Mckelveyite-(Y)
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Mckelveyite-(Y)
Vincent Ellis McKelvey
Formula:
NaCaBa3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O
Colour:
Yellow, orange-brown, gray, greenish-brown, nearly black.
Lustre:
Vitreous, Greasy, Dull
Hardness:
3½ - 4
Specific Gravity:
3.25
Crystal System:
Triclinic
Member of:
Name:
Named in honor of Vincent Ellis McKelvey (6 April 1916, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, USA - 23 January 1987, St. Cloud, Florida, USA), director of the US Geological Survey, for his studies of the Phosphoria Formation of Wyoming and Idaho. It was originally named without the suffix. The suffix was added in 1987 by the IMA to follow the Levinson rule for minerals with essential REE, in this case indicating the predominance of yttrium.
Type Locality:
Monoclinic polytype known: Mckelveyite-(Y)-2M (proposal IMA2005-012a, subsequently withdrawn). The Y analogue of mckelveyite-(Nd); compare ewaldite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
2617
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:2617:4
Similar Names
| Mckelveyite | A synonym | |
| Mckelveyite-(Nd) | A valid IMA mineral species - pending publication | NaCaBa3Nd(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
IMA Classification of Mckelveyite-(Y)
Approved
IMA status notes:
Renamed by the IMA
IMA Formula:
NaBa3CaY(CO3)6·3H2O
First published:
1965
Classification of Mckelveyite-(Y)
5.CC.05
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
C : Carbonates without additional anions, with H2O
C : With rare earth elements (REE)
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
C : Carbonates without additional anions, with H2O
C : With rare earth elements (REE)
15.3.4.2
15 : HYDRATED NORMAL CARBONATES
3 : AmBn(XO3)p·xH2O, with (m+n):p = 1:1
15 : HYDRATED NORMAL CARBONATES
3 : AmBn(XO3)p·xH2O, with (m+n):p = 1:1
11.8.20
11 : Carbonates
8 : Carbonates of the rare earths
11 : Carbonates
8 : Carbonates of the rare earths
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Mkv-Y | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Physical Properties of Mckelveyite-(Y)
Vitreous, Greasy, Dull
Transparency:
Transparent, Translucent, Opaque
Colour:
Yellow, orange-brown, gray, greenish-brown, nearly black.
Hardness:
3½ - 4 on Mohs scale
Density:
3.25(5) g/cm3 (Measured) 3.37 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Mckelveyite-(Y)
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.55 - 1.554 nβ = 1.55 - 1.554 nγ = 1.649 - 1.658
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.099 - 0.104
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Moderate (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
No measured or calculated 2V is on file for this mineral, so the value used here (180°) is estimated from its recorded refractive indices and optic sign, not from a direct 2V measurement.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
No measured or calculated 2V is on file for this mineral, so the value used here (180°) is estimated from its recorded refractive indices and optic sign, not from a direct 2V measurement.
Dispersion:
weak to distinct
Pleochroism:
Visible
Comments:
In greens.
Comments:
Absorption: O > E.
Chemistry of Mckelveyite-(Y)
Mindat Formula:
NaCaBa3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O
Element Weights:
Crystallography of Mckelveyite-(Y)
Polytype:
Formula:
Crystal System:
Class (H-M)
Space Group:
Space Group Setting:
Cell Parameters:
Ratio:
Unit Cell Volume (calc):
Z:
Comment:
| Mckelveyite-(Y)-2M |
|---|
| NaCaBa3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| Monoclinic |
| m - Domatic |
| Bb |
| Cc |
| a = 15.8213(7) Å, b = 9.1364(4) Å, c = 13.7522(6) Å β = 112.44(1)° |
| a:b:c = 1.732 : 1 : 1.505 |
| V 1,837.35 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell) |
| Pseudo-rhombohedral. |
Crystal Structure
Load
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Show
Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
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Big Balls | Small Balls | Just Balls | Spacefill
Polyhedra Off | Si Polyhedra | All Polyhedra
Remove metal-metal sticks
Display Options
Black Background | White Background
Perspective On | Perspective Off
2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
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2D | Stereo | Red-Blue | Red-Cyan
View
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
Rotation
Stop | Start
Stop | Start
Labels
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
Console Off | On | Grey | Yellow
Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0006180 | Mckelveyite-(Y) | Demartin F, Gramaccioli C M, Campostrini I, Diella V (2008) The crystal structure of mckelveyite-(Y)-2M, a new monoclinic polytype from Val Malenco, Italian Alps The Canadian Mineralogist 46 195-203 |  | 2008 | "Cava Fabi," talc quarry near Lanzada, Val Malenco, Lombardy, Italy | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 2.942 Å | (100) |
| 4.47 Å | (85) |
| 2.648 Å | (40) |
| 6.40 Å | (35) |
| 3.32 Å | (30) |
| 2.040 Å | (30) |
| 4.15 Å | (20) |
Comments:
