Question

practice: minerals

• read the assignment carefully and make sure you answer each part of the question or questions.
• after youve written your response, go back and read it again to make sure your thoughts are clear.

your assignment
red beryl is one of the rarest minerals in the world.
because it is so rare, red beryl is about 1,000 times more valuable than gold. read the passage that describes how red beryl forms. then use the information to draw an inference about why red beryl has been found in only four places on earth.
it takes several steps for red beryl to form. first, a volcano with lava rich in topaz rhyolite erupts. volcanoes with this type of lava have been found only in the united states, mexico, russia, and mongolia. if the lava cools at just the right speed — not too quickly and not too slowly — it will shrink and form large gaps. the gaps fill with hot volcanic gases rich in beryllium, a rare element. over time, surface water seeps into the cracks and reacts with the gases, forming red beryl crystals.

Explanation:

Red beryl's formation requires multiple extremely specific, rare conditions that only overlap in 4 locations:

1. It first needs volcanoes that erupt topaz rhyolite lava, which only exist in 4 countries (US, Mexico, Russia, Mongolia).
2. The lava must cool at an exact, narrow speed (not too fast or slow) to form large gaps.
3. These gaps must fill with volcanic gases rich in beryllium, a rare natural element.
4. Finally, surface water must seep into the cracks to react with the gases and form the crystals.

All these rare, interconnected conditions only align in the four known Earth locations.

Answer:

Red beryl is only found in four places on Earth because its formation depends on a unique, overlapping set of extremely rare conditions:

1. Only volcanoes in four specific regions (US, Mexico, Russia, Mongolia) erupt the required topaz rhyolite lava.
2. The lava must cool at a precise, narrow speed to form the large gaps needed for crystal development.
3. The gaps need to be filled with volcanic gases containing beryllium, a rare natural element.
4. Surface water must then seep into the cracks to react with the gases and form red beryl crystals.

These strict, rare conditions only occur together in the four known locations.