Download Rocks and Minerals

Rocks and Minerals
Rocks and Minerals
Earth Science & Study Event
2014
2013
2012
2014
2013
2012
2014
2013
2012
Forum Threads
2011 (Prelim)
Tests
There are no images available for this event
Question Marathons
Division B Champion
Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School
Division C Champion
Mounds View High School
Rocks and Minerals is an identification event in which teams will use their knowledge of rocks and
minerals to identify pictures and complete a written test.
The event will be held in the 2012-2013 season.
See the Official Rock and Mineral List for specific rocks and minerals that will be covered.
Contents
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1 General Information
2 Rocks
2.1 Igneous Rocks
2.2 Sedimentary Rocks
2.3 Metamorphic Rocks
3 Minerals
3.1 Definitions
3.2 Mineral Name
Description
4 Bowen's Reaction Series
5 Picking a Field Guide
6 Advice
7 Links
General Information
In Rocks & Minerals, teammates identify rocks and minerals from the Official List and answer questions
about them. This competition is usually in a station format. Competitors are allowed to bring one 3ring binder of any size and one field guide to the competition.
Rocks
There are three classifications of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Any type of rock can
be transformed into the other kind. Igneous rocks are created from solidified magma (rock that has
been melted inside the earth), sedimentary rocks are created when smaller bits of rock or sand are
cemented together, and metamorphic rocks occur when other types of rocks are subjected to heat and
pressure.
Igneous Rocks
There are two main classifications of igneous rocks: intrusive and extrusive rocks.
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Intrusive rocks harden slowly beneath the surface of the earth,
and often form large mineral crystals within the rock. Granite is
a good example of an intrusive rock.
o Porphyritic intrusive rocks have large crystals embedded in
a matrix of smaller crystals. Pegmatite is the only porphyritic
rock on the Science Olympiad list.
 Extrusive rocks harden quickly during a volcanic eruption and
are usually smooth-grained. Basalt is the most common form of
extrusive rock.
Igneous Rocks
Name
Classification
Description
Andesite
Extrusive
Usually blackish-brown, sometimes greenish. Papier-mache look.Contains less than 5%
quartz.
Basalt
Extrusive
Very dark, often black. Often contains phenocrysts of feldspars, olivine, and other dark
minerals
Diorite
Intrusive
Dark gray to blackish gray, mottled. Evenly speckled with dark and light minerals, salt-andpeppery look.
Gabbro
Intrusive
Gray or light green, very coarse-grained.
Granite
Intrusive
Crystals of feldspar (pink or red), mica (dark brown or black), and quartz (clear pink, white,
or black).Coarse-grained.
Obsidian
Extrusive
Shiny black.Volcanic glass, has a conchoidal fracture (see explanation of cleavage and
fracture below) Be careful
Pegmatite
Intrusive
Same composition as granite but has very large, usually light crystals.
Pumice
Extrusive
Very light gray. Also volcanic glass, but very light and bubbly. Only rock that floats.
Rhyolite
Extrusive
Usually light grayish-pink. Made of the same minerals as obsidian and pumice, but did not
cool as quickly.
Scoria
Extrusive
Dark gray, red, or black. Composed of basalt that cooled very quickly with trapped air, so it
is bubbly-looking.
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary rocks occur when smaller bits of rock and sand are cemented together. Sedimentary rocks
are either clastic or organic.
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Clastic rocks, like sandstone, form from other rocks and
minerals.
Organic rocks, like limestone and coal, form from the bodies or
shells of organisms.
Sedimentary Rocks
Name
Classification
Description
Anthracite Coal
Organic
93-98% pure carbon. Shiny, scaly black. Conchoidal fracture. Can be used like
black chalk.
Arkose
Clastic
Formed mostly from feldspar. Gray or pink. Coarse grained, looks like sandstone
with redder tint (mostly quartz).
Bituminous Coal
Organic
50-65% carbon Black. Not very shiny. Well-jointed, splinters under pressure.
Hardness: 2.
Breccia
Clastic
Conglomerate of sharp, angular fragments. Often forms after rock slides.
Conglomerate
Clastic
Conglomerate of smooth, rounded fragments. Has the largest grain sizes. Often
forms in riverbeds.
Coquina
*
Conglomerate of limestone shell fossils that are poorly cemented. * Clastically
formed organic fragments.
Diatomite
Organic
Light tan, cream, or white. Extremely lightweight, lighter even than chalk. Called
"fossil flour" because it easily falls apart into flour-like dust.
