40 Common Minerals and Their Uses Aluminum The most abundant metal element in Earth's crust. Aluminum originates as an oxide called alumina. Antimony A native element; antimony metal is extracted from stibnite ore and other minerals. Barium A heavy metal contained in barite. Bauxite Rock composed of hydrated aluminum oxides. Beryllium Used in the nuclear industry and to make light, very strong alloys used in the aircraft industry. Chromite The U.S. consumes about 6 percent of world chromite ore production in various forms of imported materials, such as chromite ore, chromite chemicals, chromium ferroalloys, chromium metal and stainless steel. Clays Used in floor and wall tile as an absorbent, in sanitation, mud drilling, foundry sand bond, iron pelletizing, brick, light weight aggregate and cement. Cobalt Used primarily in superalloys for aircraft gas turbine engines, in cemented carbides for cutting tools and wear-resistant applications, chemicals (paint dryers, catalysts, magnetic coatings) and permanent magnets. Copper Gold
Minerals : Tigtag They are found underground... They are found in the sea... And they are even found inside your body. What are they? They are minerals. minerals There are about 3000 known minerals on Earth. A mineral is a naturally occurring solid substance that has a unique chemical makeup.mineralsolid substanceoccurs naturallyunique chemical makeup Many minerals are extremely useful. Clay is mined to make pottery. clay Precious metals, like gold, are also mined. gold Gold has many uses, from protective coatings on satellites... To jewelry. Gold is a very popular choice for jewelry because it doesn't react with moisture in the air, so it doesn't rust. And also because it is soft enough that it can be shaped into many different designs. The chemical makeup of each mineral will determine its properties and uses. The chemical makeup of a diamond makes it the hardest mineral on Earth. diamond For that reason diamond is often used on the tips of drills, as it can cut through all other substances. sodium chloride iron
Structural Geology Continuum Mechanics forces acting on and within a continuous medium, and the resulting deformation or flow contrast with rigid body mechanics Stress force per unit area (N/m2 = Pa, Pascal) tends to change material's shape and/or volume longitudinal (normal) stress force and unit normal to surface are parallel compressional or tensional shear stress force and unit normal are perpendicular confining pressure average longitudinal (normal) stress usually due to burial (overburden pressure) Strain deformation resulting from stress longitudinal (normal) compression or extension fractional change in length volume changes dimensionless shear no volume change shape changes dimensionless dilatation (volumetric strain) sum of longitudinal (normal) strains fractional change in volume How Rocks Deform material behavior defined by stress-strain relationship depends on temperature confining pressure time amount of stress/strain elastic viscous (ductile) Folds Strike and Dip Strike Dip Types of Folds Anticline Syncline Faults
The mystery of Easter Island : Tigtag Easter Island is a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Easter Island, Pacific Ocean Hundreds of monumental stone statues, called moai, are all that remain of an ancient civilization. moai What happened to the people that built them? The Mystery of Easter Island Evidence suggests that in around 300 AD a small group of people left an island in Polynesia and travelled thousands of kilometers to the shores of Easter Island. The new arrivals settled in well and made use of the island’s natural resources. They used soil for farming, stone for building shelters, and trees for firewood and fishing boats. natural resourcessoil, stone, trees Over time the population grew dramatically. It increased from less than 100 in 300 AD to around 10,000 in 1600 AD. But then large numbers of people started to die. In the years that followed, the population had dropped drastically. When archaeologists examined bones from this time, they discovered many serious skull fractures – evidence of war! But why were they fighting?
Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900 This webpage is updated in January of each year to incorporate any relevant data from the previous year. Google Earth KML References Johnson, J.M., Y. Tanioka, L.J. Ruff, K. Sataki, H. Kanamori, H., 1977, The energy release of great earthquakes, J. Kanamori, H., 1988, Importance of historical seismograms for geophysical research, in Lee, W.H.K., Meyers, H., and Shimazaki, K., eds., Historical Seismograms and Earthquakes of the World: San Diego, Academic Press, p. 16-33. Okal, E.A., and D. Park, J., T. PDE (Preliminary Determination of Earthquakes) Monthly Listing, U.S. Revisions The Andreanof Islands, Alaska earthquake of 1957 03 09, previously listed with a magnitude o f 9.1, has had its magnitude reviewed, and it was updated to 8.6. The Ningxia-Gansu, China earthquake of 1920 12 16, previously listed with a magnitude of 8.6, has had its magnitude reviewed, and it was updated to 7.8.
7 beautifully bizarre beaches [PICS] Beach sand comes in all kinds of colors. Jason Wire explores the diversity. Ever played Falling Sand? There’s nothing so satisfying as creating a technicolor sand-sculpture masterpiece and blowing it to smithereens with some explosive mouse-clicking. But where does all that sweet, colored sand come from? Not food coloring, but from the world’s intersections of earth and ocean where crashing waves turn dense minerals and matter into tiny grains. Red sand, Kaihalulu, Maui, Hawaii When a a breach in the Earth's crust lets loose a geyser of magma, the volcanic ash and material has to go somewhere, and, quite often, forms a massive conical structure called a cinder cone. Green sand, Papakolea, Hawaii Likewise, at the nearby Papakolea Beach, another cinder cone rich in olivine minerals -- a common component of Hawaiian lava -- spills forth a surreal pasture of dark green sand. Purple sand, Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur, California Black sand, Santorini, Greece Pink sand, Harbour Island, Bahamas