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The silica cycle plays an important role in long term global climate regulation. The global silica cycle also has large effects on the global carbon cycle through the carbonate-silicate cycle. [43] The process of silicate mineral weathering transfers atmospheric CO 2 to the hydrologic cycle through the chemical reaction displayed above. [4]
Silicate minerals are rock-forming minerals made up of silicate groups. They are the largest and most important class of minerals and make up approximately 90 percent of Earth's crust. [1] [2] [3] In mineralogy, silica (silicon dioxide, SiO 2) is usually considered a silicate mineral rather than an oxide mineral. Silica is found in nature as ...
[1] [2] [3] Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere during burial of weathered minerals and returned to the atmosphere through volcanism. On million-year time scales, the carbonate-silicate cycle is a key factor in controlling Earth's climate because it regulates carbon dioxide levels and therefore global temperature. [3]
Silicate, or silicic acid (H 4 SiO 4), is an important nutrient in the ocean. Unlike the other major nutrients such as phosphate, nitrate, or ammonium, which are needed by almost all marine plankton, silicate is an essential chemical requirement for very specific biota, including diatoms, radiolaria, silicoflagellates, and siliceous sponges.
The largest group of minerals by far are the silicates, which are composed largely of silicon and oxygen, with the addition of ions such as aluminium, magnesium, iron and calcium. Some important rock-forming silicates include the feldspars, quartz, olivines, pyroxenes, amphiboles, garnets and micas.
Equilibria involving hydrolysis of silicate minerals are difficult to study. The chief challenge is the very low solubility of SiO 4 4-and its various protonated forms. Such equilibria are relevant to the processes occurring on geological time scales. [7] [8] Some plants excrete ligands that dissolve silicates, a step in biomineralization.
Silicate carbonate minerals can be formed in limestone metamorphosed by heating from igneous intrusions. [1] Scawtite forms where the activity of calcium is high compared to H +. Spurrite forms in a limited range of calcium activity and high silica activity. [2] In magma, a carbonate rich melt is imiscible with a silicate melt. [3]
The grouping of the New Dana Classification and of the mindat.org is similar only, and so this classification is an overview only. Consistency is missing too on the group name endings (group, subgroup, series) between New Dana Classification and mindat.org. Category, class and supergroup name endings are used as layout tools in the list as well.