MINERAL OF THE MONTH

A project to present information on individual minerals occurring in the state of Indiana. Each month, a mineral of interest was posted to this web page and was to feature industrial and other minerals in a format that would be useful for K-12 educators. Each mineral was to be described in detail in terms understandable by the general public. As the project
progressed, I hoped to provide a useful and valuable resource to the citizens of Indiana. Project began and ended in 2001, when I left the Survey. The technical content of this page is maintained by Dr. Henry Barwood.
Comments and corrections should be directed to: hbarwood@troyst.edu



The format we will be following is to post a mineral each month according to this schedule (for the year 2001):



January                       calcite                            The mineral that comprises most limestones

February                    dolomite                         Source of magnesium and an important rock forming mineral

March                        ankerite                          A mineral that is found in many limestone and dolomites

April                           siderite                           An iron carbonate. Used as an ore of iron in early indiana

May                            barite                             Source of the element barium and an important part of drilling muds for oil production

June                            celestite                          Source of the element strontium

July                             quartz                            "Rock crystal". The lining of most Indiana geodes

August                         pyrite                            "Fools gold". An iron sulfide mineral

September                   sphalerite                       A source of the element zinc

October                       galena                           A source of the element lead

November                    millerite                        An unusual nickel mineral that can be a source of the element nickel

December                    smythite                        An iron sulfide mineral. Unusual because it is the only new mineral species ever found in Indiana