A list of the solid substances of the earth making up the so-called lithosphere (or rock sphere) in order of their abundance, does not at all correspond to a list made in order of commercial importance. Some of the most valuable substances constitute such a small proportion of the total mass of the lithosphere that they hardly figure at all in a table of the common substances.
RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF THE PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS OF THE LITHOSPHERE
When reduced to the simplest terms of elements the outer ten miles of the lithosphere consists of:1
PERCENTAGE OF PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS IN THE LITHOSPHERE
| Oxygen | 47.33 |
|---|---|
| Silicon | 27.74 |
| Aluminum | 7.85 |
| Iron | 4.50 |
| Calcium | 3.47 |
| Magnesium | 2.24 |
| Sodium | 2.46 |