Dolomite/Dolostone
Clastic
Light gray, yellowish, pinkish. Contains a mixture of limestone, but at least 50%
dolomite (mineral). Often contains fossils.
Lignite Coal
Organic
Coal that retains fibrous, woody structure. Less than 50% carbon.
Limestone
Clastic
Composed of the fossilized shells of marine organisms. Chalk: White, soft, porous.
Crystalline: white, hard, crystalline. Fossiliferous: fossil structures can still be
seen in rock. Oolitic: formed from small, round organisms that can still be seen
individually. Travertine: Color-banded, crystalline, often fibrous or concretionary.
Sandstone
Clastic
Even, medium-sized quartz grains. Color variable, often tan, pink, or red.
Shale
Clastic
Very small, microscopic particles. Soft, and splits into plates. Brown or black.
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic rocks are composed of other rocks which have been subjected to heat and pressure.
Often these rocks bear little resemblance to their parent rocks.
Metamorphic Rocks
Name
Parent
Description
Grain
Color and Foliation
Metamorphism
Gneiss
Can be formed of
almost any other
rock.
Medium to coarse grained.
White or gray, but
foliated with dark rock.
Must be less than 50%
foliated.
High grade
metamorphism
Marble
Calcite or
limestone
Fine to medium grained.
White, can be patched
with green, gray, brown,
or red.
The metamorphism of
limestone or dolomite.
Phyllite
Slate
Very fine grains, wavy bands.
Light, silvery-gray to
lead-gray. Silky sheen
Schist
Almost any rock.
Garnet Schist: Contains fairly
large garnet inclusions. Mica
Schist: Very shiny because of
diorite inclusions.
Silvery-gray, banded,
wavy. Must be more than
50% foliated with dark
rock.
Quartzite
Pure sedimentary
rocks
Fairly small particles.
White to patchy gray.
Can range from sugary
green to gray to pink.
The metamorphism of
sandstone.
Slate
Shale
Very small particles.
Dark gray, shiny
Low grade
Metamorphism.
Minerals
By definition, minerals must have a definite chemical and crystal structure. There are a huge variety of
minerals, many of which are very common. In order to understand minerals, it is helpful to understand
basic chemistry and the periodic table. I won't attempt to go over all of that here, just look it up in any
chemistry book. Each mineral can be classified by ten different characteristics: group, formula, color,
streak, luster, crystal structure, cleavage, fracture, hardness, and specific gravity.
Definitions
Group
Minerals are organized into groups based on their chemical
makeup. Native elements are composed of a single, pure
element; Sulfides contain sulfur, arsenic, tellurium, or
selenium; Oxides and Hydroxides contain oxygen compounds;
Halides contain sodium, chlorine, fluorine, iodine, or
bromine; Carbonates and Borates contain the carbonate or
borate groups; Sulfates contain the sulfate group; Phosphates,
Arsenates, and Vanadates contain one of those chemical
groups, and the Silicates and Tectosilicates contain the
element silicon.
Formula
Each mineral has a definite chemical composition. For
example, copper difluorite is <math>CuF_2</math>?. Again, if
you need a review on chemical formulas, look in any
chemistry textbook.
Color
Color is not a reliable way to identify a mineral! Some
minerals can be any color under the sun. While color can
sometimes be useful, don't rely on it!
Streak
Streak is the color you get when you rub a rock across an
unglazed piece of porcelain. Streak is much more useful than
color because a mineral always has the same streak.
Luster
A mineral's luster is the way it reflects light. Descriptions of
luster are very subjective, but sometimes useful. Common
types of luster are vitreous (glassy), adamantine (brilliant or
gem-like), resinous (resin-like), greasy, pearly, waxy, and
silky.
Crystal Structure
Crystal structure is the basic shape the mineral grows in. A
good mineral book, like the Peterson Field Guide, will tell
about the different crystal structures. Here are some of them.
Isometric
Three axes of symmetry, all at right angles to one another,
and all of equal lengths. Sometimes called cubic.
Tetragonal
Three axes of symmetry, all at right angles to one another,
two of the same length and one shorter.
Hexagonal (Trigonal)
Four axes of symmetry; three are of equal length and lie in
the same plane at 120 degrees, the other can be any length
and lies at right angles to the others.
Note
Trigonal is sometimes considered to be separate from
hexagonal.
Orthorhombic
Three axes, all at right angles to one another, of three
different lengths.
