Vernadite Mineral Data

General Vernadite Information

Chemical Formula:

(Mn++++,Fe+++,Ca,Na)(O,OH)2•n(H2O)

Composition:

Molecular Weight = 108.16 gm

Sodium 2.13 % Na 2.87 % Na₂O

Calcium 3.71 % Ca 5.18 % CaO

Manganese 30.48 % Mn 48.23 % MnO₂

Iron 10.33 % Fe 14.76 % Fe₂O₃

Hydrogen 3.08 % H 27.48 % H₂O

Oxygen 50.29 % O

______ ______

100.00 % 98.52 % = TOTAL OXIDE

Empirical Formula:

Mn⁴⁺_0.6Fe³⁺_0.2Ca_0.1Na_0.1O_1.5(OH)_0.5•1.4(H₂O)

Environment:

Marine and fresh water iron-manganese crusts and concretions, often in relict bacterial forms.

IMA Status:

Valid Species (Pre-IMA) 1944

Locality:

Somewhere in Russia. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.

Name Origin:

Named for Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadskii (1863-1945), Russian natrualist and geochemist.

Name Pronunciation:

Vernadite + Pronunciation

Synonym:

Wad

Vernadite Image

Images:

Vernadite

Comments: Black sub-metallic rounded vernadite crystals.
Location: Km3, Laurium, Attiki, Greece. Scale: See Photo.
© Jeff Weissman / Photographic Guide to Mineral Species

Vernadite Crystallography

Axial Ratios:

a:c = 1:0.28826

Cell Dimensions:

a = 9.866, c = 2.844, Z = 4; V = 276.83 Den(Calc)= 2.60

Crystal System:

Tetragonal - DipyramidalH-M Symbol (4/m) Space Group: I 4/m

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

By Intensity(I/I_o): 2.39(1), 2.15(0.6), 3.11(0.6),

Physical Properties of Vernadite

Color:

Black, Chocolate brown.

Density:

Diaphaneity:

Opaque

Habit:

Platy - Sheet forms (e.g. micas).

Streak:

chocolate brown

Optical Properties of Vernadite

Optical Data:

NCalc= 1.9 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.3463) where Ncalc=Dcalc*KC+1
NCalc= 2.04 - from Gladstone-Dale relationship (KC = 0.3463) where Ncalc=Dmeas*KC+1

Calculated Properties of Vernadite

Electron Density:

Bulk Density (Electron Density)=2.59 gm/cc
note: Specific Gravity of Vernadite =2.60 gm/cc.

Fermion Index:

Fermion Index = 0.002485243
Boson Index = 0.997514757

Photoelectric:

PE_Vernadite= 11.22 barns/electron
U=PE_Vernadite x rElectron Density= 29.01 barns/cc.

Radioactivity:

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

Vernadite Classification

Dana Class:

04.04.09.01 (04)Simple Oxides

(04.04)with a cation charge of 4+ (A++++ O2)

(04.04.09)Dana Group

04.04.09.01 Vernadite (Mn,Fe,Ca,Na)(O,OH)2•n(H2O) I 4/m 4/m

Strunz Class:

04.FE.40 04 - OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodate

04.F - Hydroxides (without V or U)

04.FE -Hydroxides with OH, without H2O; sheets of edge-sharing octahedra

04.FE.40 Feroxyhyte FeO(OH) Unk Hex

04.FE.40 Vernadite (Mn,Fe,Ca,Na)(O,OH)2•n(H2O) I 4/m 4/m

Other Vernadite Information

References:

NAME( Dana8) PHYS. PROP.(Dana8)

See Also:

Links to other databases for Vernadite :
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

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Ask about Vernadite here :
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Print or Cut-and-Paste your Vernadite Specimen Label here :

Vernadite

(Mn++++,Fe+++,Ca,Na)(O,OH)2•n(H2O)
Dana No: 04.04.09.01 Strunz No: 04.FE.40
Locality:

Notes: