Silicate mineral

A mineral built from silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, which occur alone or joined into chains, sheets, frameworks, and other structures.

Silicon–oxygen tetrahedron: A structural unit with one silicon atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms at the corners of a tetrahedron. This is the fundamental unit from which silicate mineral structures are assembled.
Nesosilicate: A silicate class whose tetrahedra are isolated rather than linked to one another. Isolated tetrahedra require balancing cations and produce compact mineral structures.
Quartz: A crystalline mineral composed of silicon dioxide, with a three-dimensional framework of linked tetrahedra. Quartz is a framework silicate made entirely of silicon and oxygen.
Bowen's reaction series: A model describing the order in which minerals crystallize as magma cools. Its sequence links silicate composition and structure to crystallization conditions.
Mantle mineralogy: The study of minerals and mineral phases found in Earth's mantle. High-pressure silicate phases constrain the mantle's composition and internal structure.
Silicate anion: A negatively charged silicon–oxygen group formed by one or more linked tetrahedra. Shared oxygen atoms link tetrahedra into charged groups within many silicates.
Sorosilicate: A silicate class built from pairs of tetrahedra that share one oxygen atom. Paired tetrahedra illustrate limited sharing between structural units.
Feldspar: A group of framework silicate minerals containing aluminum and calcium, sodium, or potassium. Feldspars are abundant framework silicates and major constituents of Earth's crust.
Rock-forming mineral: A mineral that occurs abundantly enough to make up a significant part of a rock. Silicate minerals dominate the mineral inventory of most rocks in Earth's crust.
Perovskite-structured silicate: A high-pressure silicate phase with the perovskite crystal structure, stable deep within Earth. Its abundance and behavior help explain seismic and chemical properties of the lower mantle.

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