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Minerals Importance • Necessary for modern technological societies • Standard of living depends on mineral availability All minerals start out as magma in Earth’s interior • Differentiation led to lighter minerals at the crust • Crust is made of: Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Potassium. • Denser elements (iron and nickel) formed core. Minerals are redistributed and concentrated by various processes • Tectonic processes • Igneous processes – Molten rock cools and minerals separate due to different melting points – Hot groundwater leaches out and concentrates minerals • Sedimentary processes – weathering and erosion from wind, water, gravity – sediments separated by size and density, concentrated in stream beds (sand, gravel, gold) • Metamorphic processes, high heat and pressure More processes… • Evaporative processes – form salt deposits such as K, Na and gypsum • Biological – accumulation of shells, marine organisms (ex: PO4, CaCO3) Minerals from the sea • Sea water is 35 ppt salts (ex. chlorine and magnesium) • Mining ocean water is not currently economically feasible • Law of the Seabed - resources of seabed belong to all countries • Black smokers- underwater thermal vents at divergent plate boundaries – mineral rich water mostly metal sulfides create large deposits – supports an unusual ecosystem of bacteria, tube worms, giant clams