Nitromagnesite

Cave Name:

Great Cave, Kentucky, USA

Speleothems:

Other occurrence:

transparent stalactites (7.5 cm long) (Independence Cave, Botswana)
small saline efflorescence on dolomite walls and floor blocks (Elephant, Uisib I and Kimberlite Caves, Namibia)
white crusts (Gâuab Aas Cave, Namibia)

First description of cave occurrence:

Larsen, E.S. 1921. The microscopic determination of the nonopaque minerals. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 679, 266pp

First description of non-cave occurrence:

Shepard, C.U. 1835. Nitromagnesite. in Treatise on Mineralogy: Second Part, Volume II Hezekiah Howe & Co. New Haven: 85

Other cave locations & References:

Independence Cave, Botswana: Anonymous 1980. Botswana 1979. South African Speleological Association Bulletin 1: 3-9
Elephant, Uisib I and Kimberlite Caves, Namibia: Martini, J. (pers. comm in Hill, C. & Forti, P. 1997. Cave Minerals of the World (2nd ed.). National Speleological Society, Huntsville AL, 464p)
Pulo di Molfetta caves, Apulia, Italy: Forti, P. & Palmisano, G. 1989. I nitrati del Pulo di Molfetta: mineralogia e meccanismi genetici. Atti 15 Congrezo Nazionale di Speleologia (Castelanna 1987): 229-250
Torch, Wolkberg, West Driefontien, Fountains and Chaos Caves, South Africa: Martini, J.E. & Kavalieris, I. 1978. Mineralogy of the Transvaal caves. Transactions of the Geological Society of South Africa 81: 47-54
Sophienhöhle, Germany: Hubbart, D.A., Herman, J.S., Mitchell, R.S. & Hammerschidt, E. 1991. Salpetre in four European caves: chemical, historical and mineralogical aspects (abs.). Natl. Speleol. Soc. Bull. 53(1): 25

Conservation and Protection:

IMA status: Approved

Group: Nitrates

Chemical formula:
[According to the official IMA-CNMNC List of Mineral Names (http://nrmima.nrm.se/imalist.htm)]

Mg(NO₃)₂·6H₂O

Deposition and stability:

The source of nitrate is usually the bat guano (or in exceptional cases - an olive orchad above the cave (through capilarity), e.g. Pulo di Molfetta, Italy), quick evaporation causing the deposition of the mineral
In some caves, the minerals does not crystalised within the caves, but was obtained from the leachates from the soil (e.g. the caves from South Africa, that from Germany)
Very soluble in water. At high humidity it deliquesces and dissapears

Color: white or yellow

Mineral assemblage:

Associated with gypsum, as part of white crusts (caves in Namibia) or in dry cave soils (caves of South Africa)
Minor component (6-9%) of niter flower and crusts in Pullo di Molfetta, Italy

Crystal system:

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