Monoclinic
Three unequal axes, two at right angles, and the other
inclined.
Triclinic
Three unequal axes, none of which are at right angles to any
others.
Cleavage
When a mineral has the tendency to break along smooth, flat
surfaces, it has cleavage. If the break is perfectly smooth and
shiny, it is said to have perfect cleavage. Cleavage can also be
described as good, distinct, or poor.
Fracture
Fracture is described as the way a mineral breaks (not along a
cleavage plane). It can be uneven, hackly (sharp, jagged
surface like broken metal), splintery, or conchoidal (shelllike).
Hardness
The Mohs Hardness Scale, which is used by most mineral
collectors, is based on the hardness of other minerals. It is on
a scale of one to ten, ten being the hardest. To test two
minerals against each other, try to scratch each mineral with
the other in an inconspicuous place. If they both scratch each
other, they have the same hardness. If only one causes a
scratch, it is the hardest. Or, you can use common objects to
see if the scratch or can be scratched by a mineral.
Hardness
Mineral or Common Object
1
Talc
2
Gypsum
2.5
Fingernail
3
Calcite
3
Copper penny
4
Fluorite
5
Apatite
5.5
Knife blade
6
Feldspar
6
Window glass
7
Quartz
7
Steel file
8
Topaz
9
Corundum
10
Diamond
Specific Gravity
Specific gravity (SG) is a measure of how dense a mineral is. It
compares the mass of one gram of the mineral to the mass of
one gram of water. So, a mineral with a SG of 4.5 is 4.5 times
as heavy as water. With practice, you can tell whether a
mineral specimen is "light" (usually less that 3.5) or "heavy"
(greater than 4). Specific gravity can be helpful in detecting
metallic minerals (they are usually heavier), or in cases where
a mineral is unusually heavy. For example, galena is a gray,
metallic mineral with a high lead content, and it is noticeably
heavy. It is especially useful in the case of barite, a white
mineral which is unusually heavy because it contains the
heavy metal barium, but does not look metallic at all.
This page will not list the characteristics of every mineral; however, you can get all that information
from any good mineral identification handbook. You could go and learn every characteristic of every
mineral, but it is a good idea to only try and memorize the one distinguishing characteristic of each
mineral so that you can easily identify it without having to memorize too much. A short description
that helps you remember that mineral is also a good idea to remember.
Mineral Name Description
Name
Hardness
SG
Streak
Color
Group
Crystal Shape
Name
Hardness
SG
Streak
Color
Group
Talc
1
2.58-2.83
White
Graphite
1-2
2.1-2.3
Gray
Grey
NE
Trigonal/ Hex
Bauxite
1-3
2.3-2.7
White
Yellow, brown
Hydroxides
N/A
Sulfur
1.5-2.5
2-2.1
White
Yellow
NE
Orthorhombic
Halite
2
2.1-2.2
White
Numerous
Halides
Cubic
Gypsum
2
2.32
White
Light medium
Sulfates
Monoclinic
Kaolinite
2-2.5
2.6-2.63
White
Light, medium
Silicates
Triclinic
Ulexite
2.5
1.96
White
Colorless
Borates
Triclinic
Galena
2.5
7.58
Lead-gray
Lead gray
Sulfides
Cubic
Lepidolite
2.5-3
2.8-3.3
Colorless
Pink, purple, med.
