The reason due to which some minerals are stable underground while unstable at the Earth’s surface.
Introduction:
Rocks are defined as solids made up of physical mixtures of “minerals”. The concentration and types of minerals present in rocks can vary. The rocks are not composed of any particular mineral. There are many different types of minerals present inside the rock.
Explanation of Solution
Most of the minerals are stable on the Earth’s surface. However, there are some minerals that are not stable on the surface of the Earth. Weathering and soil erosion affect the stability of minerals. The process in which environmental conditions break the rocks is termed as weathering. The minerals are present inside the rocks. Any physical and chemical change in the rock affect the properties of minerals. The minerals present on the Earth’s surface become unstable due weathering. Soil erosion also affects the stability of minerals. However, these processes do not occur under the Earth.
This is the reason that some minerals are stable underground while unstable at the Earth’s surface.
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