What is the most abundant mineral found in rocks at the earth's surface?

TheAlphaWolf

I'm pretty sure it's feldspar. [Apr 11 04 4:47 PM] TheAlphaWolf writes: AHA! it's feldspar http://www.ima-eu.org/en/felwhat.html it forms 60% of terrestrial rocks. Apr 11 04, 3:42 PM

griffinj

I've always heard it is quartz, these sites agree: http://www.discovermyvillage.com/Articles/minerals/quartz.html http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/silicate/quartz/quartz.htm http://www.mindat.org/min-3337.html http://www.minerals.net/mineral/silicate/tecto/quartz/quartz.htm http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/earth/waton/f9811.html But it is the second most common if water (H2O)is included. [Apr 11 04 5:35 PM] griffinj writes: Quartz is the most common member of the feldspar group, which consists of several minerals. Apr 11 04, 4:33 PM

potterguy

Sorry, but feldspar is a mineral made up of some combination of calcium/sodium/potassium alumino-silicates. My mineralogy texts are down at the studio, so I can't give my "definitive" answer about the most common mineral found in rocks. Quartz is a particular crystalline form of silica, but just because silica is present in some mineral, doesn't mean that quartz is. [Apr 11 04 7:19 PM] potterguy writes: 6. What is the most common mineral in the earth's crust? In the soil? Trickier question than you may have imagined, RaeRae, I guess... According to this website, feldspars are the most common mineral family found in the CRUST, while quartz is the most common mineral found in the earth's SOIL. I suppose you could make the argument that the soil, being decomposed crust, actually forms most of the earth's surface. Or perhaps you've been even more devious, and figured that since about 3/4 of the earth's surface is water, that sea salt is the most abundant mineral on the actual "surface". Care to respond? http://www.pals.iastate.edu/agron154/Agron_154/Unit_6/study_questions.htm Feldspars are the most common mineral family in the earth's crust. Quartz is the dominant soil mineral. This is because feldspars weather more readily. By the time the parent material has weathered to form a soil many of the feldspars are gone. Apr 11 04, 4:41 PM