Mineralogy Glossary

Essential terms and definitions for mineralogy and mineral collecting.

Environmental Mineralogy

Acidic, metal-rich water produced when sulfide minerals (especially pyrite) are exposed to air and water …

Mineralogical and chemical changes in a rock caused by hydrothermal fluids, weathering, or metamorphism. Hydrothermal …

Referring to minerals that occur as long, thin, flexible fibers, a growth habit that makes …

Describing minerals that formed in place within a sediment or rock, rather than being transported …

The use of microorganisms (especially acidophilic bacteria like Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) to extract metals from low-grade …

The process by which living organisms produce minerals, often to form shells, bones, or teeth. …

Post-depositional changes to sediments at low temperature and pressure, including compaction, cementation, recrystallization, and dissolution. …

The formation of a powdery or crusty deposit of salts or secondary minerals on a …

Referring to minerals or processes originating from deep below the surface, typically involving ascending hydrothermal …

The near-surface zone of a sulfide ore deposit where primary sulfides have been chemically altered …

A surface layer formed on a mineral or rock by long-term exposure to air, water, …

The process of removing or neutralizing contamination from soils or water affected by mining or …

A mineral formed by the alteration, weathering, or metamorphism of a pre-existing primary mineral. Secondary …

Referring to processes and minerals formed near the Earth's surface by downward-percolating meteoric water. Supergene …

The physical disintegration and chemical decomposition of minerals and rocks exposed at the Earth's surface. …