Mordenite (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24•7(H2O) EarthCache

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Hidden : 3/9/2007
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2.5 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:

Mordenite

is a rare zeolite mineral with the chemical formula, (Ca,Na2,K2)Al2Si10O24.7(H2O). The Earthcache coordinates bring you to the Town of Morden, for which mordenite was named.

Approximately 250m to the west of the Earthcache coordinates you will come to an historic monument known as the

"French Cross" (N45 06.264 W064 56.764).

Park by the cross, take to the shore directly in front of the cross and you will see some agate embedded in the Basalt, and along the shore mainly to the left of the cross will find specimens of bluish - white banded and "Straw" agate among the many beach stones.

A good search of this area will also find the Cacher many Zeolite minerals in the cliff faces, Thompsonite, Mordenite, Mesolite etc. Synthetic Mordenite is used as a catalyst in the petrochemical industry for the acid-catalyzed isomerisation of alkanes and aromatics.

To log this cache:
1)Submit a photo of yourself, or group, with GPSr showing in front of the "French Cross"
2)Search the beach for some interesting rock samples and email (with picture) your description of the sample (example: color, lustre , hardness, your guess as to what it might be?)
Some Interesting Sites about Collecting:
Rock collecting
Identifying Rocks
About "French Cross" and The Morden Area:
History of the "French Cross"

Mordenite is one of the rarer, but still somewhat more widespread, members of the zeolite group of minerals. Zeolites are a popular group of minerals to collect because they are so beautiful and because they contain such diversity in color, crystal form and rarity (some are very common and easy to collect and some are rare and a pleasure to finally own). Mordenite belongs to this last category. Zeolites have an openness about their structure that allows large ions and molecules to reside and actually move around inside the overall framework. The structure actually contains open channels that allow water and large ions to travel into and out of the crystal structure. The size of these channels controls the size of the molecules or ions and therefore a zeolite like mordenite can act as a chemical sieve, allowing some ions to pass through while blocking others. Mordenite forms fine sprays of radial acicular crystal clusters that look like pin-cushions or snowballs. On top of other interesting and beautiful associated minerals, mordenite can be extremely striking. Mordenite is definitely a must have especially for the dedicated zeolite collector.

Mordenite

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

  • Color is colorless, white, yellow, pink and red.
  • Luster is vitreous to silky and pearly.
  • Transparency: Crystals are transparent to translucent.
  • Crystal System is orthorhombic; 2/m 2/m 2/m
  • Crystal Habits include sprays of radial acicular crystal clusters that can remind someone of pin-cushions or snowballs. Individual crystals are prismatic to acicular and striated vertically. Aggregates can be radiating, fibrous, columnar and encrusting.
  • Hardness is 4 - 5.
  • Specific Gravity is approximately 2.1 (very light)
  • Streak is white.
  • Associated Minerals are quartz, calcite, chabazite, natrolite, heulandite, stilbite and other zeolites.
  • Notable Occurrences include Morden (hence the name), Kings Co., Nova Scotia, Canada; Hoodoo Mountains, Wyoming and Arizona, USA; Val dei Zuccanti, Italy and Poona, India.
  • Best Field Indicators are crystal habit, color, low density and associations.



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