Approximately thirty and ninety million years ago, sticky sap oozed from trees, catching insects, leaves, seeds, and other forest debris in a sticky trap. Over a long, long time, the sticky resin hardened into a solid fossilized deposit known as amber. Many minerals are capable of forming solid crystalline deposits. Crystals are formed when a mineral solidifies under force in such a way that the solid forms a regular repeating arrangement on both the external surface and the molecular level. Throughout human history, civilizations have invented ways to use rock to improve the quality of their lives.
Coal mining is a recent case worth study.
Powder River Coal Company in Gillette, Wyoming, is the second largest coal producing company in the United States. Consider the process, the reward, and the consequence. Or, you can strike certain pieces of rock together to create a spark. If striking two small pieces of rock together can cause a spark, imagine what happens when two huge rock plates underneath continents bump into each other. Earthquakes, landslides, floods, and volcanic eruptions are a few possible results.