Rocks and minerals. A photographic field guide / Породы и минералы. Полевой фото-путеводитель

Rocks and minerals are the basis for the structure of the Earth’s crust. Minerals are composed of atoms of single elements or a number of different elements. They can have perfect crystalline form and amazingly rich colours; some are prized as gemstones; many are the source of economically useful metals and other raw materials. New minerals are still being discovered, especially in industrial slag and even on shipwrecks. Rocks are made of minerals. Many, especially crystalline igneous rocks and marble, are frequently used decoratively, and certain rocks such as limestone, coal and ironstone have great economic uses. However, the Earth has been scarred by the extraction and use of these raw materials; watercourses and soils have been polluted and the atmosphere changed.