What on Earth?

Smithsonite
Jeff Scovil

ROCKS & MINERaLS

Quartz
Stanley Celestian

Jeff Scovil

Copper

ARIZONa

An Educational Supplement brought to you by:

Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum

Malachite and Azurite

Jeff Scovil

WHAT

GOOD ARE ROCKS, MINERALS AND FOSSILS?

Rocks tell us that the Earth is more than 4,600,000,000 (4.6 BILLION) years old. And fossils tell us that life has existed on Earth for at least 3.8 BILLION YEARS far older than any historic written records. SO, how are geologists able to determine what has been happening on Earth? How do they know who has been living here, and what were past climates and environments like? ROCKS, with their minerals and fossils, hold the clues and facts that let scientists draw the pictures of Earths long, long geologic history. Rocks help us to determine how the Earth formed and what paths evolution has taken. They tell us when the Earths climate was hot and steamy, where and when volcanoes were erupting, and when glaciers crawled across the land. They tell us where the oceans have been and what wonderful creatures inhabited them. They tell us where on the globe the continents have been throughout Earths geologic history. And so much more! Besides using rocks to unravel events of the past, we rely on them every single day for almost everything we use. During your lifetime, you will use more than 2,000,000 pounds of minerals and metals!

GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE

tHis cHaRt is Not to scale

EON ERA PERIOD EPOCH AGE millioNs oF YeaRs

Quaternary Holocene Pleistocene Neogene Pliocene Miocene Oligocene Paleogene Eocene Paleocene 0.1 1.8 5.3 23.7 36.6 57.6 65 144 208 Triassic 248 Permian 286 320 360 Devonian 408 Silurian 438 Ordovician 505 Cambrian Pennsylvanian Mississippian

CENOZOIC

Tertiary

That aluminum can from which you drink, the car your parents drive and roads on which they travel, the television you watch, the lights that illuminate your house at night - all are possible only because of the materials derived from rocks and minerals and the list goes on and on!!!

If it cant be grown, it must be mined.

PHANEROZOIOC

MAKE

THE LAYERS OF THE

EARTH

MESOZOIC

Cretaceous Jurassic

You will need: clay, play dough, or Crayola Model Magic in the following colors red yellow orange green plastic picnic knife plastic sandwich bag What to do: 1. Form a small ball with the red clay. 2. Form a slightly larger ball with the orange clay. Flatten the orange ball with the palm of your hand like a pancake. Place the red ball in the center of the pancake and wrap it completely with the orange clay until you have an orange ball. 3. Form a larger ball with the yellow clay. Flatten the yellow ball with the palm of your hand. Place the orange ball in the center of the yellow pancake. Wrap it completely with the yellow clay until you have a yellow ball. 4. Form a larger ball with the green clay. Flatten the green ball with the palm of your hand. Place the yellow ball in the center of the green clay. Wrap it completely until you have one large green ball. 5. Very carefully cut a triangular wedge out of the ball with the plastic picnic knife. 6. The red center represents the inner core of the Earth. The orange layer represents the outer core. The yellow layer represents the mantle. The green layer represents the crust. 7. Put your Earth ball back together and save it in the plastic sandwich bag. Take it home and show your family the different layers of the Earth.

PALEOZOIC

Precambrian

YOUNG

540 Simple life forms only 2500 No life NO ROCK RECORD for this period of time
Age of Earth 4.6 Billion years

OLD

3800

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

EARTH: A SHIFTING JIGSAw PUZZLE

Earth is about 4.6 billion(4,600,000,000) years old, and is made up of many kinds of rocks. The center of the Earth, 4000 or so miles from the surface, is within the INNER CORE, a solid ball of iron and nickel, 700 miles thick. Surrounding this is the OUTER CORE, a layer of liquid iron and nickel, 1240 miles thick. Next up is the MANTLE, 1600 miles thick, composed of solid and semi-solid rock. Last of all is the CRUST, rigid rock that includes the continents and the oceanic floor of the planet. It is 3 to 40 miles thick.
CRUST

far will the plates moved apart? To find out how scientists proved this, go to your library for more information on plate tectonics.
MOLTEN OUTER CORE SOLID INNER CORE

In the deep basins which hold the oceans, the 4-6 mile thick crust is generally composed of heavy, dark volcanic rock. The continental crust is largely composed of less dense rock layers. It is up to 40 miles thick. The continents themselves ride on the denser slabs, much like an iceberg floats in water.

