GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Water does not pass the test of being a solid so it is not considered a mineral although ice; which is solid, is classified as a mineral as long as it is naturally occurring. Thus ice in a snow bank is a mineral, but ice in an ice cube from a refrigerator is not.

Detailed explanation-2: -Although many people do not think about Ice as a mineral, it is a mineral just as much as Quartz is. Ice is a naturally occurring compound with a defined chemical formula and crystal structure, thus making it a legitimate mineral.

Detailed explanation-3: -Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H2O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice.

Detailed explanation-4: -Yes, a snowflake is a mineral. Let’s go through the definition of a mineral to see why a snowflake can be considered a mineral: Homogeneous: Snowflakes made of ice water are the same through and through. Naturally occurring: Snowflakes can be formed naturally when water freezes in cold air.