A Geoscience Digital Image Library
A Geoscience Digital Image Library
| Title | Apatite crystals |
|---|---|
| Description | Apatite, Ca5(PO4)3(OH,F,Cl) is the most common phosphate mineral. It is present in many rocks of different sorts but is generally too fine grained and disseminated to be seen easily. It sometimes forms in massive beds (phosphorites) which are mined to manufacture fertilizers and other chemicals. Coarse gemmy crystals, such as the 1 cm long crystals shown here, form in some metamorphic rocks. Well-formed apatite crystals are hexagonal prisms, but the hexagonal cross section is hard to see in this photo. |
| Photographer | Nessa Eull. 2001-06-19. |
| Collection | University of North Dakota Mineralogy Collection. |
| Key words | apatite |
| Tech details | 492 KB. Hand specimen. Fujifilm FinePix S1Pro digital camera; 60mm AF Nikon micro lens. |
| GeoDIL number | 787 |
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