Volcanoes and earthquakes mostly About 220,000,000 years ago there was occur when the slabs either move MANTLE only one large continent on Earth called away from each other or crash into Pangaea. Since then crustal rocks have each other. The movements of the broken into eight major slabs that look plates create fractures within the like a giant jigsaw puzzle wrapped around Earths crust called FAULTS. We read the Earth. When you look at a map, have you ever noticed that the about faults in the newspaper whenever there is an earthquake. continents seem to fit together? These slabs, or PLATES are in constant motion. In the concept of PLATE TECTONICS these Many people dont realize that Arizona has faults and earthquakes. plates are currently moving at an average of 1 inch per year. How During earthquakes rocks move up, down or sideways. It may take do we know? Today, satellites record the movement of continents millions of years, but this may result in bringing deeply buried rocks as they continuously drift further apart. In 10,000,000 years how to the surface of Earth where we can find them.

Is our planet heavy? Try 6.5 sextillion tons! (6,500,000,000,000,000,000,000)

Colorado Plateau Province

Characterized by: horizontal sedimentary rocks canyons

M = Magnitude

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Ch a m racte o b unta rized roa b i d v ns of y: alle ign e ys fille ous & dw ith meta san mo d & rphi gra c ro cks vel

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Ra

Characterized by: lots of faulting igneous & metamorphic rocks rugged landscape

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WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

ROCK CYCLE
ROCKS are combinations of minerals or other materials that make up the solid portion of the Earth. Geologists are scientists who study the Earth. They have divided rocks into three main categories based on how they form. Rocks dont come out of nowhere. They can form in a variety of ways. Just like we recycle our aluminum cans, the Earth recycles rocks. We call this process the ROCK CYCLE. For instance: Lets begin our story with a pool of magma (melted rock) deep beneath the surface of the Earth. An IGNEOUS rock, like granite, forms from the solidification of that magma (melted rock). After millions of years of mountain building and erosion, the granite is finally exposed at the Earths surface. But that is not the end of this story. Its minerals (mainly quartz, feldspar, and mica) are broken free from the granite by water, ice and wind (erosion). This sand and gravel gathers at the base of the mountains or may be transported great distances by water, ice or wind before reaching their final destination (for example, a beach or desert where you METAMORPHIC can pick them up for your collection). These grains of once ROCKS igneous rock are now considered SEDIMENTARY because they were transported and deposited. The loose grains (sediments) eventually turn to rock (lithify) in various ways. If the sediment is sand, the resulting rock is sandstone. The layers of sandstone become deeply buried by the accumulation of tens of thousands of feet of more sediment. The weight of this pile of sediment, accompanied by high temperatures will cause the sandstone to change into a new type of rock. What was sandstone will now be transformed into METAMORPHIC rock like quartzite. Continued heating could melt the metamorphic rocks and once again return the materials to magma to continue the never-ending story!
Igenous rocks
, ng , eri ion ath rat we po ing ns en tra ard h

ltin

g h ch eat, em pr ica ess l c ur ha e, ng es

me

OCK R
Y
C

me ltin g

CL

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

weathering, transportation, hardening, heat, pressure, chemical changes

THE SKY IS FALLING!

SOILS ROCK TOO!

Desert soils are very thin and alkaline. (Bleach is an example of an alkaline product.) The lack of water and vegetation results in the two upper layers being VERY thin. The fourth layer often contains a hard, impermeable layer of caliche or hardpan (calcite). Solid rock is often very near the surface. Ideal soil profile
1. Humus layer (decaying vegetation) 2. Zone leached by water percolating downward 3. Zone of accumulation of clays, iron oxides and calcite 4. Broken fragments of solid rock grading downward into unaltered solid rock. Desert soils are very thin and alkaline. The lack of water and vegetation results in the upper layers being VERY thin to absent. The third layer often contains a hard, impermeable layer of caliche or hardpan. Solid rock (bedrock) is often very near the surface.

