Mineralogy of manganese dendrites and coatings
- Creators
- Potter, Russell M.
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Rossman, George R.
Abstract
Infrared spectroscopic study of desert varnish, manganese dendrites, river deposits, and other manganese oxide concentrations of the terrestrial weathering environment has shown that the morphological distinctions among them have a sound basis in differences in their mineralogy. The manganese oxide in manganese dendrites collected in surface exposures is either romanechite or a hollandite-group mineral. These are mixed with varying amounts of silicate minerals, which are a passive substrate for the oxide deposition. Dendrites collected in underground mine workings are todorokite. Manganese stream deposits are generally birnessite with minor amounts of silicate minerals; one nsutite stream deposit has been identified. Crack deposit mineralogy resembles that of manganese dendrites. Cave and subglacial deposit mineralogy resembles that of manganese stream deposits. Although dendrites have long been considered to be pyrolusite, no example of pyrolusite mineralogy has been identified.
Additional Information
© 1979 Mineralogical Society of America. Manuscript received, January 2, 1979; accepted for publication, February 11, 1979. We thank the following for providing samples: J. Bard, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory; A. Bauman, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; R. Carpenter, University of Georgia; M. Furst, California Institute of Technology; B. Hallet, Stanford University; J. Hayden, Tucson, Arizona; A. Jelinek, University of Arizona; B. Kisner, Hollywood, California; K. Nealson, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; G. Nowlan, U. S. Geological Survey; R. Perry, University of Washington; R. Sharp, California Institute of Technology; R. Stoessel, Exxon Production Research, Houston, Texas. A portion of the funding for this work was provided by the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation and the John A. McCarthy Foundation.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 38477
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20130514-075425570
- L. S. B. Leakey Foundation
- John A. McCarthy Foundation
- Created
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2013-05-14Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2019-11-26Created from EPrint's last_modified field
- Caltech groups
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Name
- Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
- Other Numbering System Identifier
- 3153