Quartz is the second most abundant mineral, Earth

---

Quartz crystals are chiral, and exist in two forms, the normal α-quartz and the high-temperature β-quartz. The transformation from α-quartz to β-quartz takes place abruptly at 573 °C (846 K). Since the transformation is accompanied by a significant change in volume, it can easily induce fracturing of ceramics or rocks passing through this temperature limit

---

Size: 3184px × 2120px
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Photo credit: © Martin Almqvist / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: alaska, area, atoms, badlands, boreal, carvings, ceramics, chiral, continental, crust, crystal, dakota, dorset, feldspar, fiction, framework, futuristic, gemstones, hardstone, hills, imaginative, island, jewelry, lakes, land, landscape, limit, mineral, national, nature, oxygenn, park, ponds, prairie, quartz, rainforest, rocks, sea, silicon, silicon–oxygen, sio4, south, speculative, taiga, tetrahedra, tetrahedraa, tundra