It is estimated that annually, 26,000 meteorites land on Earth (most into the ocean). Of these, only 5-6 landings are witnessed or cause property damage. Meteorites probably add 60,000,000 lbs. of material each year to the Earth! How many tons is that? Most meteorites are fragments of asteroids. Some come from the Moon, Mars or even comets. They vary in composition and appearance. There are 3 basic types of meteorites: 1. Stony: resembles the crust and mantle of the Earth 2. Iron: resembles the core of the Earth 3. Stony-Iron: combination, rare Nearly 90% of all meteorites observed falling to Earth are stony meteorites. Characteristics shared by most meteorites are: 1. Heaviness: much, much heavier than Earth rocks 2. Fusion Crust: black, shiny or flat crust formed as the surface heated up going through the atmosphere 3. Smooth Surface: sometimes with thumbprints (rounded depressions) 4. Magnetic: even stony meteorites are usually weakly magnetic 5. Interior: Iron-nickel meteorites are solid metal, while stony meteorites will usually have metallic specks.

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

IGNEOUS ROCKS

Usually gray, pink, pastel; usually see small clear, rectangular crystals. often banded. Superstition Mts., Aquarius Mts.

RHYOLITE (EXTRUSIVE)

Frothy (lots of gas bubble holes), very lightweight, will float on water, abrasive. Flagstaff

PUMICE (EXTRUSIVE)

Fragmental (forms from rock pulverized in volcanic explosion); usually light color. Aquarius Mts., Chiracahua Mts., Skull Valley (The upper part of the Arizona State Capital building is made of Tuff from Skull Valley.)

TUFF (EXTRUSIVE)

WHAT

IS AN

IGNEOUS ROCK?
Igneous rocks are born of fire. In other words, they were once hot, melted rocks. BASALT (EXTRUSIVE) Upon cooling, the magma crystallized Usually black or rust-red; into a mass of interlocking crystals. Slow may have some or lots cooling deep beneath the Earths surface allows of gas bubble holes. May crystals to grow to large size (1/8 inch or more). These see small green grains crystals are easily visible and distinguish this group of igneous (Peridot). Horseshoe rocks as INTRUSIVE. Rapid cooling near or at the Earths surface Dam, Peridot, Flagstaff produces many small crystals that are not readily seen even with a microscope. This group of igneous rocks is called EXTRUSIVE and are typically volcanic in origin. Cooling may be so rapid that crystals do not have a chance to form and instead a glass is produced. An example of this is obsidian.

Volcanic glass; usually black, but may be red or dark green. Pebbles of obsidian are called Apache Tears. Superior, Wickenberg

ObSIDIAN (EXTRUSIVE)

Usually gray to pink; can see quartz, feldspar, and mica or hornblende. Estrella Mts., South Mt., White Tank Mts., Granite Dells (The lower part of the Arizona State Capital building is made of granite from South Mountain.)

GRANITE (INTRUSIVE)

Salt & Pepper appearance; looks alot like granite but no visible quartz.

DIORITE (INTRUSIVE)

Usually black to dark greenish black; lots of flat shiny cleavage surfaces.

GAbbRO (INTRUSIVE)

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
(Called Flagstone when it breaks into thin layers) Looks sandy (may shed sand grains), feels rough like sandpaper; may be tan, white, red, gray. Ashfork (Flagstone Capital of the World)

SANDSTONE (FRAGMENTAL)

Composed of calcite and WILL FIZZ vigorously in acid; often contains fossils. Payson, Flagstaff

LIMESTONE (CHEMICAL)

Composed of large rounded pebbles and clay. Peppersauce Canyon, Payson

CONGLOMERATE (FRAGMENTAL)

ROCK GYpSUM (CHEMICAL)

Massive beds of the mineral gypsum; very soft, usually white or gray. Winkleman, Salome, Camp Verde, Willcox

Many SEDIMENTARY ROCKS are composed of particles of pre-existing rocks. Some are an accumulation of crystals formed in mineral-rich water. Coal is an exception. It is made from fossilized plants and has neither crystals nor particles. A general characteristic of this group is layering or stratification.

