earth science

Greenlizardite

Greenlizardite is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Greenlizardite rather than just read about it. In short: Greenlizardite is a rare sulfate mineral discovered underground in the Green Lizard Mine, which the mineral was named for, in Utah. The mineral was found in mineralized ore channels within the Shinarump member of the Chinle formation.

Key takeaways

Greenlizardite belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Greenlizardite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Greenlizardite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Greenlizardite is a rare sulfate mineral discovered underground in the Green Lizard Mine, which the mineral was named for, in Utah. The mineral was found in mineralized ore channels within the Shinarump member of the Chinle formation. It occurs as a secondary alteration phase. It is associated with ammoniozippeite, boussingaultite, and dickite. Greenlizardite was approved as a mineral by the International Mineralogical Association in 2017.

Physical properties Greenlizardite forms in a bladed habit, with blades up to 0.3 mm long. Its color is light green-yellow. It is highly soluble in water at room temperature. Its hardness is approximately two on the Mohs hardness scale and it has a white streak. Greenlizardite is brittle with irregular fracture. It has perfect cleavage in the [001] direction and good cleavage in the [210] direction. It is transparent and has vitreous luster. The calculated density of the empirical formula of Greenlizardite is 3.469 g/cm3.

Optical properties Greenlizardite is biaxial positive. Twinning is observed in cross polarized light and it displays weak pleochroism and moderate dispersion. Under a 50 mW 540 nm blue violet laser, it fluoresces greenish-blue. Refractive indices are α = 1.559, β = 1.582 and γ = 1.608.

Composition The calculated empirical formula of Greenlizardite is (NH4)0.98Na1.00U1.96S2.04O18.00H10.0. Its ideal formula is (NH4)Na(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2·4H2O.

Crystal structure A U6+ atom is surrounded by 7 O atoms in a pentagonal bipyramid shape. These UO7 pentagonal bipyramids are connected in pairs, sharing one common edge. The UO7 dimers share corners with SO4 groups, forming sheets with the composition [(UO2)2(SO4)2(OH)2]2- . These sheets are parallel to the (001) plane. The corner of each SO4 group not shared with the UO7 bipyramids within the same sheet points in the same direction. Each Na atom is bonded to two different uranyl O atoms in two separate adjacent sheets. Each Na atom is also bonded to two Sulfate O atoms from each of the two adjacent sheets, for a total of 6 O atoms coordinated around. These NaO6 octahedra are oriented along the (100) plane in zigzag shaped chains by sharing edges. These zigzag shaped chains link the two adjacent sheets together to form a slab. Within this slab structure, there are channels along the (100) plane that contain isolated H20 groups. The slabs are connected by a NH4 bonded to two uranyl O atoms from one adjacent slab and one equatorial O atom from a UO7 group in the other slab, as well as three H2O groups.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Greenlizardite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Greenlizardite claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Greenlizardite before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Greenlizardite ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Greenlizardite

In research: Greenlizardite appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Greenlizardite in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Greenlizardite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Ammonium minerals, Sulfate minerals, Triclinic minerals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Greenlizardite outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Greenlizardite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Greenlizardite means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Greenlizardite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Greenlizardite in simple terms?

Why does Greenlizardite matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Greenlizardite?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Greenlizardite.