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What is the most abundant mineral found in rocks at the earth's surface?

Question #46301. Asked by RaeRae55.
Last updated Aug 29 2016.

TheAlphaWolf
Answer has 5 votes
TheAlphaWolf

Answer has 5 votes.
it's feldspar
it forms 60% of terrestrial rocks.

link http://www.galleries.com/feldspar_group




Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 29 2016.
Apr 11 2004, 3:42 PM
griffinj
Answer has 6 votes
griffinj
20 year member
563 replies

Answer has 6 votes.
I've always heard it is quartz, these sites agree:

link http://www.mindat.org/min-3337.html
link http://www.minerals.net/mineral/silicate/tecto/quartz/quartz.htm

But it is the second most common if water (H2O)is included. Quartz is the most common member of the feldspar group, which consists of several minerals.



Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 29 2016.
Apr 11 2004, 4:33 PM
potterguy
Answer has 8 votes
Currently Best Answer
potterguy
21 year member
123 replies

Answer has 8 votes.

Currently voted the best answer.
Feldspar is a mineral made up of some combination of calcium/sodium/potassium alumino-silicates. My mineralogy texts are down at the studio, so I can't give my "definitive" answer about the most common mineral found in rocks. Quartz is a particular crystalline form of silica, but just because silica is present in some mineral, doesn't mean that quartz is.

6. What is the most common mineral in the earth's crust? In the soil?

According to this website, feldspars are the most common mineral family found in the CRUST, while quartz is the most common mineral found in the earth's SOIL. I suppose you could make the argument that the soil, being decomposed crust, actually forms most of the earth's surface. Or perhaps you've been even more devious, and figured that since about 3/4 of the earth's surface is water, that sea salt is the most abundant mineral on the actual "surface". Care to respond?

link http://soils-dev.agron.iastate.edu/classes/154/lesson06/06.Re.03.html

Feldspars are the most common mineral family in the earth's crust. Quartz is the dominant soil mineral. This is because feldspars weather more readily. By the time the parent material has weathered to form a soil many of the feldspars are gone.



Response last updated by gtho4 on Aug 29 2016.
Apr 11 2004, 4:41 PM
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