Question

Red beryl is one of the rarest minerals in the world. Because it is so rare, red beryl is about 1000 times more valuable than gold. Read the passage that describes how red beryl forms. Use the information to draw an inference about why red beryl has been found in only four places on Earth.

It takes several steps for red beryl to form. First, a volcano with lava rich in topaz rhyolite erupts. Volcanoes with this type of lava have been found only in the United States, Mexico, Russia, and Mongolia. If the lava cools at just the right speed — not too quickly and not too slowly — it will shrink and form large gaps. The gaps fill with hot volcanic gases rich in beryllium, a rare element. Over time, surface water seeps into the cracks and reacts with the gases, forming red beryl crystals.

Answer 1

Red beryl's scarcity and geographic limitation are due to the rarity of the necessary volcanic conditions, the precise cooling required for lava, and the presence of beryllium-rich gases for crystal formation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Red beryl is an extremely rare mineral that forms under highly specific conditions. The formation of red beryl requires a unique combination of geological events: a volcano with topaz rhyolite lava, the lava cooling at the precise speed to form gaps, and volcanic gases rich in beryllium filling these gaps. Surface water must also be present to react with the gases and form red beryl crystals. Given that all these factors must align perfectly, it is no surprise that red beryl is only found in a few locations.

Several factors contribute to red beryl's rarity: the scarcity of volcanoes with the right type of lava, the rarity of beryllium, and the specific conditions required for the lava to cool and form suitable gaps for crystal growth. Thus, red beryl has only been found in the United States, Mexico, Russia, and Mongolia, where these rare conditions have occurred.

Answer 2

It has been found only in four places on the earth

Step-by-step explanation:

Because you need a volcano with lava rich in topaz rhyolite erupts. If the ava cools at just the right speed — not too quickly and not too slowly — it will shrink and form large gaps. The gaps fill with hot volcanic gases rich in beryllium, a rare element. Over time, surface water seeps into the cracks and reacts with the gases, forming red beryl crystals.