Weblinks to Mineral Resources & Metals Information

Aggregate

What is aggregate? (Aggregate Producers Association of BC)

Birthstones

Birthstone Information (Think Quest)

Birthstone Table (Think Quest)

Cement and Concrete

Cement production (Holcim)

This aggregate production company webiste provides brief descriptions and simple figures to tell what cement is, how it is different from concrete, and explain how it is produced.

Cement Manufacturing (Portland Cement Association)

Information on how cement is made, including a virtual tour (animated) through a cement manufacturing plant.

Cement Types (St. Lawrence Cement Group, Ontario)

Information on how cement is made and the different types of cement and their special uses.

Concrete Facts (Cement Association of Canada)

Brief descriptions and figures on the history of cement and how it is made, the cement industry in Canada, and how concrete is made.

Coal

Coal Association of Canada

Basic information on what coal is, how it forms, where it is found in Canada, how it is used, and why it is important.

Coal Education - Kentucky

Fun Stuff includes a gallery of coal mining photos, Mining TV - video clips on coal formation, coal preparation, mining machinery, underground operations and mine saefty, and games - puzzles, word searches and Concentration.

Coal in British Columbia

Coins

United States Mint

Interactive site that explains how coins are made by the US Mint!

Concrete

Holcim Ltd.

This aggregate producing company website offers simple descriptions and figures that explain how concrete is produced.

Copper

Copper Development Association

Almost everything you might want to learn about how and why copper is used can be found on this Web site hosted by the US copper industry's association.

Diamonds

Canada: A Diamond Producing Nation Natural Resources Canada

The Nature of Diamonds American Museum of Natural History

10 Most Famous Diamonds

Diamond Deception

Environmental Uses of Minerals

Nevada Commission on Mineral Resources

Fossil Fuels

Oil, Gas & Coal (Houghton Mifflin Company, publishers)

Information on oil, gas and coal, how they form, how they are recovered and how they are used. Also descriptions and illustrations of new clean coal technologies and oil recovery methods.

Looking Down an Oil Well US Dept. of Energy

Oil Saskatchewan Interactive

Gemstones

Gemstone Primer (Nova, PBS)

Basic information and a photo of each of the familar gemstones: agate, emerald, ruby, lapis, etc.

Gemstone Formation and Location (University of Wisconsin)

One of a series of lectures on minerals that outlines how and where gems form (animations) and where they might be found.

Glass

Stained Glass Learn how stained glass is made with this on-line tour.

Gold

Gold Properties (The Gold Institute)

Gold Uses (The Gold Institute)

Graphite

Graphite (Naturgraphit GmbH)

Gypsum

The Rock that Nobody Knows (The National Gypsum Comany)

Iron Ore

Making Iron & Steel

Kaolin

China Clay Producers, Georgia

Information on kaolin mining in Georgia, how, why, where it is done and how kaolin is used.

Mineral Commodities

US Geological Survey List

Earth Science World List

Current information linked to NY Stock Exchange

Mineral Lore and Mythology

Texas Memorial Museum, Univ. of Texas

Short history of how humankind throughout the ages has given minerals special, mythical significance. The origin of assigning birthstones is also addressed.

Mineral Resources in Canada by Province

British Columbia

Alberta

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Newfoundland & Labrador

Yukon

Mineral Uses

Metal Uses from Mining in Manitoba

Minerals in Your House from Mineralogical Society of America

Mineral Uses Quiz from Saskachewan Mining

Minerals and Metals: A World to Discover

NRCAN, Minerals and Metals Sector

Oils Sands

Oils Sands Discovery Centre, Alberta

The Oil Sands Story tells how the oil sands formed, how it is mined and processed, and how the land is reclaimed. Kid's Centre has a downloadable booklet that provides this information for young learners.

Phosphate Rock

Mine Safety & Health Administration, US

Potash

Mine Safety & Health Administration, US

Rubies

Rubies

Salt

Sifto Canada How it forms, how it is mined, and how it is used.

Windsor Salt

Map: Salt deposits and production locations in North America

Soda Ash

Mine Safety & Health Administration, US

Sports: Minerals

US Geological Survey

Recreations (and professional!) sports rely on mineral products too - everything from baseball bats to racing bikes to playing surfaces and free weights.

Talc

Luzenac

Everything you want to know about this mineral: what it is, how it forms and how it is mined (All About); how it is used (Applications); and Fascinating Facts.

Zeolites

Mineral Gallery

Great descriptions of the structures of these unique minerals that make them useful as "sieves" and absorbents.

Zinc

American Zinc Association
Information on the many uses of zinc, plus a section on the role of zinc in human health. Click on their link to educational videos to view "Zinc Oxide and You" as well as video clips from "Zinc - The Great Protector!".