Ewingite

Ewingite is a mineral discovered by Jakub Plášil of the Institute of Physics at the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in the Plavno mine, Czech Republic. Travis Olds of the University of Notre Dame and colleagues described ewingite, which is the most structurally complex known mineral on Earth. Ewingite is named in honor of Rodney C. Ewing, Professor of Geological Sciences at Stanford University, USA.[3]

Ewingite
General
CategoryOrganic mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)		Mg8Ca8(UO2)24(CO3)30O4(OH)12·138H2O
IMA symbolEwg[1]
Crystal systemTetragonal
Crystal class4/mmm (4/m 2/m 2/m) - Ditetragonal Dipyramidal
Identification
ColorYellow
Other characteristics Radioactive
References[2]

The mineral is rare, due to its very narrow pH and compositional range required for formation, which are only known to occur in the Plavno mine. Ewingite forms through uranium oxidation occurring in the humid environment of the mine.[3]

The mineral is chemically similar to rabbittite, swartzite, and albrechtschraufite.[2]

The type specimen of ewingite has been placed in the mineralogy collections at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.[3]

Localities

Czech Republic : Plavno mine, Jáchymov District, Krušné Hory Mountains, Karlovy Vary Region, Bohemia

References
  1. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. "Ewingite: Ewingite mineral information and data". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2017-09-04.
  3. "New Mineral Listing | Carbon Mineral Challenge". mineralchallenge.net. Archived from the original on 2017-09-05. Retrieved 2017-09-04.


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