What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?
A mineral is a naturally occurring inorganic element or compound having an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties. Common minerals include quartz, feldspar, mica, amphibole, olivine, and calcite.
A rock is an aggregate of one or more minerals, or a body of undifferentiated mineral matter. Common rocks include granite, basalt, limestone, and sandstone.
Learn more:
- For mineral maps, see the USGS Mineral Resources Online Spatial Data website.
- For rock/geology maps, see the USGS National Geologic Map Database.
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The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI): Mapping the Nation’s critical mineral resources
The Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI; formerly known as 3DEEP) is planned as a partnership between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), and other Federal, State, and private-sector organizations. The goal of the effort is to improve our knowledge of the geologic framework in the...
Day, Warren C.
Use of raw materials in the United States from 1900 through 2014
The economic growth of an industrialized nation such as the United States requires raw materials for construction (buildings, bridges, highways, and so forth), defense, and processing and manufacture of goods and services. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the types and quantities of raw materials used have increased and changed...
Matos, Grecia R.
A world of minerals in your mobile device
Mobile phones and other high-technology communications devices could not exist without mineral commodities. More than one-half of all components in a mobile device—including its electronics, display, battery, speakers, and more—are made from mined and semiprocessed materials (mineral commodities). Some mineral commodities can be recovered as...
Jenness, Jane E.; Ober, Joyce A.; Wilkins, Aleeza M.; Gambogi, Joseph
From Projectile Points to Microprocessors - The Influence of Some Industrial Minerals
In the language of economic geology, Earth materials are classified as metallic ores, fuel minerals, gemstones, and industrial minerals. Most people know that metallic ores yield shiny, conductive, ductile elements such as copper, iron, or gold. Most understand that energy-producing coals constitute a fuel mineral. Likewise, dazzling rubies and...
Driscoll, Rhonda
The life cycle of a mineral deposit: a teacher's guide for hands-on mineral education activities
This teacher's guide defines what a mineral deposit is and how a mineral deposit is identified and measured, how the mineral resources are extracted, and how the mining site is reclaimed; how minerals and mineral resources are processed; and how we use mineral resources in our every day lives. Included are 10 activitybased learning exercises that...
Frank, Dave; Galloway, John; Assmus, Ken
Mineral resources: out of the ground...into our daily lives
Minerals and mineral resources are a part of our everyday lives. This poster depicts a home and shows the different mineral(s) and mineral materials used to make the various products found in the average home.
Frank, Dave; Weathers, Judy; Galloway, John
Minerals in our environment
Minerals are found everywhere in our daily lives. This poster depicts numerous items found throughout a home, and the mineral(s) or mineral resources used in the ingredients of, or construction/manufacturing of those items. Designed for K-8 Teachers this poster can be scaled and is printable at 36" x 60" and legible at 11" x 17" in size.
Weathers, Judy; Galloway, John; Frank, Dave
Rich, Attractive, and Extremely Shallow
No, it’s not a title for a new reality-dating TV show, but it is real science! It also describes the ideal mineral deposit.
The Top 5 Mineral-Producing States
In 2016, these five states led the pack in mineral production, accounting for about one third of the total mineral production value for the entire country.
The Top 5 U.S. Minerals by Production Value
In 2016, the United States mined $74.6 billion worth of minerals, and the following five mineral commodities accounted for 68.5 percent of that value.
EarthWord–Rock vs. Mineral
Ever wondered what the difference between a rock and a mineral was? This EarthWord should cover it...
EarthWord – Ore
The naturally occurring material from which a mineral or minerals of economic value can be extracted. Usually minerals, especially metals, are mined first in ore form, then refined later.
Feldspar
Mineral: Feldspar
Primary Commodity: Feldspar
Primary Commodity Uses: Feldspar is one of the most common minerals on the planet and is mostly used for glassmaking and ceramics.
Rutile
Mineral: Rutile
Primary Commodity: Titanium
Primary Commodity Uses: The vast majority of titanium is used in whiteners in the form of titanium oxide. Titanium metal makes up a comparatively small amount of the use for titanium, but as a metal it is used in metal coatings and medical implants.
Graphite in Pegmatite Rock
Mineral: Graphite (C) in pegmatite rock
Mineral Origin: Ticonderoga, NY
Primary Mineral Commodity: Graphite
Mineral Commodity Uses: brake linings, foundry operations, heat-resistant lubricants, refractory applications, and steelmaking
Pyrite and Quartz
A sample of pyrite and quartz. Iron pyrite, also known as Fool's Gold due to its resemblance to gold, often occurs in quartz veins. Pyrite is an important source of sulfur dioxide, which is primarily used to create sulfuric acid, an important industrial acid. In fact, consumption of sulfuric acid has been regarded as one of the best indexes of a nation's industrial
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Epidote and Quartz
Epidote is a silicate mineral used mostly as a semiprecious gemstone.
Sample provided by Carlin Green, USGS. Sample originated from Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, and is 6.0cm in size.
Augelite and Quartz
A sample of augelite and quartz. Augelite is an aluminum phosphate mineral, primarily prized for collecting rather than as a source for its industrial mineral components.
Sample provided by Carlin Green, USGS. Sample originated from Mundo Nuevo Mine, Peru, and is 3.7cm in size.
Diopside Crystals
Diopside crystals are made up of Magnesium, Calcium, Silicon and Oxygen, and are usually found in metamorphic rocks. These crystals have developed in some Cockeysville Marble from Texas, Maryland.
An image of calcite
An image of calcite. Credit: Rob Lavinsky, iRocks.com – CC-BY-SA-3.0 [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Hammondville Quartz Albite Zircon
Zircon grains from a quartz-albite rock in Hammondville, NY. The grains were hand-picked from the rock, embedded in epoxy, ground to about half-thickness, and polished. Left: petrographic microscope transmitted light image showing cracks, inclusions, and age “zones” throughout the grains. Right: SEM (scanning electron microprobe) cathodoluminescence showing zones with
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Cross-section of Calcite Crystal Covering in Jewel Cave
Jewel Cave is currently the 3rd most extensive cave network in the world. It is believed to have formed completely underwater, thus leading to the extensive coating of calcite crystals.
A cross-sectional view of the crystal coating can be seen in the center of the image, with the surface of the calcite crystals at the top of the image.
Quartz Vein in the Gunsight Formation
Quartz vein in biotite-rich rock in the Gunsight Formation of the Mesoproterozoic Lemhi Group. Bluish green copper-bearing minerals coat the quartz vein. Pale pinkish cobalt bloom and white caliche coat adjacent biotite-rich wallrock.
