earth science

Trevorite

Trevorite 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 Trevorite rather than just read about it. In short: Trevorite is a rare nickel iron oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. It has the chemical formula NiFe3+2O4.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

Trevorite is a rare nickel iron oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. It has the chemical formula NiFe3+2O4. It is a black mineral with the typical spinel properties of crystallising in the cubic system, black streaked, infusible and insoluble in most acids. There is at least partial solid solution between trevorite and magnetite, with many magnetites from ultramafic rocks containing at least trace amounts of Ni. Fe2+ and Mg2+ may substitute for Ni in trevorite.

Discovery and occurrence It was first described for an occurrence in the Bon Accord Nickel Deposit, Bon Accord, Barberton, Mpumalanga, South Africa, in 1921 and was named for Major Tudor Gryffydd Trevor (1865–1954), who was a mining inspector in South Africa. In the Bon Accord deposit it occurred as a contact deposit between an ultramafic intrusion and a quartzite. In an occurrence at Mount Clifford, Australia, it occurs associated with a nickel sulfide orebody adjacent to a gabbro which intruded peridotite. Associated minerals include nimite, willemseite, nickeloan talc, violarite, millerite, reevesite and goethite at Bon Accord; and with native nickel, heazlewoodite and millerite at Mt. Clifford. It has also been reported from the Logatchev-1 hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; in the Hatrurim Formation in the Negev Desert in Israel; the Josephine Creek District, Josephine County, Oregon and the Gabbs District of Nye County, Nevada.

References

Deer, W. A.; R. A. Howie; J. Zussman (1992). An Introduction to the Rock-forming Minerals. Harlow, Essex: Longman. pp. 559–563. ISBN 978-0-470-21809-9.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Trevorite

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

In research: Trevorite 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 Trevorite 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: Trevorite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cubic minerals, Iron(III) minerals, Magnetic minerals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Trevorite 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 Trevorite in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Trevorite in simple terms?

Trevorite is a rare nickel iron oxide mineral belonging to the spinel group. It has the chemical formula NiFe3+2O4.

Why does Trevorite 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 Trevorite?

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 Trevorite.