Category Carbonate minerals Strunz classification 5.BF.05 Space group Fd3 | Formula(repeating unit) Na3Mg(CO3)2Cl Crystal system Isometric | |
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Crystal class Diploidal (m3)H-M symbol: (2/m3) | ||
Northupite is an uncommon evaporite mineral, with the chemical formula Na3Mg(CO3)2Cl. It occurs as colourless to dark grey or brown octahedral crystals and as globular masses. In synthetic material it forms a series with tychite (Na6Mg2(CO3)4SO4).
It was discovered in 1895 at Searles Lake, San Bernardino County, California by C. H. Northup (born 1861) from San Jose, California, for whom Northupite is named.
It occurs associated with tychite, pirssonite at Searles Lake and with shortite, trona, pirssonite, gaylussite, labuntsovite, searlesite, norsethite, loughlinite, pyrite and quartz in the Green River Formation of Wyoming.
References
Northupite Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA