Silicate Structure
• The silicates make up about 95 percent of Earth’s crust and
upper mantle, occurring as the major constituents of
most igneous rocks and in appreciable quantities
in sedimentary and metamorphic varieties as well. They
also are important constituents of lunar
samples, meterorites, and most asteroids. In addition,
planetary probes have detected their occurrence on the
surfaces of Mercury, Venus, and Mars. Of the approximately
600 known silicate minerals, only a few dozen—a group that
includes the feldspars, amphiboles, pyroxenes,
micas, olivines, etc. are significant in rock formation.
• The basic structural unit of all silicate minerals is
the silicon tetrahedron in which one silicon atom is
surrounded by and bonded to (i.e., coordinated with)
four oxygen atoms, each at the corner of a regular
tetrahedron. These SiO4 tetrahedral units can share
oxygen atoms and be linked in a variety of ways, which
results in different structures. This geometric structure is
very strong, because the tiny silicon atom nestles
perfectly between four large oxygen atoms, covalently
bonded to each. The topology of these structures forms
the basis for silicate classification.
• Nesosilicates are minerals whose structure are made up of
independent silicate tetrahedrons.
e.g., Olivine, (Mg, Fe)2SiO4. Si:O is 1:4
• Sorosilicates are silicate minerals consisting of double
tetrahedral groups in which one oxygen atom is shared by two
tetrahedrons. e.g., Epidote, Ca2(Al2,Fe)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH). Si:O
is 2:7
• Cyclosilicates(ring silicates), in contrast, are arranged in rings
made up of three, four, or six tetrahedral units. e.g., Beryl,
Be3Al2Si6O18 .
Si:O is 1:3
• Inosilicates (Chain silicates)
• Single chain- Each tetrahedron sharing two oxygen with adjacent
tetrahedron. e.g., Diopside (Pyroxene), MgCaSi2O6. Si:O is 1:3
• Double chain – Each tetrahedron sharing alternately two and three
oxygen atoms with other tetrahedra. e.g., Hornblende
(Amphibole), (Ca,Na)2(Mg,Fe,Al)5(Al,Si)8O22 (OH)2. Si: O is 4:11
• Phyllosilicates (Sheet silicates)- form sheet like structure each
tetrahedron sharing three oxygen atoms with other tetrahedra.
e.g., Biotite (Mica), K(Mg,Fe) 3(AlSi 3O 10)(F,OH) 2 . Si: O is 2 : 5
• Tectosilicates show a three-dimensional network of tetrahedrons,
with each tetrahedral unit sharing all of its oxygen atoms. e.g.,
Quartz, SiO2 Si:O is 1:2
