MINERAL OF THE MONTH By Ronald L. Parker Senior Geologist, Task Fronterra Geoscience, 700 17th Street, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80202
CARNOTITE A Mineral Agent of Transformation
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Carnotite from the Colorado Plateau. Carnotite is usually characterized by a bright canary or lemon yellow color and a friable texture. As one of the principal ore minerals for uranium, it is highly radioactive. The on-again/off-again frenzy for carnotite governed much of the economic history of the Colorado Plateau during the late 40s, the late 50s and the late 70s. Photo by Ronald L. Parker OUTCROP | December 2015
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Vol. 64, No. 12 | www.rmag.org