Important Minerals of the Earth's Crust Silicates are the most important rock forming mineral. All are substances which contain silicon are silicates. Because silicon is so abundant in the crust we would expect that silicate minerals would be a major component of most rocks. These minerals will be discussed in a separate lecture. 3 - A carbonate which is deposited by chemical precipitation as well as deposited by some animals in their shells.
Coral reefs are predominantly calcite.
It is a minor accessory in igneous rocks. 3 O 8 - The main ore mineral of uranium. This mineral is the primary copper mineral in porphyry-copper deposits. O - Deposited before halite as part of an evaporite deposited when large bodies of water evaporate without draining. An example is the Great Salt Lake of Utah.