Carnowite is a new mineral found only in an old specimen collected at a single location in Cornwall, UK.
Carnowite Image Credit: Trustees of the Natural History Museum in London.
The only known specimen of Carnowite, named after Carnow, the Cornish word for Cornwall, was collected in the 1700s.
It became part of the Natural History Museum in London in 1964.
Mike Rooms, chief curator of minerals at the Natural History Museum in London, said: “Given how many geologists, prospectors and collectors have been rushing the county over the centuries in search of mineral treasures, it’s amazing that we’re adding a new mineral in 2020.”
Carnovite is what is known as a secondary mineral because of what it forms.
It occurs when their chemical elements in other rocks near the earth’s surface are mobilized by the circulation of water.
The elements present in the liquid are reassembled to form a new mineral from different elements of the previously crystallized rock.
The date of formation of secondary minerals is not always possible and many people have a short ‘life’ due to being subject to erosion.
“To show that we have new species, we must analyze the chemical composition of the material, which determines the position of these molecules in 3D crystal structure.”
“Most likely, if these or both features are unique the mineral is new.”
“Part of its interior was dominated by iron instead of aluminum, so we felt it deserved a new name, Kernowite.”
“Although there is no clear direct application of Carnovite, all newly discovered minerals are generally based on our understanding of the material,” he added.
Carnowite’s description will be published in Mineral Log Jikal Magazine In 2021.
