Formula: Na2Al2Si3O10.2H2O Orthorhombic Description: Natrolite is a member of the zeolite family that occurs most frequently in veins and as amygdule fillings in basaltic rocks. BAYFIELD COUNTY: Thin veins of coarsely fibrous radiating clusters of white natrolite …
Iron County
Neotocite
Formula: (Mn,Fe,Mg)SiO3.H2O Amorphous Description: Neotocite forms black to brown resinous masses from the alteration of manganese silicates. DODGE COUNTY: Neotocite is tentatively identified as microscopic light yellow brown grains in the oolites of the Mayville iron formation …
Olivine
Formula: (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 Orthorhombic Description: Olivine is here used to refer to a solid solution series of minerals ranging from the magnesium end member (forsterite) to the iron end member (fayalite). Olivine is widespread in basalts and gabbros, …
Orthopyroxene
Formula: (Mg,Fe)SiO3 Orthorhombic Description: Orthopyroxenes are a group of minerals ranging from pure MgSiO3 (enstatite) to pure FeSiO3 (ferrosilite). Bronzite and hypersthene are orthopyroxenes mid-way between these two end members. As the particular orthopyroxene mineral described is not always …
Plagioclase
Formula: CaAl2Si2O8 Triclinic Description: Plagioclase is a family of feldspar minerals forming a solid solution that ranges, relatively continuously, from pure sodium aluminum silicate (the end member called albite) to pure calcium aluminum silicate (the end member …
Potassium Feldspar
Formula: KAlSi3O8 Monoclinic or Triclinic Description: Potassium feldspar refers to any of the three polymorphs microcline, orthoclase or sanidine. The distinction between these minerals can be made with certainty only after detailed X-Ray analysis. This has not …
Prehnite
Formula: Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 Orthorhombic Description: Prehnite in vug in basalt, with dark marcasite crystals. Buckley quarry, Douglas County, WI. field of view about 6 cm. across. (Photo by W. Cordua) Prehnite is most often found as a vein or …
Psilomelane
Formula: Mixture of hydrate manganese-barium oxides Description: Psilomelane is used as a blanket term to denote a variety of hard massive mixtures of manganese oxides. Most, but not all, psilomelane is the mineral romanechite (BaMn2+Mn4+8O16(OH)4 ). The …
Pyrolusite
Formula: MnO2 Tetragonal Description: Pyrolusite forms as a weathering product of other manganese minerals, as concretions or dendrites deposited by ground water or as nodules precipitated from lake water. Pyrolusite is often soft and soils the fingers, …
Quartz
Formula: SiO2 Hexagonal Description: Quartz is the most abundant mineral. It is an essential component of granitic igneous rocks, of sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and chert and of metamorphic rocks such as quartzites. It is a …