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future and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) guides busi- While mineralogy is deeply embedded in most aspects of the earth
ness decisions, the earth sciences, specifically mineral sciences, are sciences (Fig. 4), mineralogy bridges disciplinary boundaries and
ever more important to provide foundational information. connects earth sciences to other science, technology, engineering,
Yet, the study of minerals has dwindled, gradually disappearing and mathematics (STEM) fields. One such example was recently
from the earth-science curriculum, particularly in the U.S. (e.g., released by the American Chemical Society in their “reaction” series
Nietzel, 2020; Bierman, 2021). Commonly viewed as “too tradi- titled “Are we standing on a quadrillion diamonds?” (ACS, 2021).
tional,” mineralogy classes have been reduced in many curricula, Chemists are capitalizing on the inspiration and engagement of
compressed into another class (e.g., “earth materials”), or aban- chemical reactions to make (natural) minerals—clearly trying to take
doned altogether and expunged from the curriculum, with the con- the spotlight from the geosciences. Much of materials science and
comitant loss of critical expertise. No funding agency supports advanced materials research is built on templates from nature (i.e.,
“mineralogical research” per se. One recent editorial described how minerals). This approach has been largely in the domain of chemists
difficult it is to find properly trained mineralogists in the U.S. and physicists—yet earth scientists have much to contribute. Because
(R. Ewing, personal commun., 2021). of my mineral-science background, I had the pleasure of serving as a
This short article provides a case for mineralogical expertise and Ph.D. committee member in the chemistry department for a candi-
implores earth scientists to re-engage with this discipline, because its date studying the crystal structure of MoS , which mineral geoscien-
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foundational knowledge and skill sets are integral to earth-science tists know as molybdenite. During the questioning, I asked the candi-
solutions required to tackle some of society’s most challenging prob- date if they could identify the shiny, gray, foliated sample of MoS
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lems. Additionally, embracing mineralogy in all its forms, by sup- I proffered He looked at me quizzically and replied that he had no
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porting mineralogical research and education, provides fundamental idea that MoS was an actual mineral that occurred naturally on
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information required to help solve many of Earth’s most closely Earth. Clearly, geoscientists with a mineralogical background can
guarded secrets. The criticality of mineralogical knowledge is dem- inform the STEM community about mutually beneficial subjects.
onstrated by connecting the mineral sciences across scientific disci- Geoscientists understand complex, heterogeneous, multicompo-
plines and into the realm of humankind by providing select examples nent, and natural materials over ranges of spatial scales and through
in science, technology, and society. time, and are superb analysts, providing natural connections to
To geoscientists, the value of minerals to science is broadly rec- these disciplines. As such, mineralogy is a translational science,
ognized. Resulting from complex planetary processes, minerals are within and outside of the earth sciences.
extraordinary archives of Earth’s mysteries, allowing scientists to
decipher ~4.5 billion years of embedded history. For example, the Paleoclimatology Geochemistry
minerals in a pallasite meteorite contain clues to the composition, Environmental
formation conditions, and evolution of the early Solar System, with Mineralogy, Geology Petrology
implications for core-mantle development of Earth. Glacial ice, a
Meteoritics
Paleontology
mineral, shapes continents, modulates Earth’s surface tempera- Geomicrobiology Planetary Studies
tures, and moderates climate variations; it also traps gas bubbles Mineralogy
that sample prehistoric CO and CH levels. Other minerals, such as
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calcite, can record in their oscillatory zoning patterns the thermal, Geofluids, Hydrology Structural Geology
Tectonics
chemical, and mechanical interactions in complex geosystems.
Portions of the biosphere, such as pollen grains, invertebrate exo- Materials Science Economic Geology
skeletons, and vertebrate bones and teeth are (bio)minerals. Their
former presence, now as fossilized remnants of past life, owe their Mineral Physics Geophysics
persistence to mineral replacement (Fig. 3).
Figure 4. Centrality of mineralogy to earth-science disciplines (modified
from Klein and Dutrow, 2007).

MINERALS AND CLIMATE
Although a myriad of examples is available to demonstrate the
value of minerals in technology and society, this article focuses on
Figure 3. Belemnite, replaced select mineralogical contributions that will serve as integral compo-
by the mineraloid opal, pre- nents to mitigate the climate crises. These examples include (1) min-
serves former remnants of eral trapping as one method for carbon capture and long-term
life. Early Cretaceous: 135
Ma. From Coober Pedy, storage; (2) mineral constituents as essential materials for the energy
South Australia. © Jeff Scovil transformation, highlighting renewable energy and electric vehicles;
photo. Rob Seilecki speci-
men. Used with permission. and (3) minerals as templates for advanced functional materials.

Mineral Trapping
As the world struggles with the impact of climate change, carbon
capture and long-term storage are required for reducing greenhouse
gas emissions into the atmosphere, stabilizing and lowering carbon
dioxide levels, and ensuring a more robust sustainable climate path

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