Silicates
Monoclinic
Copper
2.5-3
8.9
Copper-red
Copper or green
NE
Cubic
Silver
2.5-3
10.5
Silver-white
Silver
NE
Cubic
Gold
2.5-3
19.3
Golden-yellow
Yellow
NE
Cubic
Biotite
2.5-4
2.7-3.4
Colorless
Dark
Silicates
Monoclinic
Muscovite
2.5-4
2.77-2.88
Colorless
Light
Silicates
Monoclinic
Calcite
3
2.71
White grayish
Light medium
Bornite
3
5-5.1
Gray-black
Dark/ Blue
Light to gray, green Silicates
Crystal Shape
Monoclinic
Carbonates Trigonal/ Hex
Sulfides
Cubic
Name
Hardness
SG
Streak
Color
Celestite
3-3.5
3.96-3.98
White
Light
Sulfates Orthorhombic
Barite
3-3.5
4.5
White
Light medium
Sulfates Orthorhombic
Dolomite
3.5-4
2.85
White
Light
Carbonates Trigonal/ Hex
Aragonite
3.5-4
2.94-2.95
White
Many
Carbonates Orthorhombic
Azurite
3.5-4
3.77-3.78
Pale blue
Deep blue
Sphalerite
3.5-4
Malachite
3.5-4
4
Pale green
Deep green
Chalcopyrite
3.5-4
4.3-4.4
Green-black
Brassy yellow
Sulfides
Tetragonal
Fluorite
4
3.1-3.3
White
Numerous
Halides
Cubic
Apatite
5
3.1-3.2
White
Goethite
5-5.5
Tremolite
5-6
2.9-3.2
White
Many esp. white
Silicates
Monoclinic
Hornblende
5-6
3.28-3.41
White gray
Dark esp. green
Silicates
Monoclinic
Hematite
5-6
5.26
Brown-red
Brown red, black
Oxides
Trigonal/ Hex
Sodalite
5.5-6
2.14-2.4
Colorless
Many esp. blue
Silicates
Cubic
Augite
5.5-6
3.23-3.52
Gray-green
Dark esp. Black
Silicates
Monoclinic
Opal
5.5-6.5
1.9-2.3
White
Many esp. dark
Silicates
N/A
3.9-4.1 Colorless-brown
Num. Esp. black
Group
Crystal Shape
Carbonates Monoclinic
Sulfides
Cubic
Carbonates Monoclinic
Many esp. green Phosphates Trigonal/ Hex
3.3-4.3 Orange brownish Black-brown light Hydroxides Orthorhombic
Name
Hardness
SG
Streak
Color
Group
Crystal Shape
Rhodonite
5.5-6.5 3.57-3.76
White
Red pink
Silicates
Triclinic
Magnetite
5.5-6.5
5.2
Black
Black
Oxides
Cubic
Amazonite
6-6.5
2.55-2.63
White
Medium esp. green
Silicates
Triclinic
Feldspar
6-6.5
2.55-2.63
White
White red
Silicates
Monoclinic
Albite
6-6.5
2.6-2.63
White
Many Esp. Light
Silicates
Triclinic
Pyrite
6-6.5
5
Green-black
Pale yellow
Sulfides
Cubic
Epidote
6-7
3.35-3.5 Colorless-grayish Dark or yellowish
Silicates
Monoclinic
Olivine
6.5-7
3.27-4.32
Colorless
Green brown
Silicates Orthorhombic
4.1-4.3
White
Dark esp. brown
Almandine (garnet) 6.5-7.5
Silicates
Cubic
Quartz
7
2.65
Colorless-white
Numerous
Silicates Trigonal/ Hex
Tourmaline Group
7-7.5
3-3.2
Colorless
Medium
Silicates Trigonal/ Hex
Staurolite
7-7.5
Dark
Silicates Orthorhombic
Beryl
7-8
2.6-2.9
White
Numerous
Silicates Trigonal/ Hex
Topaz
8
3.49-3.57
Colorless
Numerous
Silicates Orthorhombic
Corundum
9
4-4.1
White
Numerous
Oxides
Trigonal/ Hex
Diamond
10
3.52
White
Numerous
NE
Cubic
Name
Hardness
SG
Streak
Color
Group
Crystal Shape
3.65-3.83 Colorless-grayish
Albite
White, tan, or cream feldspar
Almandine
Dark red, garnet.
Amazonite
Bright green feldspar.
Apatite
Usually green or purple, but can be almost any color.
Aragonite
white, powdery variety of calcite. Can often form amber
colored hexagonal crystals.
Augite
Augite is one of the approximately six minerals on the list that
look like nondescript black rocks. However, it has a greenish
tinge and cleavage at a right angle that set it apart a little.
Azurite
Always blue (one of those minerals where color can be
depended on), with a blue streak.
Bauxite
Tan rock with orange, white, and prown pisoliths of
aluminum, causing light weight. Formed from weathering of
feldspars.
Barite
White and kind of platy, but very heavy because it contains
barium. Can form rosettes.
Beryl
The cheap specimens we usually see in Science Olympiad are
mostly light green and opaque. Often have hexagonal crystal.
Aquamarine and Emerald
Biotite
Black mica--it's thin and platy. It comes off in thin sheets.
Bornite
"Peacock Copper." It has a dark, purplish-blue tarnish.
Chalcopyrite, which looks almost the same, tarnishes purple,
orange, yellow, and red.
