...facilitated by biological activity...
Posted on 08/27/2015 2:38:18 PM PDT by JimSEA
New research from a team led by Carnegie's Robert Hazen predicts that Earth has more than 1,500 undiscovered minerals and that the exact mineral diversity of our planet is unique and could not be duplicated anywhere in the cosmos.
Minerals form from novel combinations of elements. These combinations can be facilitated by both geological activity, including volcanoes, plate tectonics, and water-rock interactions, and biological activity, such as chemical reactions with oxygen and organic material.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
Interesting. I once had a geology class whose instructor had discovered a new mineral. He did a study in Antarctica and found a compound that had not previously been observed as a solid.
Wine?
“that the exact mineral diversity of our planet is unique and could not be duplicated anywhere in the cosmos.”
That is about as broad a statement as it is possible to make.
When I was remodeling my house I went to numerous granite warehouses and viewed some of the most beautiful crystalized formations. A lot of them were high dollar stuff but this one quartz sheet featured colors I did not know existed in nature, as colorful as an exotic parrot’s plume, with those colors of blue and green you only see in South Sea Island photography when someone has juiced up the color filters. On the day I saw that, I left the warehouse looking for a tissue, because God made it.
LOL! (But that wasn’t it - ice is already a recognized mineral.)
I don’t remember what it was. He was a specialist in gold, so it might have been a compound that included gold.
It’s kind of fascinating that there may be almost 1,600 minerals yet to be found. Your professor found an unusual one. Interesting tie in with environment/temperature.
>>New research from a team led by Carnegie’s Robert Hazen predicts that Earth has more than 1,500 undiscovered minerals and that the exact mineral diversity of our planet is unique and could not be duplicated anywhere in the cosmos.
Almost like it was planned to be this way?
That article prompted me to buy one of the Great Courses taught by Hazen. He makes you think and is a bit of a showman which makes him a great teacher.
One of the most amazing articles I ever read in Scientific American.
I love the Great Courses, although most of mine are history and literature. Dr. Hazen’s name was familiar from their catalog.
I like audio CDs: I can listen in the house while I’m cooking or cleaning, or take them in the van for trips over 30 minutes.
“Robert Hazen predicts that Earth has more than 1,500 undiscovered minerals”
Stop and think about just how stupid this statement is.
Answer: These are UNDISCOVERED minerals. If they are undiscovered how would they possibly know many are undiscovered? Was it in a dream he had? Maybe it was something he ate.
Who knows? They are undiscovered and we won’t know until they are discovered. That poses a problem with his credibility for there is no proof of the “UNDISCOVERED” minerals so how can he prove himself right?
It’s kinda like climate change isn’t it. No proof but positive statements from the “scientific” community.
No wonder you can’t believe a damn thing they say until it is actually proven and certified by the scientific community.
Stop the logic please! It’s 15500 degrees outside and we should be worried about that global warming thing. /sarcasm off
read Tax-Chick’s post above. New minerals are being discover all the time. Many form in extreme and uncommon conditions. Others are simply very rare. Some were formed long ago in conditions that no longer exist. Hazen is all about relationships between the entire environment, including life forms and the formation and distribution of minerals.
I’ve taken some on history and religions since I took Hazen’s course. They are really worthwhile.
To the author:
Yep.
Try to synthesize all of these minerals,
then get back and tell all of us
how easy it was that it all happened by “accident”.
I do not know what I do not know
“could not be duplicated anywhere in the cosmos.”
I don’t think that any of this is conclusive. Could be
accurate to the point of what we know here on earth and
possibly what we know about our own solar system.
But the cosmos? I doubt it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.