Minerals: How Do Minerals Form?

Minerals form through various processes, including cooling of molten rock, changes in temperature, pressure, or chemical makeup within Earth, and evaporation of mineral-rich water. Examples include mica, feldspar, magnetite, and quartz from molten rock; garnet, graphite, talc, and magnetite from alteration; and sulfur and iron from geothermal pools. Salt crystals can form when mineral-rich water evaporates, as seen in Death Valley.

How do minerals form from molten rock?

What are some examples of minerals formed when molten rock cools?

In what ways can changes inside Earth alter rocks to form different minerals?

How do minerals form in solutions of mineral-rich water?

What happens to mineral-rich water when it evaporates?