Episode #2 - Mineral basics: What are minerals?

What Minerals Are and How They Are Formed

In the second episode of the Mineralogy Matters series, Dr. Chris Greet, Global Minerals Processing Expert, explains the nature of minerals and the processes through which they are formed.

Minerals are naturally occurring compounds of elements. While a few metals exist in their native state, most are found as oxides, sulfides, or chlorides. Their textures depend not only on the conditions under which they originally formed, but also on the geological events they have undergone over millions of years.

Key factors influencing mineral formation include:

Volcanic activity and tectonic movement transporting materials from deep within the Earth’s crust.
Shifting land masses exposing deposits at the surface or burying them underground.
Alteration processes driven by temperature, pressure, and oxidative weathering.

These geological dynamics shape the composition, texture, and behavior of minerals. For example, mineral deposits on or close to the surface may oxidize due to air and water, while underground minerals can undergo changes through interaction with groundwater or rainwater infiltration.

By understanding how minerals are formed and altered over geological time, industries gain essential insight into how deposits can be processed, optimized, and ultimately transformed into valuable materials for industrial use.