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Most of the rocks of the earth's surface have their origin in the interior of the earth and start out as igneous rocks. Because the magma from the earth's interior is rich only in a few elements: oxygen, aluminum, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium, (as opposed to ores such as uranium, gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, zinc, and mercury), the vast majority of rocks on terrestrial planets are composed mostly of a few important minerals. A limited number of these minerals, found in the silicate minerals - olivenes, pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, feldspars and quartz, account for 90% of all igneous rocks. (This also implies that silicates form 90% of all igneous rocks).
Go to a listing of Rocks by mineral group
Most of the rocks of the earth's surface have their origin in the interior of the earth and start out as igneous rocks. Because the magma from the earth's interior is rich only in a few elements: oxygen, aluminum, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium, (as opposed to ores such as uranium, gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, zinc, and mercury), the vast majority of rocks on the planet are composed mostly of a few important minerals. These minerals, found in the silicate minerals - olivenes, pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, feldspars and quartz, account for 90% of all igneous rocks.
Go to a listing of Rocks by mineral group
Most of the rocks of the earth's surface have their origin in the interior of the earth and start out as igneous rocks. Because the magma from the earth's interior is rich only in a few elements: oxygen, aluminum, sodium, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium, (as opposed to ores such as uranium, gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, zinc, and mercury), the vast majority of rocks on the planet are composed mostly of a few important minerals. These minerals, found in the silicate minerals - olivenes, pyroxenes, amphiboles, micas, feldspars and quartz, account for 90% of all igneous rocks.
Go to a listing of Rocks by mineral group
