Minerals are typically formed when molten rock, or magma, cools, or by separating out of mineral-rich water, such as that in underground caverns. In general, mineral particles are small ...

Petrology is the study of rocks - igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary - and the processes that form and transform them. Mineralogy is the study of the chemistry, crystal structure and physical ...

There would be no bright and colorful fireworks without rocks and minerals. A firework is produced by launching a shell containing fuel and a color mix high into the air, where it explodes.

Some minerals in rocks and organic matter (e.g., wood, bones, and shells) can contain radioactive isotopes. The abundances of parent and daughter isotopes in a sample can be measured and used to ...

The Jack Hills, in Western Australia, contain tiny traces of rock that are older than the hills themselves. The 50-mile-long (80 kilometers) ridge contains crystallized minerals called zircons ...

David Bressan is a geologist who covers curiosities about Earth. Rocks and minerals contribute essential raw materials for any civilization, and in a technological society minerals (and the rare ...

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to ...

These minerals are often particularly sensitive when exposed to ultraviolet (UV), blue light or inappropriate relative humidity. 'Many people think that because rocks are usually hard and have lasted ...