Banded form of limestone, deposited in springs and caverns. Mayer, Seven Springs

TRAVERTINE (CHEMICAL)

ROCK SALT (CHEMICAL)

Massive beds of the mineral halite; tastes salty. Underground near Luke Air Force Base, Red Lake

This is called erosion. If they only travel a short distance before coming to rest, the fragments will be very angular, with lots of sharp edges. The farther they travel, the more they tumble and collide with each other. This wears down the sharp edges and How does this happen? Weathering is the fragments become rounder the process of breaking rocks down into and smoother. River rocks are an smaller pieces. This can be done by water example of this. Different sized fragments also get FRAGMENTAL getting into cracks and freezing. Freezing separated, because large boulders, pebbles and water expands and pries rocks apart. Plant cobbles are harder for water and wind to carry. So Composed of roots can do the same thing. Weak acids the smaller ones are transported the farthest away. clay, so is soft; in rainwater can break minerals down, has very thin Chemical sedimentary rocks, like salt and causing solid rock to become weakened. layers; often limestone result when crystals form out of Weathering produces fragments (called mineral-rich water. Most fossils are found in these black. May SEDIMENT) and chemicals that can be sedimentary rocks. contain fossils washed away. such as leaves. Sedimentary rocks reflect the environments in Promontory Sedimentary rocks that are made up which they formed and they hold most of the clues of pieces of older rocks are called that allow geologists to paint the mural of Earths Butte FRAGMENTAL. The fragments are clay, history. silt, sand, pebbles, cobbles and boulders. ALLUVIAL FAN: breccia, They are carried off by water, wind or ice. conglomerate PLAYA LAKE: CHEMICAL rock salt, gypsum Black, brittle, lightweight. STREAM: May contain plant fossils. conglomerate, sandstone DELTA: shale, sandstone Black Mesa LAKE: shale, mudstone, diatomite SAND DUNE: sandstone CAVE: travertine CHEMICAL SWAMP: coal, shale VERY fine-grained quartz; BEACH: sandstone varieties include flint & jasper. SHALLOW OCEAN: Historically used for arrowheads. limestone DEEP OCEAN: shale, chert Seven Springs, common

SHALE )

COAL (

CHERT (

throughout Arizona

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

METAMORpHIC ROCKS

SCHIST (FOLIATED)
Very shiny with flakes of mica; breaks into layers. May have crystals (ex. garnet, tourmaline) growing in with the mica. Buckeye Hills

PHYLLITE (FOLIATED)
Like slate, but shinier (phyllitic sheen similar to satin). Slate Mt., Dreamy Draw Recreation Area

SLATE (FOLIATED)
Rock breaks into very think layers; beginning to look polished; is harder than shale. Black, gray or red. None in Arizona

(Meta/morphic Change/form) When rocks are buried deeply or pressured during mountainbuilding, they get very hot and are squeezed. This causes the rocks to change shape, form and even color. Crystals may get bigger, new minerals may form, and minerals that are long or flat may lie down parallel to each other (foliation). All of this happens WITHOUT MELTING! Because if rocks melt and cool, they become what kind of rock?

METAMORPHIC ROCKS

The third rock from the Sun is our planet Earth.

Pumice a rock will float in water.

Stone-washed blue jeans are actually washed with rocks. Check the pockets of your next pair of jeans for pieces of PUMICE

GNEISS (FOLIATED)
Crystalline with black/white banding. White Tank Mts., South Mt.

MARBLE (UNFOLIATED)
Crystalline with black/white banding. White Tank Mts., South Mt.

QUARTZITE (UNFOLIATED)
Crystalline with black/white banding. White Tank Mts., South Mt.

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

FLUORESCENCE
We wear sunglasses to protect our eyes from the suns ultraviolet light. Many minerals absorb and release the energy from ultraviolet light. If you put a mineral like calcite in a dark room with a special ultraviolet light, you will be able to see it glow. Different minerals glow in different colors. Manufacturers of clothes detergent add substances that will fluoresce so that the ultraviolet rays from the Sun activate them and our clothing looks whiter than white. Sometimes light is released over a longer period of time after the ultraviolet light is turned off. This is called PHOSPHORESENCE.

