Norsethite Mineral Data

General Norsethite Information

Chemical Formula:

BaMg(CO3)2

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 281.65 gm

Barium 48.76 % Ba 54.44 % BaO

Magnesium 8.63 % Mg 14.31 % MgO

Carbon 8.53 % C 31.25 % CO₂

Oxygen 34.08 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

BaMg(CO₃)₂

Environment:

Authigenic mineral in and underlying the Green River Formation

IMA Status:

Approved IMA 1960

Locality:

Westvaco trona mine, about 30 km west of Green River, Sweetwater Co., Wyoming, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Keith Norseth (1927-1991), American engineering geologist, Westvaco trona mine, Wyoming, USA,

Name Pronunciation:

Norsethite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

ICSD 24435

PDF 12-530

Norsethite Image

Images:

Norsethite

Comments: B&W RL image of interlocking norsethite (light-grey, stained) and calcite (dark-grey, etched). Etched with sodium rhodizonate solution. (AmMin, v52:1770).
Location: Discoveredz inc-lead-coppedr eposita t Rosh Pinah, situated about 100 miles south-east of Aus in South West Africa. Scale: Magnification 85 X.
© American Mineralogist

Norsethite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:3.33665

Cell Dimensions:

a = 5.02, c = 16.75, Z = 3; V = 365.56 Den(Calc)= 3.84

Crystal System:

Trigonal - Trapezohedral H-M Symbol (3 2) Space Group: R 32

$Help on X Ray Diffraction:$ X Ray Diffraction:

By Intensity(I/I_o): 3.015(1), 2.656(0.35), 3.86(0.35),

Physical Properties of Norsethite

Cleavage:

{???} Good

Color:

Colorless, White.

Density:

3.837

Diaphaneity:

Transparent to Translucent

Fracture:

Hackly - Jagged, torn surfaces, (e.g. fractured metals).

Hardness:

3.5 - Copper Penny

Luster:

Vitreous - Pearly

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Norsethite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= 0.038 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= 0.038 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.1579,KPDmeas= 0.1581,KC= 0.1642
Ncalc = 1.63

Optical Data:

Uniaxial (-), e=1.519, w=1.694, bire=0.1750.

Calculated Properties of Norsethite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=3.49 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Norsethite =3.84 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.09
Boson Index = 0.91

Photoelectric:

PE_Norsethite= 215.34 barns/electron
U=PE_Norsethite x rElectron Density= 751.60 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

GRapi = 0 (Gamma Ray American Petroleum Institute Units)
Norsethite is Not Radioactive

Norsethite Classification

Dana Class:

14.02.02.01 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.02)with Compound Formula A+ B++ (CO3)2

(14.02.02)Norsethite Group

14.02.02.01 Norsethite BaMg(CO3)2 R 32 3 2

14.02.02.02 Paralstonite BaCa(CO3)2 P 3₂1 3 2

14.02.02.03 Olekminskite Sr(Sr,Ca,Ba)(CO3)2 P 3₂1 3 2

Strunz Class:

05.AB.30 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AB -Alkali-earth (and other M2+) carbonates

05.AB.30 Norsethite BaMg(CO3)2 R 32 3 2

Other Norsethite Information

References:

NAME( AntBidBlaNic3) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990) OPTIC PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Norsethite :
1 - Am. Min. Crystal Structure Database
2 - Athena
3 - EUROmin Project
4 - Ecole des Mines de Paris
5 - GeoScienceWorld
6 - Google Images
7 - Google Scholar
8 - Handbook of Mineralogy (MinSocAm)
9 - Handbook of Mineralogy (UofA)
10 - MinDAT
11 - Mineralienatlas (Deutsch)
12 - Online Mineral Museum
13 - QUT Mineral Atlas
14 - Ruff.Info
15 - WWW-MINCRYST

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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Norsethite Specimen Label here :

Norsethite

BaMg(CO3)2
Dana No: 14.02.02.01 Strunz No: 05.AB.30
Locality:

Notes:

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