Calcite
Looks almost like fluorite and can be any color, but it's a little
softer and it has a more rhombus like shape. It also bubbles in
hydrochloric acid (HCl), but most people don't have that lying
around to test rocks with.
Celestite
Usually a soft, translucent white or blue.
Chalcopyrite
Very brassy yellow, tarnishes bright red, purple, yellow, and
orange.
Copper
looks like, well, copper. You can usually see the green
tarnish.
Corundum
very hard reddish or purplish rock. Very hard and often has
small column-like opaque crystals. Rubies and Sapphires.
Diamond
Adamantine luster. Comes in various lighter colors. Hardest
mineral.
Dolomite
You can often see thin, platy cream-colored crystals.
Sometimes there are dark specks embedded between the
crystals.
Epidote
Mostly greenish-yellow and grainy, but can be almost any
shade of green. Often confused with olivine. Described as
"pistachio"
Feldspar
Kind of a salmony-pink color. It has a very distinctive luster.
Flourite
Almost any color. Hard to distinguish from calcite, but it's a
little harder. Usually has dipyramidal or cubic stucture.
Galena
It has perfect cubic cleavage and is very heavy. It is made of
lead sulfide and is a important lead ore.
Goethite
Another "black rock". This one sometimes has a slightly
iridescent tarnish, though. It has been described as an "ugly
brownish orange-black rock"
Gold
Gold is...well gold colored. Don't confuse with pyrite.
Typically smoother than pyrite. Also, gold generally forms
nuggets, while pyrite usually forms cubic crystals.
Graphite
Silver, shiny, soft, and leaves dark smudges on your hands.
Used for pencil lead.
Gypsum
Looks like any number of transparent colorless minerals, but
luckily gypsum is very soft and easily scratched with your
fingernail. Alabaster gypsum is white and opaque, satin-spar is
white and fibrous, and selenite is transparent.
Halite
Rock Salt. About the color and hardness of selenite gypsum. It
has nice cubic crystals, though, and you can usually identify it
from that. Tasting specimens is against the rules in Science
Olympiad, but smelling them is not and salt has a distinct
smell along with a greasy feel.
Hematite
Hematite will either be black and shiny, dark gray and dull, or
rusty red. Its most distinctive feature is it's cherry red streak,
but it also has one other interesting property. It is almost
always cool to the touch, much more than magnetite (which it
looks like).
Hornblende
Black with short stubby crystals, and usually striated
lengthwise.
Kaolinite
Looks like chalk, but is actually clay. It is usually white and
orange.
Lepidolite
A very pretty pink or lilac color. It also has darker purple
dots, called lamellae. A type of mica so it is sometimes found
in sheets.
Magnetite
Looks a lot like hematite, except it's magnetic. If you don't
have the equipment to check for that, it has a gray or black
streak. Hematite's streak is cherry-red.
Malachite
This mineral is easy because it is always green, with a green
streak. It is often found with azurite.
Muscovite
White, yellow, or tan mica--thin and platy.
Olivine
Usually light green or yellowish-green. Transparent specimens
are called peridot.
Opal
Precious opal is iridescent, but most opal is white and opaque
with a greasy or waxy luster. Usually amorphous crystals.
Pyrite
Metallic fool's gold, often found in cubic or hexagonal crystals.
It has a blackish green streak. Distinguished from gold by
greater hardness, lower specific gravity, rougher surface, and
tendency to form cubic crystals as opposed to nuggets.
Quartz
Fairly hard, no cleavage. Agate is often grey or brown and is
banded, onyx is a black variety of agate, amethyst is purple
and transparent, chalcedony is waxy, transparent grey and
usually found in bulbous masses, chert/flint is white/black
and noncrystalline with a marked conchoidal fracture, citrine
is yellow or orange and transparent, crystal is colorless and
transparent, jasper is orange or red and opaque, milky is
crystalline but white or light tan, rose is pale pink.
Rhodonite
Comes in all shades of pink and red. It's usually massive, but
sometimes crystalline.
Silver
Metallic silver color. Pure form has the highest reflectiveness
of any element, but it is usually tarnished. This tarnish is
silver sulfide and appears dull, dark gray.
Sodalite
Always blue, but usually a very dark, mottled blue. Its darker
color and colorless streak tell it apart from azurite.
Sphalerite
Can be almost any color, but usually yellowish, tan, or
reddish. It sometimes comes in crystals, but it can be
massive, too when it is usually a dark brown. It has a resinous
luster.
