Mineralogy Glossary

Essential terms and definitions for mineralogy and mineral collecting.

Mineral Formation

Metamorphism caused by heat from an igneous intrusion affecting the surrounding country rock. Produces calc-silicate …

Minerals deposited from the evaporation of saline water bodies. Common evaporite minerals include halite, gypsum, …

The iron-rich, oxidized cap of a sulfide ore deposit formed by weathering. Often contains secondary …

Formed from hot, mineral-rich fluids circulating through fractures in rock. A major source of metallic …

Formed from the cooling and crystallization of molten magma or lava. Minerals crystallize in a …

A soil and rock type rich in iron and aluminum oxides (goethite, gibbsite), formed by …

Formed or transformed by heat, pressure, or chemically active fluids within the Earth's crust, without …

The process of chemical alteration of a rock by hydrothermal fluids, involving the introduction or …

Extremely coarse-grained igneous rocks that form from the last residual fluids of a crystallizing magma. …

Mineral formation or alteration by hot gases and vapors emanating from a cooling magma. Responsible …

Large-scale metamorphism resulting from elevated temperature and pressure over wide areas, typically associated with mountain-building …

Formed at or near the Earth's surface through precipitation from water, biological activity, or weathering …

The process by which downward-percolating groundwater dissolves metals from oxidized surface zones and re-deposits them …