First Rocks

The first rocks of the crust and the upper mantle formed long ago when material called
magma cooled and solidified.
Magma is very hot molten rock.
Dissolved gases make magma less dense than surrounding rock and pushes it upwards
through the crust.
On the way, magma melts more rock from the upper mantle and crust.
If the magma reaches the surface, it is known as lava.

Igneous Rocks
Igneous rocks are formed when molten magma cool and solidifies.
Magma that reaches the surface cools very rapidly, especially if the eruption happens
under water.
Magma that does not reach the surface cools more slowly.
Rock is formed when the magma or lava cools so much that it solidifies.
If the cooling takes place out on top of the Earths surface we call them extrusive igneous
rocks.
Extrusive=exterior (outside)
If the cooling takes place inside the Earths surface we call them intrusive igneous rocks.
Intrusive=interior (inside)
Intrusive
Extrusive
Granite
Basalt
Dolerite
Obsidian
Gabbro
Pumice

Crystals - Igneous Rocks

When the magma solidifies, particles in the liquid may clump together to form structures
called crystals.
Crystals are solids that have a variety of special shapes.

Crystal Sizes
When magma cools quickly, it forms rock with very small crystals or no crystals at all.
This is because rapid cooling does not give crystals enough time to grow.
Slow-cooling magma produces larger crystals because the crystals keep growing for
longer.
While the magma remains liquid, the particles can move around and keep adding to a
nearby growing crystal.

Minerals
Rocks are made up of chemical substances called minerals.
A mineral is a naturally occurring liquid or solid in the Earths crust.
Most minerals are chemical compounds made up of different elements.
Iron oxide; and aluminium oxide.

Common Minerals
Haematite
Bauxite
Azurite
Galena
Chalcopyrite

Iron oxide
Aluminium oxide
Copper carbonate
Lead sulfide
Copper sulfide

Iron
Aluminium
Copper and Gemstones
Lead
Copper

Rocks containing these materials are known as ores.

Properties of Minerals
The main physical properties used to identify minerals are:
Hardness
Lustre
Colour
Streak

Hardness: Mohs Scale

To determine the hardness of an unknown mineral, you need to try and scratch it with
different minerals or objects listed in tables.

Lustre
Lustre is how shiny a mineral is.
Lustre can be useful when you are out prospecting for minerals.
For example, gold has a bright shiny surface.

Streak
Streak is the colour left behind when you try to scratch an unglazed white tile.
The streak is often different from the colour of the mineral itself.
Fools gold looks very similar to real gold.
However fools gold has a greenish black streak, while real gold has a gold streak.

Characteristics of Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks are:
Hard, because the minerals they contain are hard
Strong, because the mineral crystals that make them up are strong
Made up of interlocking crystals that have grown into each other and lock together

Resources in the Rocks

Humans have been digging up materials from the Earth and using them for thousands of
years.
Substances such as gold, only require some cleaning before we can use it.
Substances like coal require little treatment.
Other resources, such as Iron and Aluminium ore not fund in their pure forms, they are
found as ores.
The pure metals are then extracted through chemical processes.
Oil is a mixture of chemical compounds and it also requires processing.
Australia is one of the worlds largest exporters of iron ore, coal, lead, diamonds, zinc, gold
and aluminium.

Resources can be classified as

- Minerals
- Petroleum
- Coal
Natural gas exportation is also increasing.
Mines and wells are finite resources.

Minerals
Rocks are made up of minerals.
A mineral is a naturally occurring liquid or solid found in the Earths crust
Some minerals are pure elements such as gold, silver and most minerals are chemical
compounds made up of different elements. (iron oxide, copper sulfide & aluminium oxide)
Rocks containing these minerals are known as ores.
Sometimes the whole mineral is extracted from the ore, other times the metal needs to be
extracted from components of the ore.

Properties of Minerals
Main physical properties of minerals can be used to identify minerals
-Hardness
-Lustre
-Colour
-Streak

Formation of Minerals
Minerals are found in particular locations due to their formation processes or deposition.
Some minerals form by crystallisation of magma and ore and are therefore found in
igneous rocks.
Other minerals are formed from heat and pressure and are found in metamorphic rocks.
Other minerals are found in sedimentary rocks and have been deposited by erosion and
weathering or slowly crystallise as water flows through the rock.