1 Cosmology and the Earth
2 Journey to the Center of the Earth
3 Drifting Continents and Spreading Seas
4 The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics
5 Patterns in Nature: Minerals
6 Up from the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks
7 A Surface Veneer: Sediments, Soils, and Sedimentary Rocks
8 Metamorphism: A Process of Change
9 The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions
10 A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes
11 Crags, Cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformations and Mountain Building
12 Deep Time: How Old Is Old?
13 A Biography of Earth
14 Squeezing Power from a Stone: Energy Resources
15 Riches in Rock: Mineral Resources
16 Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements
17 Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water
18 Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts
19 A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater
20 An Envelope of Gas: Earth’s Atmosphere and Climate
21 Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts
22 Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages
23 Global Change in the Earth System
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Chapter 5: Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Animations

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Click on the links below to view animations created specifically for Earth: Portrait of a Planet. Animations require Macromedia's Flash Plug-in.

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Animation: Mineral Growth

Minerals grow outward from a central seed to fill the available space; their shape is controlled by the shape of their surroundings. After the animation is complete, click and drag each crystal to reveal its individual shape. For more information, see "The Formation and Destruction of Minerals" starting on p. 127 and Figures 5.12 and 5.13 in your textbook.
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