PRETTY MINERALS
Quartz, Date Creek Wulfenite, Red Cloud Mine, Yuma Azurite, Morenci

TRIBOLUMINESCENCE
When minerals light up due to friction, it is called triboluminesence. The most common mineral that will release this light is quartz, especially clear quartz and rose quartz. Choose two pieces of quartz that are translucent and large enough to grasp. You will need two specimens. Go into a dark room, let your eyes adjust to the light and then strike the two pieces of quartz together. It may take several tries, but eventually you will see a flash of light within the samples. This will also work with green fluorite. You will see a flash with salt and sugar too, but you must crush them with a pestle in a clear, strong bowl. If you bite or crush a Wintergreen Lifesaver, you will get a flash.

Gold nugget, Columbia

Aragonite, Bisbee

Turquoise, Sleeping Beauty mine, Globe

Faceted Amethyst, Four Peaks

Chalcedony, 4th of July Butte

Chalcedony under UV light, 4th of July Butte

Pencil lead isnt lead at all. Its the mineral graphite.

Chalcopyrite, Mexico Aragonite, Bisbee Geode, Mexico Malachite, Zaire

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

WHAT

IS A

MINERAL?

A mineral occurs naturally (is NOT man-made), is inorganic (has NOT lived), has a definite chemical composition, and is a crystalline solid. That means that the tiny atoms are arranged in an orderly and repeated pattern - much like the bricks of a house. Because of this pattern, many minerals will form crystals - 3-dimensional solids with smooth faces. LOOK AT TABLE SALT (THE MINERAL, HALITE) WITH A MAGNIFYING LENS AND SEE WHAT SHAPE IT IS. Naturally occurring Inorganic Definite chemical composition Crystalline solid Geologists and rockhounds identify minerals by their physical and chemical properties, such as color, luster, streak, weight, cleavage and fracture (how it breaks), hardness, crystal shape and reaction to acid.

FROST

ON wINDOw

Is this a mineral?_____________________________________ Why?______________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Why not?___________________________________________ __________________________________________________

BIG CRYSTALS & GEMSTONES Garnet, Australia 195 ft. x 130 ft. Beryl, Malagasy Republic 54 ft. x 10 ft. Microcline, Colorado 43 ft. x 426 ft. Quartz, Russia 78 tons Phlogopite (mica), Ontario 14 ft. x 33 ft. Diamond, South Africa 1.5 pounds Corundum, North Carolina 312 pounds Emerald, Brazil 6300 carats Aquamarine, Brazil 2594 carats Ruby 167 carats Sapphire, India 536 carats Topaz, Brazil 12,555 carats Diamond 995 carats
WHAT MAKES A GEMSTONE? List the characteristics that you think a mineral should possess in order to make a great gemstone. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________

Turquoise is Arizonas State gemstone.

RECIPE S

*Teacher Note: All of these ingredients can be purchased at your local drug store.

ALUM (Potassium Aluminum Sulfate Dodecahydrate) 1. Super saturated solution a. 4 oz alum in 567 cc (19 oz) water b. OR 20 g alum per 100 cc water (ratio of 1:5) 2. Add to saturated solution a. 22 g alum b. OR 4 g alum per original 100 cc water (ratio of 1:25) Grow either on a seed crystal suspended into solution OR on a CLEAN rock suspended into the solution.
PES SUGAR (ROCK CANDY) a) Heat 1 cup of water to near boiling. b) Pour 2 cups of granulated sugar into the hot water. c) Stir to dissolve sugar. (Make sure it is TOTALLY dissolved!) d) Remove pan from burner, set aside and let cool 15 minutes. e) Pour sugar water into a wide mouthed jar. (You may suspend a clean string into the solution upon which the crystals can grow.) Add food coloring if you want colored crystals. f) Set jar in spot where it will be UNDISTURBED for several weeks. RECI

The powder on a stick of gum is limestone! (Bet you thought it was sugar.)
10

Answer: Very hard, clear, good color, resistant to water or acids, rare or uncommon

MAGIC ROCKS a) Mix together: 1-tablespoon ammonia, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup bluing and 1/4 cup water. b) Pour mixture over a clinker, old brick or charcoal briquette. c) Add drops of food colorings onto clinker, brick or briquette. d) Let stand open and crystal formations will grow up from base. e) Add 1-tablespoon ammonia once per week to keep it growing. ES
RECIP

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

Enlarge, cut out and make your own crystal shapes.

