Mineral Key

The ability to identify geological minerals is an important skill that geology students, professional geologists, and others interested in knowing more about different minerals need to acquire. This key to Minerals App provides you with a step-by-step identification guide that also provides a learning tool as you identify different major classes of minerals.

Based on the Lucid matrix key system, widely used for identifying animal and plant species, is now available as an app providing a tool for identifying minerals on site. Initially developed for geology students, the app provides a structured process for describing the features of an unknown mineral. It incorporates built-in advice features, such as what feature to look at next, and what differences exist between remaining minerals that have met previous feature/state selections.

As well as the identification key, the app also includes the following educational material:

• details regarding the crystal structure and chemical composition of minerals,

• the geological environments or habitats where specific minerals are found,

• classes of minerals based on their chemical composition, specifically the anion present,

• best practice guidelines for using the Lucid matrix key to help identify a mineral.

It is our enthusiasm for Earth Science and recognition that the majority of current students do not learn in the same way their teachers did that led us to develop the material for this identification key. Our goal has been to use the power of interactive software to show how geologists and mineralogists identify and classify minerals. The program will allow students and enthusiastic collectors to identify more than ninety minerals with a simple to use multi-access key based on hand specimen properties. In addition, a virtual museum of photographic images accompanies extensive background text on the characteristics and origin of minerals. The unique 'learn by doing' format ensures that even those without prior training in Earth Science can develop a solid skills and knowledge base. The program will be particularly useful for students in high school and introductory level university and college geology courses, as well as professionals and enthusiastic amateurs without an advanced Earth Science background who need to identify minerals in their daily work.

It is our hope that this identification key will help students of all ages explore the unique and beautiful world of minerals and so develop an abiding interest in Earth Science. To this end, background text for each of the minerals provides a simple explanation of where and how they form as well as the positive and negative effects of mineral use. Because the mineral images include those of samples that are not well-crystallised, the student or enthusiast should be able to use them together with the key to identify samples found in road cuttings and outcrops in their own region. Used together with a subset of hand specimens in the home or teaching laboratory, the program is an excellent way to enhance understanding of important Earth Science concepts relating to mineral formation, classification and identification. Finally, we are confident that this identification key will bring great pleasure to all those who are fascinated by the great beauty and variety of specimen minerals.