Beginner's Guide to Mineralogy

Cross-section view of early Earth’s crust showing a glowing orange magma chamber beneath a dark solid surface, with small green and white crystals scattered along the hot rock where minerals are starting to form.

Chapter 3: The First Minerals

Minerals Appear as Earth Cools As the young Earth continued to lose heat, the molten surface began to stabilise. Temperatures were still extremely high, but they were finally low enough...

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Chapter 3: The First Minerals

Minerals Appear as Earth Cools As the young Earth continued to lose heat, the molten surface began to stabilise. Temperatures were still extremely high, but they were finally low enough...

2 comments
Photorealistic astronomical scene showing Earth's formation from swirling protoplanetary disk, colliding rocky planetesimals, to glowing molten proto-Earth with fiery surface against a starry space background.

Chapter 2: The Birth of Earth

Minerals began forming only after Earth itself took shape. This chapter explains how the young planet grew from dust and molten rock into a world with a solid surface. From...

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Chapter 2: The Birth of Earth

Minerals began forming only after Earth itself took shape. This chapter explains how the young planet grew from dust and molten rock into a world with a solid surface. From...

1 comment
Realistic depiction of a massive star exploding in a supernova, scattering colorful stardust and chemical elements into space with glowing, fiery clouds.

Chapter 1: Stardust - Geology’s True Beginning

Minerals have origins far older than Earth itself. This introduction explains how elements formed in stars become the stardust that later builds planets and minerals. Minerals Begin in Space Minerals...

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Chapter 1: Stardust - Geology’s True Beginning

Minerals have origins far older than Earth itself. This introduction explains how elements formed in stars become the stardust that later builds planets and minerals. Minerals Begin in Space Minerals...

2 comments