earth science

Magnesiopascoite

Magnesiopascoite 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 Magnesiopascoite rather than just read about it. In short: Magnesiopascoite is a bright orange mineral with formula Ca2Mg(V10O28)·16H2O. It was discovered in the U.S. state of Utah and formally described in 2008.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Magnesiopascoite is a bright orange mineral with formula Ca2Mg(V10O28)·16H2O. It was discovered in the U.S. state of Utah and formally described in 2008. The mineral's name derives from its status as the magnesium analogue of pascoite.

Description Magnesiopascoite is a member of the pascoite group and is the magnesium analogue of pascoite. It is transparent and bright orange in color, occurring as intergrown, parallel stackings of crystals up to several millimeters in the largest dimension. The crystals vary from tabular to equant to prismatic. The mineral dissolves slowly in water and quickly in cold, dilute hydrochloric acid. It decomposes rapidly when mildly heated, likely as a result of dehydration.

Structure and composition The crystal structure of magnesiopascoite consists of the decavanadate anion (V10O28)6− and interstitial {Ca2Mg(H2O)16}6+ consisting of Mg(H2O)6 octahedra and seven-fold coordinated CaO2(H2O)5. The structure differs from that of pascoite primarily in cation coordination in the interstitial complex. In addition to calcium and magnesium, magnesiopascoite contains minute quantities of zinc and cobalt.

History Joe Marty discovered specimens of magnesiopascoite in San Juan County, Utah, in the Blue Cap mine and the nearby Vanadium Queen mine. The mineral was named "magnesiopascoite" because it is the magnesium analogue of pascoite. The mineral and name were approved by the IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (IMA 2007-025). Magnesiopascoite was described in 2008 in the journal Canadian Mineralogist. The two cotype specimens are held at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in the US State of California.

Occurrence In the area of the type locality, the reducing environment caused by carbonaceous material in the Salt Wash and Brushy Basin members of the Morrison Formation precipitated uranium and vanadium minerals from solution. After mining, subsequent leaching and oxidation by groundwater created magnesiopascoite. The mineral has been found in association with gypsum, martyite, montroseite, pyrite and rossite.

References

Bibliography Kampf, Anthony R.; Steele, Ian M. (June 2008). "Magnesiopascoite, a new member of the pascoite group: description and crystal structure". Canadian Mineralogist. 46 (3): 679–686. Bibcode:2008CaMin..46..679K. doi:10.3749/canmin.46.3.679. (subscription required)

External links Photos of magnesiopascoite from Mindat.org

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Magnesiopascoite

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

In research: Magnesiopascoite 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 Magnesiopascoite 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: Magnesiopascoite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Calcium minerals, Hydrate minerals, Magnesium minerals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Magnesiopascoite 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 Magnesiopascoite in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Magnesiopascoite in simple terms?

Magnesiopascoite is a bright orange mineral with formula Ca2Mg(V10O28)·16H2O. It was discovered in the U.S. state of Utah and formally described in 2008.

Why does Magnesiopascoite 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 Magnesiopascoite?

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 Magnesiopascoite.