Staurolite
Almost always forms short, prismatic crystals. It's usually
brown, and sometimes forms cruciform twins.
Sulfur
It's always some shade of yellow, and it gives off a sulfurous
odor when rubbed.
Talc
Very soft, often light green, white, or grey and feels very
waxy.
Topaz
Extremely variable color, but usually comes in well-formed
prismatic crystals. A light colored gem
Tourmaline
Also extremely variable when it comes to color, but it often
comes in long prismatic crystals with vertical striations on it's
surface. Pleochroric (same crystal appears different color
depending on viewing angle).
Tremolite
Usually comes in small, bladed crystals. It's light-colored and
sometimes transparent. Commercially, tremolite was used as
asbestos.
Ulexite
Almost always white, and looks like a densely-packed bundle
of white threads. It's opaque in one direction, and conducts
light in the other. It's fiber-optic abilities gave it the
nickname "T.V. rock".
Bowen's Reaction Series
Bowen's Reaction Series is the work of Norman Bowen, a petrologist who conducted experiments with
heating rock material at different temperatures, and analyzed his results. The reaction series helps to
explain why certain minerals are commonly found together, while others are rare combinations.
The series is broken in two branches, continuous and discontinuous. For the continuous branch, the
series explains that at the highest temperatures,calcium-rich Plagioclase will form. As temperatures
become cooler, sodium-rich Plagioclase will form, and Orthoclase, Muscovite, and Quartz will follow.
For the discontinuous branch, the series says that Olivine will form at the highest temperatures,
followed by Pyroxene, Amphibole, and Biotite. After Biotite, the branch produces Orthoclase,
Muscovite, and Quartz like the continuous branch does.
This also helps explain why certain minerals are only found in certain types of igneous rocks. As olivine
and pyroxene form at higher temperatures, they are more likely to be found in ultramafic and mafic
rocks, as compared to felsic rocks. Conversely, quartz is found largely in felsic rocks due to forming at
the lower temperatures and crystallizing later.
Picking a Field Guide
It is probably a good thing to use a binder over a field guide, since not only can you organize it at your
own discretion, you can learn the facts and pseudo-memorize them as you create your sheets (plus it's
great for general geology/petrology/mineralogy notes). However, if you like to use field guides, here is
a guide to picking one by a SO veteran:
Simon and Schuster: Definitely the best one of them all. Okay pictures, a lot of information, and has
great notes in the start of each section. I think it's quite concise and efficient - very reliable. Not the
easiest read, but definitely numero uno. Hands down.
Peterson: Ehh, a not-so-close second, but a clear silver medalist here. Not as informative as S&S, but
does have nice pictures and good ID tips. I like the layout. Good backup.
Audubon: Personally, I think this guide shouldn't be used - first of all, I hate it when the notes are just
crammed together tightly on pages. The pictures are iffy, and the information was a bit outdated even
in the most recent version. Find something else.
Smithsonian: This one is great for learning how to ID the rocks, but once you get past that, its use and
value drops considerably. Not a terrible start, though.
The Complete Guide to Rocks and Minerals: A bit similar to that of Smithsonian, but at least goes a
bit in depth. Seems quite large to carry around while running to stations - might as well just use a
binder.
So, in short, if you're just starting off, try Peterson or Smithsonian. Once you've mastered some of the
general basics, try your hand at Simon and Schuster. But why use them when you can have a lovely
binder? (Protip: it's perfectly okay to splice pages of your field guide into your binder).
Advice
1. Speed is the key; Rocks & Minerals is a very fast-paced event,
and you need to be able to find what you want quickly because
most stations have multiple tasks in a short time period, so
organization is very important. Make sure you can quickly find
information in your book and binder. If you minimize the amount
of information you bring, the amount of information you have to
sort through to get to what you want will be less. As a rule of
thumb, keep it travel size: a one-inch binder should be plenty,
and a fairly good book will do.
2. If you want to be successful, don't just read this and expect it to
tell you everything. Get a couple of good books and get to know
them really, really well. Eventually you won't need the books for
basic identification, but it's always good to keep them around
just in case.
3. The Peterson Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals is a
recommended field guide by a Rocks and Minerals veteran. The
Audubon book is also recommended (the field guide, not the
pocket guide) and the Eyewitness Handbook.
4. If you're really serious, buy or borrow a college book on geology
or mineralogy. There are also a lot of good internet resources. I'd
suggest starting at http://www.minerals.net. It has good
descriptions of minerals, and a lot of nice links.