Earth Sciences 1022A/B Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Mafic, Igneous Textures, Aphanite
27 Apr 2019
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Document Summary
A rock is perhaps most easily defined as a solid aggregate of minerals (and sometimes mineral-like substances such as some forms of organic matter and glass). Three main classes are distinguished by the manner in which they form: igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks. They contain minerals (which contain elements used by living things some essential to life, others potentially harmful) Serve as aquifers (natural storage systems for groundwater) most of the water we use for drinking and agriculture. Contain nearly all the world"s petroleum our crudest form of fuel, and essential to the manufacture of plastics, waxes, solvents, synthetic fabrics, medicines, etc. Contain the world"s mineral resources metals for machine parts, cutlery, car parts, electrical systems, high tech applications in computers and telecommunications, currency. And even less obvious recorded nearly all of earth"s history older than the oldest human written records (mere millennia!)
