Geology/rock classification
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Question
HI, i am having great difficulty classifying rocks... i have a rock that resembles marble and is whitish/grayish/bluish, yet i do not think it is b/c it has a hardness of about 8.5. do you think you can help??
thanks Sarah
Dear Sarah,
It sounds like it might be Quartz. Quartz comes is many varieties/colors and will scratch steel and glass (with some effort). It's hardness is 7 to 7.5. Quartz is the most common mineral on the planet, with the most varieties as well. If it sounds like you have a quartz sample then great. However, if you are still hesitating to classify it as quartz, send a picture of it to me and I will give it another shot.
ALl the best,
George
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Geology
Answers by Expert:
George Ardies
Expertise
Sedimentology and Petroleum Geology - I am not an expert in igneous and metamorphic geology. I have completed a B.Sc. in Environmental Geology at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec and a M.Sc. degree in Sedimentology at Queen`s University in Kingston, Ontario. I have about 12 years of experience in oil and gas exploration and development.
Experience
Military service (Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
Bachelor of Science degree(Montreal, Quebec, Canada).
Master of Science degree (Kingston, Ontario, Canada).
Oil and gas experience for about 10 years (Calgary, Alberta, Canada).
Professional Geologist Certification.
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