages are defined by the rocks and minerals used at the time. Iron and coal were the foundation of the Industrial Age, and computer microchips are made of silica, which is quartz! Visit nearly any museum and you can observe how civilizations valued and used precious gemstones, silver, gold, bronze, copper, clay, and iron.
In the United States, the discovery of gold in California accelerated western development. The discovery of iron in the northeast spurred the development of the Transcontinental Railroad, the settling of the Great Plains, and the development of eastern cities.
Today, minerals and rocks can be found in jewelry, cosmetics, toothpaste, cooking, walls and wiring in your home, sidewalks, computers, and many other places. Minerals and rocks are everywhere; you just need to know where to look.
Geologically, we can piece together the history of an area by studying its rocks and minerals and how they formed.