Mineral Crystal Patterns are Fractal
by Owen Borville
November 3, 2021
Science
Mineral crystal patterns are fractal in nature.
A mineral is defined as a naturally-occurring inorganic solid material of one chemical composition with a definite crystal structure at the surface level and an ordered atomic level pattern.
Many varieties of minerals exist that produce crystalline structure and are composed of a chemical compound.
The crystal structure of a mineral produces a repeating pattern at many scales, defining the fractal nature of the mineral crystal.
There are many different mineral crystal patterns that occur in nature, however, a particular mineral crystal commonly features the same repeating pattern that defines that mineral.
Minerals can feature a variety of crystal habits including:
Acicular- needle-like crystals (long and slender)
Bladed- as a knife
Dendritic- branching pattern
Prismatic-prism
Striated- parallel grooves
Tabular- flat plates
Twinned- two crystals joined together
Botryoidal- resembles an accumulation of grapes
Fibrous- resembles fibers
Mammillary- accumulation of rounded masses
Massive- no crystal structure
Reniform- kidney shaped
Crystal forms are the geometric shapes formed by mineral crystals. Examples include:
cubic: 6 sides or faces at right angles
hexagonal prism: 6 sides plus base and top
hexagonal pyramid: 6 side pyramid plus the base
tabular: flat plates
rhombohedron: 6 sides or faces not at right angles
tetrahedron: 4 faces
dodecahedron: 12 faces
scalenohedron: 8 or 12 faces
octahedron: 8 faces
pyritohedron: 12 faces
Crystal Structure and System
Minerals can also be classified into six crystal systems based on crystal geometry. Hexagonal mineral crystals have four axes of symmetry, three of which are of equal length. The fourth axis is of a different length and is at right angles to the other three axes. Isometric mineral crystals have three axes of symmetry, all of which are equal length and are at right angles to each other. Monoclinic mineral crystals have three unequal axes with two at right angles to each other in a plane. The third axis is at an angle to the other two. Orthorhombic mineral crystals have three unequal axes in which all are at right angles to each other. Tetragonal mineral crystals have three axes of symmetry, two of which are equal length. The third axis is at a right angle to the other two. Triclinic mineral crystals have three axes of symmetry, each of which are different lengths and none of which are perpendicular to each other.
by Owen Borville
November 3, 2021
Science
Mineral crystal patterns are fractal in nature.
A mineral is defined as a naturally-occurring inorganic solid material of one chemical composition with a definite crystal structure at the surface level and an ordered atomic level pattern.
Many varieties of minerals exist that produce crystalline structure and are composed of a chemical compound.
The crystal structure of a mineral produces a repeating pattern at many scales, defining the fractal nature of the mineral crystal.
There are many different mineral crystal patterns that occur in nature, however, a particular mineral crystal commonly features the same repeating pattern that defines that mineral.
Minerals can feature a variety of crystal habits including:
Acicular- needle-like crystals (long and slender)
Bladed- as a knife
Dendritic- branching pattern
Prismatic-prism
Striated- parallel grooves
Tabular- flat plates
Twinned- two crystals joined together
Botryoidal- resembles an accumulation of grapes
Fibrous- resembles fibers
Mammillary- accumulation of rounded masses
Massive- no crystal structure
Reniform- kidney shaped
Crystal forms are the geometric shapes formed by mineral crystals. Examples include:
cubic: 6 sides or faces at right angles
hexagonal prism: 6 sides plus base and top
hexagonal pyramid: 6 side pyramid plus the base
tabular: flat plates
rhombohedron: 6 sides or faces not at right angles
tetrahedron: 4 faces
dodecahedron: 12 faces
scalenohedron: 8 or 12 faces
octahedron: 8 faces
pyritohedron: 12 faces
Crystal Structure and System
Minerals can also be classified into six crystal systems based on crystal geometry. Hexagonal mineral crystals have four axes of symmetry, three of which are of equal length. The fourth axis is of a different length and is at right angles to the other three axes. Isometric mineral crystals have three axes of symmetry, all of which are equal length and are at right angles to each other. Monoclinic mineral crystals have three unequal axes with two at right angles to each other in a plane. The third axis is at an angle to the other two. Orthorhombic mineral crystals have three unequal axes in which all are at right angles to each other. Tetragonal mineral crystals have three axes of symmetry, two of which are equal length. The third axis is at a right angle to the other two. Triclinic mineral crystals have three axes of symmetry, each of which are different lengths and none of which are perpendicular to each other.