Investigating Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils

Investigating Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils — page 1
INTRODUCTION t is tempting to think of geologists people who study rocks and minerals as sci ence pirates After all much like the buccaneers of old they spend a great deal of time searching for buried treasure In the case of geology however there are no chests filled with money and jew els The riches geologists uncover are made of stone The nature and importance of these earthy trea sures is the focus of this book As the building blocks of the Planet Earth indeed the very stuff of which the world is made minerals and rocks are priceless treasures Beyond that their worth can be measured by their usefulness For instance minerals are important nutri ents that every living thing on Earth must have in order to survive They also make up the various types of rocks that are the components of natural and manmade creations everything from hills and continents to buildings