earth science

Kampfite

Kampfite 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 Kampfite rather than just read about it. In short: Kampfite is a rare barium silicate–carbonate–halide mineral with the chemical formula Ba12(Si11Al5)O31(CO3)8Cl5. Discovered in 1964 and described in 2001, it is named after Anthony R.

Key takeaways

Kampfite 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 Kampfite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kampfite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kampfite is a rare barium silicate–carbonate–halide mineral with the chemical formula Ba12(Si11Al5)O31(CO3)8Cl5. Discovered in 1964 and described in 2001, it is named after Anthony R. Kampf. The mineral is known only from Fresno County, California.

Description Kampfite is translucent and light blue-gray in color. Specimens occur as irregular masses up to 1 cm (0.39 in) in size.

Composition and structure When first described, the formula was identified as Ba6[(Si,Al)O2]8(CO3)2Cl2(Cl,H2O)2. Subsequent work on analyzing the crystal structure led to a revised formula of Ba12(Si11Al5)O31(CO3)8Cl5. The structural H2O noted in the original description was not found in the later work. The structure consists of double layers of tetrahedra connected by barium-containing polyhedra. It is this layering which causes kampfite's one perfect cleavage. Kampfite shares chemical and structural similarities with cymrite. As of 2007, it is the only known barium silicate carbonate aside from fencooperite.

Occurrence Kampfite has been found in association with celsian, fresnoite, macdonaldite, pyrrhotite, titantaramellite, traskite, and witherite. The mineral is known only from locations in Fresno County, California. Kampfite is found in quartz-rich regions of sanbornite rocks within gneiss which has undergone contact metamorphism associated with an adjacent granodiorite intrusive.

History The mineral discovered in 1964 by Robert Walstrom from the Esquire #1 claim of the Rush Creek deposit in eastern Fresno County. It was described in 2001 in The Canadian Mineralogist. The mineral was named kampfite in honor of Anthony Robert Kampf (1948–), curator of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, for his crystallography work on new and rare minerals. Co-type specimens are held by the University of British Columbia and the Geological Survey of Canada.

References

Bibliography Basciano, Laurel C.; Groat, Lee A.; Roberts, Andrew C.; Grice, Joel D.; et al. (2001). "Kampfite, a new barium silicate carbonate mineral species from Fresno County, California" (PDF). The Canadian Mineralogist. 39 (4): 1053–1058. Bibcode:2001CaMin..39.1053B. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.553.8742. doi:10.2113/gscanmin.39.4.1053. {{cite journal}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |citeseerx= (help) Basciano, Laurel C.; Groat, Lee A. (2007). "The crystal structure of kampfite" (PDF). The Canadian Mineralogist. 45 (4): 935–943. Bibcode:2007CaMin..45..935B. doi:10.2113/gscanmin.45.4.935.

External links Photos of kampfite from mindat.org

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kampfite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kampfite 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 Kampfite 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 Kampfite 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 Kampfite

In research: Kampfite 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 Kampfite 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: Kampfite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Barium minerals, Carbonate minerals, Minerals in space group 9, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kampfite 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 Kampfite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kampfite 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 Kampfite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kampfite in simple terms?

Kampfite is a rare barium silicate–carbonate–halide mineral with the chemical formula Ba12(Si11Al5)O31(CO3)8Cl5. Discovered in 1964 and described in 2001, it is named after Anthony R.

Why does Kampfite 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 Kampfite?

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 Kampfite.