Basic Geology

Before we are able to show the basics of geology since it applies to the prospector, it is important to present a to the point understanding of minerals and how these minerals come to take place.

Miners and geologists are in many occasions at odds when they utilize the term mineral – this is due to the fact that there are many definitions of the word that are used in the different professions. In the following we will describe minerals as elements that are formed naturally in the earth and that are brought to the surface later on by the forces of geology. In this definition metal is considered a mineral even though there are a lot of scientists and miners that do not go along with this type of terminology. In this will we not refer to rocks as minerals but as a mixture of several minerals as well as elements.

It is also good to be able to understand the science of chemistry. However, it is enough to know that all matter is made up of elements. Speaking in a scientific way, an element is a substance that cannot be broken down further into more basic substances by a chemical process.

There are certain elements such as gold, silver, and iron that are considered a mineral, however most minerals are compounds of two or more elements.

Ninety eight percent of the crust of the earth by weight is made up of eight elements which include around forty seven percent of oxygen, around twenty seven percent of silicon, close to eight percent of aluminum, near five percent of iron, around four percent of calcium and with the proportions ranging over two percent of sodium, magnesium and potassium. The rest of the crust is made up of other elements.

Even though the process of forming of minerals still goes on inside the depths of the earth, almost all the minerals that can be found in recent history have been created millions of years ago. There are people that become confused when it comes to this due to the fact that a lot of minerals have only been exposed in the last million years.