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Formula: Sr(CO3)
Anhydrous normal carbonate, aragonite group, forms a series with
cerussite
Emmonite is a calcium-bearing variety of strontianite.
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 3.74 to 3.78 measured, 3.722 calculated
Hardness: 3½
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless, white, yellowish, greenish, grey
Solubility: Readily soluble in hydrochloric acid; moderately soluble in sulphuric and nitric acid
Common impurities: Ca
Environments:
Pegmatites
Carbonatites
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Strontianite is an epithermal (low temperature) hydrothermal mineral that occurs in sulphide veins in
limestone, marl and
chalk, and
also as geodes or concretionary masses in limestone or
clay. It occurs rarely in hydrothermal metallic veins and is common in
carbonatites. Associated minerals include
baryte, celestine,
calcite, harmotome and
sulphur
Strontianite alters to celestine and is itself also found as an alteration product of
celestine
(Mindat, HOM).
Localities
At the Cariboo Mining Division, British Columbia, Canada, strontianite occurs in vein deposits in
limestone
(Dana).
At the Francon quarry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, strontianite is very common as aggregates to 10 cm as a late stage mineral
in the sill cavities, sometimes as multiple generations
(Minrec 37.1.44-46).
At Oberschaffhausen, Bötzingen, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Freiburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, strontianite occurs
with zeolites
(Dana).
At the Meiseberg mine, Neudorf, Harzgerode, Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, strontianite occurs in cavities with
siderite and galena
(Minrec 43.1.45).
At Trichy, Tiruchirapalli District, Tamil Nadu, India, strontianite occurs in clay
with celestine, gypsum and phosphatic nodules
(Dana).
At Sierra Mojada, Mun. de Sierra Mojada, Coahuila, Mexico, secondary
strontianite occurs with celestine in a
lead-silver deposit, and is believed to have formed as
an alteration product of celestine
(AM 18.345-350).
At the Kirovskii apatite mine, Kukisvumchorr Mt, Khibiny Massif, Murmansk Oblast, Russia,
strontianite occurs in late hydrothermal assemblages in cavities of
pegmatites associated with
kukharenkoite-(La) in a
pectolite-aegirine-microcline
vein
(Minrec 35.4.355).
At Yukspor Mt, Khibiny Massif, Murmansk Oblast, Russia, strontianite is associated with
ferricerite-(LaCa) in an
aegirine-natrolite-microcline
vein in
foyaite
(Minrec 35.2.176), and with barylite-10 in alkaline
pegmatite veins
(Minrec 35.4.347).
At Palabora, Limpopo Province, South Africa strontianite was found on one occasion, as single white prismatic crystals to
3 mm associated with iowaite in a carbonate stringer in
phoskorite
(R&M 92.5.448).
At Brownley Hill Mine, Nenthead, Alston Moor, Eden, Cumbria, England, UK strontianite occurs rarely as white to pale
green sprays to 5 mm in cavities in baryte with
calcite and ankerite, collected from the
top of the Great Limestone
(Minrec 31.3.248).
At Castleton, High Peak, Derbyshire, England, UK, strontianite occurs as white millimetre-size tapering prismatic
crystals with colourless to white calcite, pale to dark purple
fluorite, curved white baryte, dark resinous
sphalerite and sphenoidal
chalcopyrite on two specimens from an old collection, dating back to the
eigtheenth century
(JRS 23.19-32).
At Dulcote Quarry, St Cuthbert Out, Mendip, Somerset, England, UK, strontianite has been found as aggregates to 6 mm of
steeply pointed, colourless to white crystals on calcite
(JRS 13.17).
At the type locality, Strontian, Fort William and Ardnamurchan, Highland, Scotland, UK, strontianite occurs in veins
in gneiss
(Mindat).
At the Minerva No. 1 Mine, Ozark-Mahoning group, Cave-in-Rock, Hardin county, Illinois, USA, strontianite has been found with
fluorite and calcite
(R&M 85.3.212).
At the Empire Mining Sub-District, Pope county, Illinois, USA, strontianite has been found as small bowties of elongate
crystals on marcasite
(R&M 85.2.217).
At Lime City, Ohio, USA, strontianite pseudomorphs after
celestine have been found
(KL p171).
At (Mt. Union,) Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, USA, strontianite occurs in
limestone with aragonite
(Dana).
At Winnfield dome, Winn Parish, Louisiana, USA and salt domes in Texas, USA, strontianite occurs with
celestine in calcite cap rock
(Dana).
At Schoharie county, New York, USA, strontianite occurs in geodes and veins in
limestone with celestine and
calcite
(Dana).
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