Tell us how you developed such a strong interest in Iowa’s minerals that you wrote a book about them.
My interest in geology has always centered on minerals. As a boy growing up in Idaho, I hiked mountain trails, walked the shores of crystal-clear lakes, and pored through the ruins of abandoned lead and silver mines. I picked up and hauled home anything that looked interesting. During my high school years I built a shed, complete with a workbench, storage shelves, and electricity, so that I could house and study my minerals. When I arrived at Cornell College in 1969, I began to look for places to collect and study minerals. I soon became aware of favorite mineral-collecting quarries, mines, and other localities, and I developed research projects for Cornell geology students and myself. Eventually I became aware that I knew more about the geology of Iowa minerals than perhaps anybody else. Jean Prior believed this to be true, and she urged me to write the book.
In simple terms, what’s the difference between a rock and a mineral?
In simple terms, a rock is an aggregate of one or more minerals. Granite is an aggregate of crystals of quartz, feldspar, and minor minerals like mica. Limestone is an aggregate of crystals of the mineral calcite. One can physically break a rock into its component minerals, but one cannot physically break up a mineral into anything but smaller pieces of the mineral itself.
Paul Garvin,
Iowa’s Minerals: Their Occurrence, Origins, Industries, and Lore
