Rocks and Minerals

Rocks and

Minerals

The Stuff of the Earth

A Biblical View

By Patrick Nurre

The Northwest Treasures Curriculum Project

Building Faith for a Lifetime of Faith

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Rocks and Minerals

The stuff of the Earth

A Biblical View

By Patrick Nurre

Rocks and Minerals, The Stuff of the Earth, A Biblical View

Published by Northwest Treasures

Bothell, Washington

425-488-6848



northwestexpedition@

Copyright 2013 by Patrick Nurre.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book

may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except

in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Rocks and Minerals

Introduction¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.4

Lesson 1, In the Beginning ¨C The Foundation¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.5

Activity #1¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..9

Lesson 2, The Rock-forming Minerals¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­........10

Activity #2¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­....15

Lesson 3, The Origin and Types of the Rocks;

Plutonic and Volcanic Rocks¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..16

Activity #3¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­.30

Lesson 4, Sedimentary Rocks and their Origin¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...31

Activity #4¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­.46

Lesson 5, Metamorphic Rocks and their Origin¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­....47

Activity #5¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­..61

Lesson 6, Rock Formations, Mysteries of the Past¡­¡­¡­¡­...63

Activity #6¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..69

Lesson 7, The Mineral Families¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­.70

Activity #7¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­.71

Lesson 8, Properties of Minerals¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­..74

Activity #8¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­.85

Lesson #9, Color and Varieties in Minerals¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...87

Activity #9¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­....91

Lesson #10, Rocks and Minerals of the Bible¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.....92

Activity #10¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...101

Appendices

A - Periodic Table¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­....102

B - The Elements and Genesis¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­..102

C - Geologic Rock Symbols and Maps¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­..113

D - Reading a Geologic Map¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­.116

E ¨C Granite ¨C The Mystery of Creation¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­.118

F - Quizzes ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.133

G - Comprehensive Test ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡­¡­¡­¡­.....136

H. Quiz Answers¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­140

I. Comprehensive Test Answers¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­143

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Lesson Two ¨C The Rock-Forming Minerals

Words to know:

abiogenic

mineral

cryptocrystalline

rock

crystal

chemical

What is a mineral?

The dictionary, textbook definition of a mineral is a naturally occurring substance

that is solid and stable at room temperature, has a specific chemical formula,

usually abiogenic, and has an ordered atomic structure. Let¡¯s look at the essentials.

There are 3 things you really need to know about minerals:

1) They are naturally occurring substances ¨C in other words you will find it in

nature; it is not a man-made substance

2) It has a specific chemical formula ¨C it has specific elements in its makeup

and this is the normal stable arrangement; there may be other elements

present, but these are incidental and are usually considered impurities that

contribute to its color

3) Its atomic structure is such that it can be classified into various crystal

shapes and these shapes for the particular mineral are consistent

Look at the pictures of the following minerals. Although the colors may vary

depending on the impurities, the naturally occurring crystal shape is the same

according to its specific atomic structure.

Quartz

Garnet

Tourmaline

Beryl

Potassium Feldspar

Most minerals have a particular shape in nature. Some are rarer than others. But

they can all be identified by their crystal shape occurrence in nature. However,

what you will normally find is not these ¡°museum quality¡± shapes, but the

cryptocrystalline version of the mineral. The minerals in the cryptocrystalline

occurrence are harder to identify and usually require other tests to determine

their identity. (We will explore these other tests in a later lesson.) The word

cryptocrystalline means ¡°hidden crystal¡± in the Greek language, and so the true

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crystal shape is hidden from the naked eye. Cryptocrystalline describes the rock

texture made up of such minute crystals that the mineral¡¯s crystalline nature is

only vaguely revealed even microscopically. Its chemical formula or makeup

remains the same, but how it appears in the rocks can hide its true identity. It is

the cryptocrystalline occurrence that you will most likely find on your field trips.

Now take a look at the pictures below of the same minerals as pictured above.

What do you observe?

Quartz

Garnet

(Green) Tourmaline

Beryl

Potassium Feldspar

Two of these minerals are in the list of rock-forming minerals. So let¡¯s examine

how these two minerals might appear in rocks. Look at the pictures of granite

below and see if you can spot the quartz and the potassium feldspar.

Quartz

Potassium Feldspar (It can be white or pink, in addition to other colors.)

Geologists have identified over 4,000 minerals. That¡¯s a lot of minerals! Where do

we begin? Out of all the minerals, there are just a few that form most of the

rocks we see in the earth¡¯s crust. These in turn are made of the 8 most common

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