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Natural Science 2: Fundamental concepts, principles and theories of Earth and Life Sciences

WEEK 4
The Building Blocks of the Earth: Minerals and Rocks
Learning Objectives:
1. Identify and describe the basic characteristics of minerals.
2. Explain the rock cycle.
3. Describe the formation processes of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
4. Understand the importance of minerals and rocks in everyday life.

The Building Blocks of the Earth: Minerals and Rocks

The Earth's crust (Fig 1.) is composed of minerals and rocks, which are the building blocks of our
planet. Understanding minerals and rocks is essential for understanding geological processes
and the Earth's history.

(Fig 1.) Earths Internal Composition.

EARTH’S CHEMICAL COMPOSITION (Fig 2)

(Fig 2.) Earth’s Chemical Composition.

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Natural Science 2: Fundamental concepts, principles and theories of Earth and Life Sciences

WHAT ARE MINERALS?

A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic solid substance with a specific chemical composition
and crystal structure. Examples: Quartz, Copper, Iron, Gold, Zinc etc.

MINERAL PROPERTIES

Understanding mineral properties is crucial for identifying, classifying, and utilizing minerals in
various applications. Identifying minerals helps in understanding geological formations and
landscapes.

Mineral properties that are useful for identification are:

• COLOR - Some minerals have distinctive colors that useful as diagnostic criteria.
• STREAK - The color of a mineral is what you see when light reflects off the surface of
the sample. A way to get around this problem is to grind a small amount of the sample to
a powder and observe the color of the powder.
• LUSTER - Is the way light reflects off the surface of a mineral, and the degree to which it
penetrates into the interior. The main distinction is between metallic luster and non-
metallic luster.
• HARDNESS - Determines whether or not a mineral can be scratched by a particular
material. And the most important diagnostic properties of a mineral is its hardness.
• HABIT - determined by their atomic structure, although it is not that common in ordinary
rocks for the shapes to be obvious.
• CLEAVAGE and FRACTURE - How a mineral breaks.
• DENSITY - Is a measure of the mass of a mineral per unit volume, and it is a useful
diagnostic tool in some cases.

ROCK TYPES

There are three main types of rocks: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Rocks categories
are defined by how the rocks are formed.

IGNEOUS ROCKS are formed from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava.

TYPES OF IGNEOUS ROCKS:

• INTRUSIVE IGNEOUS ROCKS (Plutonic): Formed from magma that cools slowly
beneath the surface. This slow cooling allows for large crystal growth, resulting in coarse-
grained rocks like GRANITE.

• EXTRUSIVE IGNEOS ROCKS (Volcanic): Formed from lava that cools rapidly on the
surface. This rapid cooling results in fine-grained or glassy textures, like BASALT.

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS are formed from the accumulation and compression of sediments,
such as sand, silt, and clay.
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Natural Science 2: Fundamental concepts, principles and theories of Earth and Life Sciences

TYPES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS:

• CLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: These are formed from fragments of other rocks and
minerals that have been weathered, eroded, and transported.
• CHEMICAL SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: These rocks form from the precipitation of minerals from
solution.
• ORGANIC SEDIMENTARY ROCKS: These are formed from the accumulation of organic matter,
such as plant remains or the shells of marine organisms.

METAMORPHIC ROCKS are formed when existing rocks are transformed by heat, pressure,
and chemical reactions. Example of marble, anthracite, schist etc.

ROCK CYCLE

The rock cycle (Fig. 3) shows how rocks can be transformed from one type to another through
geological processes.

(Fig 3.) Rock Cycle.

The rock cycle (clockwise). Magma turns to Igneous rock through crystallization. Igneous rocks
turn to sediment through weathering. Sediment turns to sedimentary rocks through transport
and deposition and burial and lithification. Sedimentary rocks turn to metamorphic rocks through
textural and or chemical damage. Metamorphic rocks turn to magma through melting. Igneous
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Natural Science 2: Fundamental concepts, principles and theories of Earth and Life Sciences

rocks turn to metamorphic rocks through textural and/or chemical damage. metamorphic and
sedimentary rocks endure weathering by exhumation of rock back to Earth’s surface.

Always remember a rock cycle is when a one rock will change into another to another or to the
same rock the rock cycle is crucial because it illustrates how rocks transform between igneous,
sedimentary, and metamorphic types, constantly reshaping the earth's crust

IMPORTANCE OF MINERALS AND ROCKS

Rocks and minerals are fundamental to our planet's structure and are essential for human life
and society. They are the building blocks of Earth, forming the soil, mountains, and even the
very ground we walk on.

1. Foundation of Our Planet and Ecosystems

2. Essential for Human Life and Technology
3. Economic and Societal Significance

CONNECTION BETWEEN VOLCANISM AND PLUTONISM

Volcanism - is the process where magma (molten rock) reaches the Earth's surface and erupts,
typically as lava flows, ash, and other pyroclastic materials.

Plutonism - is a geological theory that explains the formation of igneous rocks through the
cooling and solidification of magma deep within the Earth's crust.

Volcanism and plutonism are two aspects of igneous activity, both involving the movement and
solidification of magma but differing in where this process occurs. Volcanism refers to the
eruption of magma onto the Earth's surface, while plutonism involves magma solidifying beneath
the surface.
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Natural Science 2: Fundamental concepts, principles and theories of Earth and Life Sciences

RESOURCES
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• Impacts of Taal Volcano Phreatic Eruption (12 January 2020) on the Environment and
Population: Satellite-Based Observations Compared with Historical Records | Manila
Observatory.

• Tyagi, R. (2024, July 8). Internal structure of the Earth, composition, properties and facts.
adda247. https://www.sscadda.com/internal-structure-of-the-earth/

• MooMooMath and Science. (2020, January 5). Layers of the Earth based on chemical
composition and physical properties [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RKoLleyDJ4

• Airth, M., & Friedl, E. (2023, November 21). The three layers of the Earth | crust, mantle & core.
Study.com. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://study.com/learn/lesson/three-layers-earth-
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core.html#:~:text=The%20crust%20of%20the%20Earth,information%20pertaining%20to%20tec
tonic%20plates.
• Libretexts. (2024, August 22). 5.6: Mineral properties. Geosciences
LibreTexts. https://geo.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Geology/Physical_Geology_(Panchuk)/05%3
A_Minerals/5.06%3A_Mineral_Properties

• What are igneous rocks? (2022, December 31). USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-are-

igneous-rocks