earth science

Skaergaardite

Skaergaardite 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 Skaergaardite rather than just read about it. In short: Skaergaardite is an intermetallic platinum group mineral with the general chemical formula PdCu. The mineral is named after its discovery location: the Skaergaard intrusion, Kangerdlugssuaq area, East Greenland.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Skaergaardite is an intermetallic platinum group mineral with the general chemical formula PdCu. The mineral is named after its discovery location: the Skaergaard intrusion, Kangerdlugssuaq area, East Greenland. The mineral name was approved by the International Mineralogical Association in 2003. The mineral has also been reported in the Duluth intrusion in Minnesota and the Rum layered intrusion in Scotland.

Occurrence Skaergaardite is associated with igneous intrusions containing well-preserved, oxide-rich, tholeiitic gabbro. It is found as inclusions in titanian magnetite, ilmenite, pyroxenes, and plagioclase. Skaergaardite can occur as an inclusion by itself, but is more commonly found in composite microglobule inclusions of copper iron sulfide minerals and other precious metal bearing minerals.

Crystallography and symmetry The crystallography of skaergaardite was determined using x-ray powder diffraction data. It has an isometric (cubic) crystal system and a hexoctahedral crystal class (Hermann–Mauguin notation: 4/m32/m). Skaergaardite can appear in various forms including: droplets; cubic grains with rounded outlines; euhedral to subhedral grains; and irregular grains or aggregates.

Optical properties When viewed under a microscope in plane polarized light, skaergaardite appears to be bright creamy white (in the presence of bornite or chalcopyrite) or bright white (in the presence of digenite or chalcocite). When the mineral is rotated on the microscope stage its color does not change, indicating that it is non-pleochroic. Under crossed polar light, skaergaardite appears completely dark no matter the direction the stage is rotated, indicating that the mineral is isotropic. As skaergaardite is isotropic, it is also non-birefringent.

Importance Skaergaardite contains palladium (Pd), one of the six platinum group metals (PGM) that are some of the rarest elements on earth. With the cost of palladium expected to increase as demand becomes greater, Skaergaardite could begin to be mined for its valuable palladium resources. The Skaergaard intrusion is the only known source of skaergaardite large enough to be mined. Skaergaardite is the most common PGM mineral in the intrusion, making up over 90% of all the PGM observed. The most mineral-rich layer of the intrusion could contain over 1000 tons of skaergaardite. In addition to palladium: gold, platinum, and other precious metals have been found in the intrusion. Interest has been increasing for an underground mine in the Skaergaard intrusion. A pre-feasibility study is currently under way and is scheduled for completion by December 2011.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Skaergaardite

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

In research: Skaergaardite 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 Skaergaardite 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: Skaergaardite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Copper minerals, Cubic minerals, Minerals in space group 221, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Skaergaardite 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 Skaergaardite in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Skaergaardite in simple terms?

Why does Skaergaardite 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 Skaergaardite?

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 Skaergaardite.