Tetrahexahedron Octahedron

Dodecahedron

Copyright 1948 Arthur J. Gude, 3rd

FACTS AbOUT YOUR CAR

AND

MINERALS

About 7.8 million passenger cars were manufactured in the United States in 1986. Each car is made up of about 15,000 parts, all of which require mineral resources to make. The average car weighs 3,000 pounds. Of that, 139 pounds are aluminum, 50 pounds are copper and 20 pounds are Zinc. The automotive industry uses over 12 million tons of steel in atypical year. Steel is made from iron ore combined with various enhancing metals, such as columbium, chromium, molybdenum or vanadium. About 660,000 troy ounces of platinum were used for making automotive catalytic converters in 1986 alone. Over half of all lead used in the U.S. goes into making cars, trucks, and buses, as well as batteries. Platinum is used in catalytic converters, ignition and electronic parts. Cobalt increases the chances that tire rubber clings to the steel belts. Iron and other metallic compounds are used in brake pads. Graphite is used in brake linings. Copper is used for electrical wiring and other components, like motor windings, radiator parts.

Tools used in the automotive industry are made from metals such as chromium, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium & iron ore. Gasoline, diesel, oil, antifreeze, grease and transmission fluid are all petroleum products another mined commodity. The glass in car windows is made from QuartZ sand and limestone plus other commodities such as boron.

Dont forget the roadways! Every mile of highway takes 400,000 tons of sand and gravel and 170,000 tons of concrete (which uses limestone, shale, sand & iron ore).

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

11

Tungsten filament & Molybdenum tie wires

Nitrogen/argon gas

Support wires & Lead-in wires using: Molybdenum, Iron, Chrome, Manganese, Silicon and Carbon (from coal) Brass base uses Copper & Zinc plus Tin, Antimony, Lithium, Cobalt Andalusite, Kaolinite

Glass made from: Quartz, Feldspar, Trona, Calcite, Dolomite, Thenardite, Gypsum, Barite, Nepheline syenite

LOOK

AT

ALL THE MINERALS IT TAKES TO MAKE A LIGHT bULb!

Lead button

Fill in the crossword puzzle by using the clues.

Clues Across 6. The __________ is 1600 miles thick and is composed of solid and semi-solid rock. 8. Meteorites are fragments of __________ . 9. The __________ is rigid rock that includes the surface of the continents and the oceanic floor of the planet. 12. The __________ of the Earth is a solid ball of iron and nickel. 13. Grains of sand and gravel deposited at the base of a mountain by water, ice and wind are considered __________ rocks. Down 1. Every year 26,000 __________ land on Earth (mostly in the ocean). 2. The movements of the plates create fractures within the Earths crust called __________. 3. Quartzite is a __________ rock. 4. The __________ is a layer of liquid iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core. 5. The Earths __________ are in constant motion. 7. Continued heating could melt the metamorphic rocks and return the materials to magma to start the __________ all over again. 10. 11. __________ rock is formed by the hardening of magma (melted rock) deep beneath the surface of the Earth. __________ and volcanoes happen when the Earths plates move away from or crash into each other.

Choose from these words:

rock cycle faults igneous

Select your answers from the following words: metamorphic outer core plates meteorites earthquakes mantle asteroids crust inner core sedimentary
crossword answer on page 16

12

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

IF

IT CANT bE GROwN, IT MUST bE MINED

Look at the map and see all the different kinds of resources mined in Arizona. You have probably seen some of them as you have driven to different parts of the state. How many mines are there? Did you know that Arizona mines use only .3% of land in the state and that ALL the active mines in the United States would fit in Maricopa County?

