Rocks
& Minerals
About Rocks
Age
of the Earth
So far scientists have not found a way to determine the exact
age of the Earth directly from Earth rocks because Earth's oldest
rocks have been recycled and destroyed by the process of plate
tectonics. USGS.
Cape Cod Rocks
On online virtual museum. Large, quality photos of specimins
of every variety organized alphabetically. Includes chemistry
formulas for minerals.
Colorado
Geology Photojournals
The photojournals feature annotated images of sites of geologic
interest in Colorado. The groundwork articles provide background
information on Colorado geology, rocks and tectonics.
The
Geology of the Bathroom
No need to travel very far to find rocks and minerals. You can
find them right in the smallest room in your home!
Geology
Virtual Field Trips
Study guides provided. See if you can find the answers to the
questions as you visit interesting geology sites from around
the globe. Join in a discussion group.
GeoMysteries
Join Rex the Dino Detective as he solves mysteries about rocks,
fossils and minerals.
Mineral Town
Megasite for the Rock Hound. Ideas for field trips. Submit your
photographs. Find other rock hounds and events. Organize your
first rock
collection.
Rockhounding
Arkansas
If you are a beginner or an accomplished mineralogist, you'll
want to read through the stories and information presented here
for the enjoyment of this fascinating hobby.
Rocks For Kids
If you already collect rocks then this is the place for you!
Find out where you can get more rocks, take a look at some super
pictures of rocks, learn how to identify the rocks you already
have and discover neat things you can do with rocks.
Stones
At Home
Activity and experiment page for amateur geologists of all ages.
Here we explore ways in which geology can be explored in your
own home or local area.
Virtual
Dating of Rocks
Sorry, but you're not likely to find that special someone here,
because this is an interactive exercise about Geologic Time.
Here you'll learn how geologists and archeologists determine
the ages of rocks and ancient artifacts.
Identifying
Rocks
How to Identify
Meteorites
There are a number of characteristics of meteorites which, on
careful examination, allow them to be distinguished from typical
rock types which occur on Earth.
How Igneous Rock Is Formed
Igneous rocks are called fire rocks and are formed either underground or above ground.
Igneous
Rocks
The term igneous comes to us from the Latin word "Ignis"
which means fire. Igneous rocks are produced this way but most
igneous rocks are produced deep underground by the cooling and
hardening of magma. Nicely illustrated online book.
How Metamorphic Rock Is Formed
Metamorphic rocks are rocks that have "morphed" into
another kind of rock. These rocks were once igneous or sedimentary
rocks. How do sedimentary and igneous rocks change?
How Sedimentary Rock Is Formed
For thousands, even millions of years, little pieces of our earth
have been eroded--broken down and worn away by wind and water.
Junior
Rockhound Magazine
This free online magazine introduces children to the world of
rocks, minerals, fossils and geology in general. Articles presented
here will help children learn about the three basic rock types
found on the earth, how to identify and classify rocks and minerals,
and how to start a collection.
Rock
Flashcards
Are you trying to memorize rock and mineral names? Test yourself with these flashcards. After a slight hesitation, the names are spelled and pronounced for you.
The
Stupid Page of Rocks
Rocks, essentially, are "collections" of different
minerals in solid form, although some consist of just one mineral,
such as limestone and sandstone. There are three types of rocks:
sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.
Experiments
The
Absorbency of Rock
Did you know that rock can actually absorb liquid like a sponge?
This experiment shows you how to prove it.
The
Brazil Nut Effect - Experiment
In Stratification And Segregation: Why Does Some Sandstone Have
Stripes? Hernán Makse shows how sand grains of different
sizes and shapes may naturally separate after being thoroughly
mixed together.
Building
the Hele-Shaw Cell
Find out how you can build a "quasi-two dimensional vertical
Hele-Shaw cell" to see how sand grains of different sizes
and shapes may naturally separate after being thoroughly mixed
together.
Porosity
How much open space is there in rock? In this experiment we check
the porosity of gravel, sand and silt, the raw materials that
sandstone is made of.
Rock
Cycle Experiments
The rock cycle diagram shows how rocks are made, and changed
and destroyed. Find out for yourself how different parts of the
rock cycle work by trying out Earth exploration activities at
home.
Minerals &
Gems
California Gold
These folks will take you on a gold mining tour. Kids under 12
are free. Write them an interesting email about gold, and they
may send you a nugget. (Do ask a parent before giving anyone
your email address online.)
A
Diamond's Deep History
Look at a diamond and you are seeing ancient history. Diamonds
were formed long, long ago in a place far underground.
Gold
Panning
An effective panning technique will come with practice. In the
mean time, here are a few simple steps to get you started.
Mineral
Information Finder
Rocks and minerals are essential in our lives. In fact, the world
would be a completely different place if we did not know how
to mine, process and use minerals. Encyclopedia, glossary and
history of minerals.
Minerals
By Name
Alphabetical listing of minerals which then link to pictures
and descriptions.
Experiments
with Quartz
Triboluminescence is light that is produced by pressure, friction,
or mechanical shock. An alternate method to show the piezoelectric
effect is to heat a fair sized quartz crystal in an iron skillet.
Mining
Chocolate
Chip Cookie Mining
The purpose of this game is to give the player an introduction
to the economics of mining. This is accomplished with each player
buying "property", purchasing the "mining equipment",
paying for the "mining operation", and finally completing
the "reclamation" of their property. In return, each
player receives money for the "ore mined".
Rock Art
Petroglyph
A free interactive program designed to simulate a petrographic
microscope. Both Mac and Windows versions and users manual are
available.
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