What minerals produce the colors in fireworks?
Mineral elements provide the color in fireworks. Barium produces bright greens; strontium yields deep reds; copper produces blues; and sodium yields yellow. Other colors can be made by mixing elements: strontium and sodium produce brilliant orange; titanium, zirconium, and magnesium alloys make silvery white; copper and strontium make lavender. Gold sparks are produced by iron filings and small pieces of charcoal. Bright flashes and loud bangs come from aluminum powder.
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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
Perchlorate and selected metals in water and soil within Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, 2011–15
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is located in the east-central part of the Black Hills area of South Dakota and is challenged to provide drinking water to about 3 million annual visitors and year-round park personnel. An environmental concern to water resources within Mount Rushmore National Memorial has been the annual aerial fireworks display...
Hoogestraat, Galen K.; Rowe, Barbara L.
Titanium: light, strong, and white
Titanium (Ti) is a strong silver-gray metal that is highly resistant to corrosion and is chemically inert. It is as strong as steel but 45 percent lighter, and it is twice as strong as aluminum but only 60 percent heavier. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has a very high refractive index, which means that it has high light-scattering ability. As a result,...
Woodruff, Laurel; Bedinger, George
Copper: a metal for the ages
Copper was one of the first metals ever extracted and used by humans, and it has made vital contributions to sustaining and improving society since the dawn of civilization. Copper was first used in coins and ornaments starting about 8000 B.C., and at about 5500 B.C., copper tools helped civilization emerge from the Stone Age. The discovery that...
Doebrich, Jeff
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
Coloring the Sky, Powering our Lives
As the brilliant blooms burst overhead this Fourth of July, some might wonder how fireworks get those bright colors.
Critical Minerals of the United States
It would be no exaggeration to say that without minerals, no aspect of our daily lives would be possible.
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.
EarthWord–Placer
Whether you pan for gold or rare earths, you’ll get a lot of sand...and this EarthWord!
EarthWord–Ferrous
While not a Ferris wheel, this EarthWord is just as magnetic an attraction...
EarthWord–Rock vs. Mineral
Ever wondered what the difference between a rock and a mineral was? This EarthWord should cover it...
EarthWord - Mother Lode
Happy Mother's Day from EarthWords!
Fireworks Likely Caused Water Contamination at Mount Rushmore
Past fireworks displays are the probable cause of elevated concentrations of a contaminant called perchlorate in groundwater and surface water within Mount Rushmore National Memorial, according to a recent U.S. Geological Survey report.
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.
Bauxite
Mineral: Bauxite
Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)
Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium
Primary Commodity Uses: Aluminum is one of the most used metals on the planet, finding roles in transportation, construction, packaging, electronics, and other consumer
Bauxite
Mineral: Bauxite
Mineral Origin: Les Baux, France (Sample donated by Gary Kingston)
Primary Commodity: Aluminum and Gallium
Primary Commodity Uses: Aluminum is one of the most used metals on the planet, finding roles in transportation, construction, packaging, electronics, and other consumer
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.
Salt, Sodium, Chlorine
Mineral: Halite (NaCl)
Primary mineral Commodity: Salt
Commodity Uses: Highway deicing accounted for about 44% of total salt consumed in 2016. Salt is also used as feedstock for chlorine and caustic soda manufacture; these two inorganic chemicals are used to make many consumer-related end-use products, such as
Salt, Sodium, Chlorine
Mineral: Halite (NaCl)
Primary mineral Commodity: Salt
Commodity Uses: Highway deicing accounted for about 44% of total salt consumed in 2016. Salt is also used as feedstock for chlorine and caustic soda manufacture; these two inorganic chemicals are used to make many consumer-related end-use products, such as
Rutile
This is a sample of rutile, one of the primary mineral sources of titanium. While as a metal, titanium is well known for corrosion resistance and for its high strength-to-weight ratio, approximately 95% of titanium is consumed in the form of titanium dioxide (TiO2), a white pigment used in paints, paper, and plastics. Read more about titanium
...
Copper
Zambia is the eighth largest copper producer in the world. USGS assessments estimated that the potential for undiscovered copper deposits in Zambia is larger than once thought. Photograph credit: USGS
Enjoy Nature's Fireworks Show
Littoral explosions at an ocean entry on January 30, 1996, blasted incandescent lava fragments 50 m (165 feet) high. The explosions, caused by lava delta collapses, also threw blocks of solid rock nearly 1 m (3 feet) in diameter up to 250 m (270 yards) inland. USGS-HVO photo.
Perchlorate and Selected Metals in Water and Soil within Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Author interview on report "Perchlorate and selected metals in water and soil within Mount Rushmore National Memorial, South Dakota, 2011–15," U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016-5030. An environmental concern to water resources within Mount Rushmore National Memorial has been the annual aerial display of fireworks at the memorial for the
