Shortite Mineral Data

General Shortite Information

Chemical Formula:

Na2Ca2(CO3)3

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 306.16 gm

Sodium 15.02 % Na 20.24 % Na₂O

Calcium 26.18 % Ca 36.63 % CaO

Carbon 11.77 % C 43.12 % CO₂

Oxygen 47.03 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Na₂Ca₂(CO₃)₃

Environment:

Associated with trona.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1940

Locality:

Drill cores from the Green River formation, Wyoming and Utah. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Maxwell Naylor Short (1889-1952), professor of mineralogy, University of Arizona.

Name Pronunciation:

Shortite

Synonym:

ICSD 16495

PDF 21-1348

Shortite Image

Images:

Shortite

Comments: Colorless crystal of shortite on matrix.
Location: Green River Formation, Sweetwater Co., Wyoming, USA. Scale: Picture size 6 mm.
© Thomas Witzke / Abraxas-Verlag

Images:

Shortite

Comments: Triangular shortite crystal in kerogenaceous dolomitic marlstone from the saline zone in the Green River Formation.
Location: Green River, Sweetwater Co., Wyoming, USA. Scale: Crystal Size 2 mm.
© Tom Loomis / Dakota Matrix

Shortite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:b:c =0.4497:1:0.6455

Cell Dimensions:

a = 4.961, b = 11.03, c = 7.12, Z = 2; V = 389.61 Den(Calc)= 2.61

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic - Pyramidal H-M Symbol (mm2) Space Group: Amm2

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.562(1), 4.96(0.7), 5.52(0.7),

Forms:

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Forms: ( 0 1 0) ( 0 1 1) ( 1 0 0) ( 0 0 1)

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Physical Properties of Shortite

Cleavage:

{010} Distinct

Color:

Colorless, Light yellow.

Density:

2.6

Diaphaneity:

Transparent

Fracture:

Brittle - Conchoidal - Very brittle fracture producing small, conchoidal fragments.

Habit:

Tabular - Form dimensions are thin in one direction.

Hardness:

3 - Calcite

Luminescence:

Fluorescent, Short UV=amber, Long UV=amber.

Luster:

Vitreous (Glassy)

Streak:

white

Optical Properties of Shortite

Gladstone-Dale:

CI meas= -0.029 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDmeas/KC)
CI calc= -0.025 (Excellent) - where the CI = (1-KPDcalc/KC)
KPDcalc= 0.2115,KPDmeas= 0.2123,KC= 0.2064
Ncalc = 1.54

Optical Data:

Biaxial (-), a=1.531, b=1.555, g=1.57, bire=0.0390, 2V(Calc)=74, 2V(Meas)=75. Dispersion r < v moderate.

Pleochroism (x):

colorless.

Pleochroism (y):

colorless.

Pleochroism (z):

colorless.

Calculated Properties of Shortite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.59 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Shortite =2.61 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.0018738082
Boson Index = 0.9981261918

Photoelectric:

PE_Shortite= 3.61 barns/electron
U=PE_Shortite x rElectron Density= 9.35 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Shortite Classification

Dana Class:

14.04.01.01 (14)Anhydrous Carbonates

(14.04)with Compound Formula A+2 B++2 (CO3)4

(14.04.01)Dana Group

14.04.01.01 Shortite Na2Ca2(CO3)3 Amm2 mm2

Strunz Class:

05.AC.25 05 - CARBONATES (NITRATES)

05.A - Carbonates without additional anions, without H2O

05.AC -Alkali and alkali-earth carbonates

05.AC.25 Shortite Na2Ca2(CO3)3 Amm2 mm2

Other Shortite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Enc. of Minerals,2nd ed.,1990;Dana8) OPTIC PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

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

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

Shortite

Na2Ca2(CO3)3
Dana No: 14.04.01.01 Strunz No: 05.AC.25
Locality:

Notes:

Dakota Matrix
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