Rocks that contain useful minerals are called ORES. They are dug, scraped and blasted out of the Earth. Arizonas copper ores are very low-grade (0.5 percent copper). That means that for every ton of ore mined, 10 pounds of copper are produced. In 2001, Arizona produced 1,959,800 pounds of copper - about 65% of all the copper produced in the United States! How many tons of rock had to be mined? The only way to move that much rock is OPEN PIT MINING with very large shovels and trucks. Mining companies are required to protect the environment. Ground water and air quality are monitored very closely. Often, the owners are responsible for restoring the land to a natural appearance. For example, the area around the coal mines in the northeast corner of Arizona is an excellent example of responsible restoration. Before mining begins, the topsoil is removed and stored. Coal is mined in strips, and each strip is back-filled as mining proceeds. After all the coal has been removed, the land is re-contoured, the topsoil is returned, and native plants are sown. If you visited there and did not Leaching & electro-plating Activity: This activity mimics the way in which some copper ores are processed. The oxide ores are broken up and dumped in a huge pile. Then weak acid is sprayed over the pile and as it soaks through the ground, the acid leaches copper out of the rocks. Blue copper-rich water flows out of the bottom of the pile and is collected. This is called SOLVENT EXTRACTION. After some chemical processing, the liquid is put into tanks with alternating lead plates and thin copper sheets. An electric current causes the copper in the liquid to attach itself to the thin copper sheets and they get thicker and thicker. This process is called ELECTROWINNING. *Teacher Note: All these materials can be purchased at a hardware and grocery store. MATERIALS: Crushed copper oxide ore 1 coffee filter 1 funnel 2 jars or plastic cups white vinegar 2 1.5-volt batteries 2 8-in. lengths of insulated copper wire (one red and one black) with alligator clips on each end 1 lead fishing weight

Active mines of Arizona know that mining had once been done, you would not be able to tell. It is important to understand how vital Arizona mines, and others throughout the world, are to your life. Look at the posters on these pages and see how many minerals and rocks it takes to make a simple light bulb or produce a car!

Arizona mines produce 65% of copper produced in the United States.

PROCEDURE: Part I. Solvent Extraction 1. Fold the coffee filter like a cone and place it in the funnel. 2. Put the funnel into the jar or cup 3. Put about 1/2 cup of crushed ore into the funnel. 4. Pour about 1/2 cup of white vinegar over the ore. 5. Put the funnel into the empty jar or cup and pour the vinegar from the first cup over the ore again. 6. Repeat Step 5 for at least 8 times or more (more is better). 7. Discard the ore and reserve the liquid. What color is the liquid at _ the end? Part II. Electrowinning 1. Clip one end of the black wire to the spoon. And clip one end of the red wire to the lead weight. 2. Suspend the spoon and lead weight in the liquid from Part I, making sure that they do not touch each other. 3. Attach the free end of the black wire to the negative (-) terminal _ of the battery. Attach the free end of the red wire to the positive (+) terminal of the battery. 4. Allow the set-up to remain undisturbed for at least 5 minutes (longer is fine - you might want to leave it overnight). What can you observe happening?_ ________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

13

FOSSILS ROCK RELICS

OF THE

LIVING PAST

Are there fossils in Arizona? Oh yes: fossil plants, sea creatures and dinosaur remains (to name a few) are found in some very surprising numbers. Fossils are the remains of plants or animals. Usually they are more than 10,000 years old - or at least prehistoric. It is hard to become a fossil! Most plants and animals that have lived on Earth have never been preserved. Usually, once an organism dies, it must be buried very quickly, before decay and scavengers and oxygen can destroy it. Most animal fossils are shells, teeth and bones. These are the parts of the animal that are hard and able to survive long enough to be preserved. Rarely, skin impressions or other soft tissue features are preserved. Skin, feathers, internal organs, tentacles, and soft-bodied animals (such as jellyfish and worms) are very seldom fossilized. Like the flesh of animals, plants are difficult to fossilize, because they are so fragile. But marshes or swamps are places where plants may be fossilized. There, plants grow, die and accumulate in the waterlogged mud and sand. They are buried quickly in stagnant conditions and are preserved. Arizonas petrified wood is an example of this process.

PERMIAN: URCHIN SPINES Relative of modern sea urchins, star fish, Strawberry PLANT, Sedona

286 mil lion rs yea

PENNSYLVANIAN: Composita subtilita Brachiopod, Payson

FUSULINIDS These were the individual homes of one celled amoeba-like creatures, Carrizo

SHARK COPROLITES (DROPPINGS), Payson

CAMBRIAN: TRILOBITE RESTING TRACE Grand Canyon

360 million years

PRECAMBRIAN: STROMATOLITES Fossil Blue-Green Algae Roosevelt Lake

2500 million years

54

0m

illi

MISSISSIPPIAN: CRINOID PLATES Nickname: Sea Lily, but they are animals related to starfish. Sycamore Canyon

on

ye a

rs

408 million years

Arizonas state fossil is Araucaryoxylon arizonica petrified wood.

