gwihabaite
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Gwihabaite is a rare ammonium potassium nitrate mineral (NH4,K)(NO3). It is orthorhombic in form, colorless with a vitreous luster. It has a Mohs hardness of 5 and a specific gravity of 1.77. It is deliquescent and water-soluble. The mineral is also known as nitrammite. It was first described in 1996 for an occurrence in Gcwihaba Caves (Drotsky's Cavern, type locality), Maun, North-West District, Botswana. The spelling of the name was simplified, omitting the "c", which represents the "click" sound used by the San people. It occurs as incrustations and efflorescences on cave surfaces formed by
Wikidata facts
- Named after
- Gcwihaba caves
Show 6 more facts
- Nickel-Strunz '10th ed', review of (9th ed/ 2009 update)
- 5.NA.15
- Nickel-Strunz 9th edition (updated 2009)
- 5.NA.15
- type locality (geology)
- Gcwihaba caves
- crystal system
- orthorhombic crystal system
- IMA Mineral Symbol
- Gwi
- chemical formula
- (NH₄)(NO₃)
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Gwihabaite is a rare ammonium potassium nitrate mineral (NH4,K)(NO3). It is orthorhombic in form, colorless with a vitreous luster. It has a Mohs hardness of 5 and a specific gravity of 1.77. It is deliquescent and water-soluble. The mineral is also known as nitrammite. It was first described in 1996 for an occurrence in Gcwihaba Caves (Drotsky's Cavern, type locality), Maun, North-West District, Botswana. The spelling of the name was simplified, omitting the "c", which represents the "click" sound used by the San people. It occurs as incrustations and efflorescences on cave surfaces formed by bacterial action on bat guano.
==References==
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “gwihabaite” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.