Sweetwater Co., Wyoming, USA.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Near-surface Processes | |
| 25 : Evaporites (prebiotic) | |
| Stage 4b: Highly evolved igneous rocks | >3.0 |
| 35 : Ultra-alkali and agpaitic igneous rocks |
Type Occurrence of Mckelveyite-(Y)
General Appearance of Type Material:
Rare green, tabular to pyramidal pseudorhombohedral crystals. Also dark green or black, massive and crystal aggregates.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
The Natural History Museum, London, England, number 1971,138.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, numbers 121683, 162607.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, numbers 121683, 162607.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
From core in the Green River formation. Dolomitic marlstone.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Mckelveyite-(Y)
Mckelveyite (in part)
Other Language Names for Mckelveyite-(Y)
Dutch:Mckelveyiet-(Y)
German:Mckelveyit-(Y)
Relationship of Mckelveyite-(Y) to other Species
Member of:
Other Members of Mckelveyite Group:
| Alicewilsonite-(YCe) | Na2Sr2YCe(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Alicewilsonite-(YLa) | Na2Sr2YLa(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Bainbridgeite-(NdCe) | Na2Ba2NdCe(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Bainbridgeite-(YCe) | Na2Ba2YCe(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Donnayite-(Y) | NaCaSr3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
| Ewaldite | Ba(Na,Ca,Y,Ce,K)(CO3)2 · 2.6H2O | Hex. 6mm : P63mc |
| Mckelveyite-(Nd) | NaCaBa3Nd(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Mon. m : Bb |
| Weloganite | Na2Sr3Zr(CO3)6 · 3H2O | Tric. 1 : P1 |
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 1 photo of Mckelveyite-(Y) associated with Donnayite-(Y) | NaCaSr3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 1 photo of Mckelveyite-(Y) associated with Natrolite | Na2Al2Si3O10 · 2H2O |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 5.CC. | Bainbridgeite-(NdCe) | Na2Ba2NdCe(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC. | Yuchuanite-(Y) | Y2(CO3)3 · H2O |
| 5.CC. | Alicewilsonite-(YCe) | Na2Sr2YCe(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Donnayite-(Y) | NaCaSr3Y(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Alicewilsonite-(YLa) | Na2Sr2YLa(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Mckelveyite-(Nd) | NaCaBa3Nd(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Ewaldite | Ba(Na,Ca,Y,Ce,K)(CO3)2 · 2.6H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | 'UM1992-05-CO:CaCeLaNaSr' | (Sr,Na,Y,REE,Ca,Ba)2(CO3)2 · H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Weloganite | Na2Sr3Zr(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Mckelveyite Group | A3B3(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | Bainbridgeite-(YCe) | Na2Ba2YCe(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.05 | 'Unnamed (MSH UK-37A)' | Sr3NaCaY(CO3)6 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.10 | Tengerite-(Y) | Y2(CO3)3 · 2-3H2O |
| 5.CC.15 | Lokkaite-(Y) | Ca(Y,Gd,Nd,Dy)4(CO3)7 · 9H2O |
| 5.CC.15 | Kimuraite-(Y) | Ca(Y,Nd)2(CO3)4 · 6H2O |
| 5.CC.15 | Hizenite-(Y) | Ca2Y6(CO3)11 · 14H2O |
| 5.CC.20 | Shomiokite-(Y) | Na3Y[CO3]3 · 3H2O |
| 5.CC.25 | Lanthanite-(Ce) | Ce2(CO3)3 · 8H2O |
| 5.CC.25 | Lanthanite-(La) | La2(CO3)3 · 8H2O |
| 5.CC.25 | Lanthanite-(Nd) | Nd2(CO3)3 · 8H2O |
| 5.CC.25 | Calkinsite-(Ce) | (Ce,La)2(CO3)3 · 4H2O |
| 5.CC.30 | Adamsite-(Y) | NaY[CO3]2 · 6H2O |
| 5.CC.35 | Decrespignyite-(Y) | Cu(Y,REE)4(CO3)4(OH)5Cl · 2H2O |
| 5.CC.40 | Galgenbergite-(Ce) | Ca(Ce,La,Nd)2(CO3)4 · H2O |
| 5.CC.45 | Lecoqite-(Y) | Na3Y(CO3)3 · 6H2O |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Mckelveyite-(Y)
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2617.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Mckelveyite-(Y)
Reference List:
Milton, Charles, Ingram, Blanche, Clark, Joan R., Dwornik, Edward J. (1965) Mckelveyite, a new hydrous sodium barium rare-earth uranium carbonate mineral from the Green River Formation, Wyoming. American Mineralogist, 50 (5-6) 593-612
Fleischer, Michael, Chao, George Y., Mandarino, J. A. (1979) New mineral names. American Mineralogist, 64 (5-6) 652-659
Nickel, Ernest H., Mandarino, Joseph A. (1987) Procedures involving the IMA Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names and guidelines on mineral nomenclature. American Mineralogist, 72 (9-10) 1031-1042
Localities for Mckelveyite-(Y)
Showing 14 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Bolivia | |
| Anthony R. Kampf |
Canada | |
| Grice (1989) +1 other reference |
Italy | |
| [Mckelveyite-(Y)-2M] Demartin et al. (2008) |
| Demartin et al. (2008) | |
Russia | |
| Zaitsev et al. (1997) +3 other references |
| PEKOV et al. (2013) | |
| Sorokhtina et al. (2008) |
| [World of Stones 95:5-6 |
| Pekov (2003) |
| ... | |
| Zaitsev et al. (2004) |
| ... +1 other reference | |
USA (TL) | |
| Milton et al. (1965) |
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IMI Fabi Mine, Mt. Motta, Lanzada, Sondrio Province, Lombardy, Italy