DEVONIAN: Pachyphyllum Coral, Strawberry

14

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

320 million years

PLIOCENE-PLEISTOCENE: HORSE TOOTH, Wickieup FISH, Northern Arizona

5.3 to 1-8 million years

208 million years

144 million years

248 million years

JURASSIC: Stegasaurus Plated dinosaur, Northern Arizona

TRIASSIC: Coelophysis Small dinosaur; turkey-sized body, six feet long with tail, Kayenta Petrified Wood, Yuma

CRETACEOUS: Sonorasaurus thompsonii Sauropod dinosaur Southern Arizona

Illustrations by Joe Tucciarone

PHYTOSAUR TOOTH Crocodile-like reptile Coal Mine Canyon

WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals

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RESOURCES
Planet Earth/Inside Out, Gail Gibbons, William Morrow & Company, Inc., New York 1995 Rocks From Space, O. Richard Norton, 1994,1998 Volcanoes of Northern Arizona (Sleeping Giants of the Grand Canyon Region), Wendell A. Duffield, Grand Canyon Association, 1997 Volcano & Earthquake, Susanna Van Rose, Eyewitness Books, Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., New York 1992 Fossil, Paul D. Taylor, Ph.D., Eyewitness Books, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1990 Dinosaur, David Norman, Ph.D., and Angela Milner, Ph.D., Eyewitness Books, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1989 Rocks & Minerals, Dr. R. F. Symes and staff of the Natural History Museum, London, Eyewitness Books, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1988 Rocks & Minerals, Chris Pellant, Dorling Kindersley, Inc., New York 1992 A field Guide and Introduction to the Geology and Chemistry of Rocks And Minerals, Charles A. Sorrell, Golden Books Publishing Company, Inc., New York, 1973 National Audubon Society Field Guide to Rocks and Minerals, Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York 1979

GENERAL RESOURCES
Arizona Dept. Mines and Mineral Resources (inc. Museum) www.admmr.state. az.us USGS (United States Geological Survey) www.usgs.gov Mineral Information Institute www.mii.org AGS (Arizona Geological Survey) www.azgs.az.gov

CREDITS
Susan Celestian, Curator Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum Stanley J. Celestian, Instructor, Glendale Community College, Photographer Elizabeth Anderson, Tour Guide, Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum Jeff Scovil, Photographer Tribune in Education Pat Oso, Tribune in Education Manager/Writer Graphic Designer Shelly Webb

Crossword answers

M E T E F A U L R T D S

O U T R C O E I G E O U S E A T H Q U A K P L

O R I T

WEb RESOURCES
Make your own seismograph: http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/Seismograph.html http://psn.quake.net/lehmntxt.html http://quake.geo.berkeley.edu/bdsn/make_seismogram.html Earthquake information: http://vishnu.glg.nau.edu/aeic/aeic.html http://kokkik.la.asu.edu/e-quakes/ http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov.neis/eqlists/eqlists.html http://www.geo.arizona.edu/saso/ http://www.seismo-watch.com/ Rocks & Minerals, General Geology http://www.gc.maricopa.edu/earthsci/imagearchive/index.htm http://www.rockhounds.com Plate Tectonics http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/understanding.html http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/anim4.htm http://kids.earth.nasa.gov/archive/pangaea/ http://pubs.usgs.gov/publications/text/dynamic.html http://www.scotese.com/Default.htm http://www.eos.duke.edu/geo41.sfs.htm Arizona meteorites: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/SIC/arizona_meteorites/az_stars_map.html Mining & Mineral Classroom Materials http://www.mii.org/ http://educate.si.edu/resources/lessons/siyc/gems/start.html Volcanoes http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Outreach/FunStuff/framework.html (Cascades Volcanoes Observatory)

E T M O R P H I C

A N T L E M

E R O A S T E O I S T C E K C Y C L

S T C R R U S

E I N N R C O R E N E R

E N T A R Y S E D I M E S

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WHAT ON EARTH? Arizona Rocks & Minerals