Carbonates and Nitrates
CaCO3,, Calcite CaMg(CO3)2 Dolomite CaFe(CO3)2 Ankerite MgCO3, Magnesite FeCO3, Siderite Molecular %
Calcite group minerals CaCO3, Calcite MgCO3, Magnesite FeCO3, Siderite ZnCO3, Smithsonite MnCO3, Rhodochrosite CaCO3, Calcite FeCO3, Siderite Hexagonal _ Space group R32/c Hexagonal Point group: 32/m c Cations in 6-fold coordination
Dolomite-group minerals CaMg(CO3)2, Dolomite CaFe(CO3)2, Ankerite CaMn(CO3)2, Kutnahorite Hexagonal _ Space group R3 c Cations in 6-fold coordination
Crystals of minerals of the calcite group
Aragonite group minerals Cations in 9-fold coordination CaCO3, Aragonite CaCO3, aragonite BaCO3, witherite SrCO3,strontianite PbCO3,cerrusite c Orthorhombic Space group Pmcn
Crystals of minerals of the aragonite group Cyclic twins: combinations of pseudohexagonal prisms and dipyramids Combinations of orthorhombic prisms and dipyramids Crystals of minerals of the aragonite group
Reconstructive phase transition
calcite
calcite
calcite Double refractions twinning Double refraction Twinning in “dog tooth spar”
magnesite
siderite
smithsonite
rhodochrosite
aragonite aragonite twins
Aragonite shells
witherite
strontianite
cerrusite Cerrusite twins
dolomite
Il Dolomiti, The Dolomites of northern Italy
ankerite
Monoclinic carbonates malachite Cu2CO3(OH)2 azurite Cu3(CO3)(OH)2
malachite
malachite b Cu(O,OH)6 edge-sharing octahedra forming chains. The three dots represent carbonate groups. a
azurite
azurite c Chains of CuO2(OH)4 and CuO4(OH)4 octahedra linked by edge-sharing. Chains are cross linked by carbonate groups (in red). b
Nitrates nitratite (soda niter) NaNO3 – isostructural with calcite niter (saltpeter) KNO3 – isostructural with aragonite
nitratie
Niter (saltpeter)