GY 111 Physical Geology
Assignment 1 (Fall 2015)
Preamble: Up until today we have been focusing on the minerals that make up the Earth. The next unit
we cover will be on igneous rocks and the processes by which they form. Before we leave minerals
entirely, I’d like you to think about the importance of some of the minerals that we have looked at both
here in the lectures and in your GY 111L lab sessions.
Your Task: Choose any one mineral with economic significance (i.e., it is a source of an important
mineral, or is used as an ingredient in industrial applications, or has some other intrinsic value to our
economy). In no more than a page (preferably typed), discus the mineral you selected, why you selected
it, why it is economically important, and the most common process by which that mineral forms in
nature. Try to be as specific as possible (e.g., don’t just say it forms from molten rock, mention the
temperature and wherever possible, the chemical reactions that occur during its formation). Feel free to
consult Wikipedia or to Google-research your mineral, but cite your sources.
Due Date: Thursday September 11th (9:30 AM; in class)