Rocks and Minerals in Indiana Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rocks and Minerals in Indiana - Assignment Example Additionally, minerals occur in abundance within this state. Estimates are that Indiana has approximately 100 different minerals, although other minerals exist in scarcity. This implies the state has more than 100 minerals considering the scarce mineral deposits that are present within the region. Despite the huge deposits of minerals across Indiana, only some minerals occur in large quantities. The most plentiful of the minerals in Indiana include calcite, clay minerals and quartz (Smith, Brookley and McGregor 12). The largest percentages of the minerals that are present in Indiana are widely dispersed while others are totally covered by the earth crust. Therefore, this makes economical utilization of these minerals impossible, especially in large-scale mining. Additionally, the process of mining and searching for these minerals can be uneconomical since the minerals occur sparingly. Calcite occurs in Indiana as one of the most abundant minerals. It is usually present in different rock layers. The mineral is considered the largest carbon depository and takes up the form of limestone coupled with marble. Limestone is generated either through chemical precipitation of CaCo3 or changes that transpire on various constituents in the period that diagenesis occurs. Conversely, marble is generated in the instance that limestone gets exposed to towering temperature and pressure. Nearly all the calcite that is present in Indiana is colorless or possesses yellow and brown shades. Calcite has hexagonal shaped crystals in case they are visible to the eye. The calcite present in Indiana has crystals that bear other minerals such as pyrite although this phenomenon rarely occurs. Outstanding specimens of calcite and other related mineral deposits are present in Indiana, with some possessing large crystals (IGS1). The properties that calcite possesses makes the mineral exceptional during identification thus making it easier to recognize the mineral.