Ikaite
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About Ikaite
Formula:
CaCO3 · 6H2O
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Name:
For the type locality Ikka Fjord, Greenland (formerly spelled Ika).
Type Locality:
Readily dehydrates to calcite above 8°C.
The resulting pseudomorph of calcite after ikaite is also called "glendonite."
Compare Unnamed (Amorphous Calcium Carbonate).
The resulting pseudomorph of calcite after ikaite is also called "glendonite."
Compare Unnamed (Amorphous Calcium Carbonate).
Classification of Ikaite
Approved
5/D.01-60
5.CB.25
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
C : Carbonates without additional anions, with H2O
B : With large cations (alkali and alkali-earth carbonates)
5 : CARBONATES (NITRATES)
C : Carbonates without additional anions, with H2O
B : With large cations (alkali and alkali-earth carbonates)
15.1.4.1
15 : HYDRATED NORMAL CARBONATES
1 : A(XO3)·xH2O
15 : HYDRATED NORMAL CARBONATES
1 : A(XO3)·xH2O
11.4.5
11 : Carbonates
4 : Carbonates of Ca
11 : Carbonates
4 : Carbonates of Ca
Optical Data of Ikaite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.455 nβ = 1.538 nγ = 1.545
2V:
Measured: 45° , Calculated: 30°
Max Birefringence:
δ = 0.090

Image shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness)
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:
Low
Dispersion:
distinct
Chemical Properties of Ikaite
Formula:
CaCO3 · 6H2O
IMA Formula:
Ca(CO3) · 6H2O
Elements listed:
Crystallography of Ikaite
Crystal System:
Monoclinic
Cell Parameters:
a = 8.87 Å, b = 8.23 Å, c = 11.02 Å
β = 110.2°
β = 110.2°
Ratio:
a:b:c = 1.078 : 1 : 1.339
Unit Cell V:
754.98 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Type Occurrence of Ikaite
Synonyms of Ikaite
Other Language Names for Ikaite
Common Associates
Associated Minerals Based on Photo Data:
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping
5.CB.05 | Thermonatrite | Na2CO3 · H2O | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pmmm |
5.CB.10 | Natron | Na2CO3 · 10H2O | Mon. 2/m : P2/m |
5.CB.15 | Trona | Na3H(CO3)2 · 2H2O | Mon. 2/m |
5.CB.20 | Monohydrocalcite | CaCO3 · H2O | Trig. 3 : P31 |
5.CB.30 | Pirssonite | Na2Ca(CO3)2 · 2H2O | Orth. mm2 : Fdd2 |
5.CB.35 | Gaylussite | Na2Ca(CO3)2 · 5H2O | Mon. 2/m : B2/b |
5.CB.40 | Chalconatronite | Na2Cu(CO3)2 · 3H2O | Mon. 2/m |
5.CB.45 | Baylissite | K2Mg(CO3)2 · 4H2O | Mon. |
5.CB.50 | Tuliokite | Na6BaTh(CO3)6 · 6H2O | Trig. |
Related Minerals - Hey's Chemical Index of Minerals Grouping
11.4.1 | Calcite | CaCO3 | Trig. 3m (3 2/m) : R3c |
11.4.2 | Aragonite | CaCO3 | Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) |
11.4.3 | Vaterite | CaCO3 | Hex. 6/mmm (6/m 2/m 2/m) : P63/mmc |
11.4.4 | Monohydrocalcite | CaCO3 · H2O | Trig. 3 : P31 |
11.4.6 | Dolomite | CaMg(CO3)2 | Trig. 3 : R3 |
11.4.7 | Huntite | CaMg3(CO3)4 | Trig. 3 2 : R3 2 |
11.4.8 | Sergeevite | Ca2Mg11(CO3)9(HCO3)4(OH)4•6H2O |
Other Information
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
References for Ikaite
Reference List:
Sort by Year (asc) | by Year (desc) | by Author (A-Z) | by Author (Z-A)
Pauly, H. (1963) “Ikaite”, a new mineral from Greenland. Arctic, 16, 263–264.
Pauly, H. (1963): Ikaite, nyt mineral der danner skaer. Naturens Verdens 1963, 168-192.
American Mineralogist (1964): 49: 439.
Dickens, B. and Brown, W.E. (1970): The crystal structure of calcium carbonate hexahydrate at ~120°C. Inorganic Chemistry, 9, 480–486.
Suess, E., Balzer, W., Hesse, K.-F., Muller, P.J., Ungerer, C.A., and Wefer, G. (1982): Calcium carbonate hexahydrate from organic rich sediments of the Antarctic shelf: precursors of glendonites. Science, 216, 1128–1131.
Hesse, K. -F., Kuppers, H., Suess, E. (1983): Refinement of the structure of Ikaite, CaCO3.6H2O. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie 163, 227-231.
Bischoff, J.L, Fitzpatrick, J.A., and Rosenbauer, R.J. (1992): The solubility and stabilization of ikaite (CaCO3.6H2O) from 0° to 25°C: Environmental and paleoclimatic implications for thinolite tufa. Journal of Geology, 101, 21–33.
Bischoff, J. L., Stine, S., Rosenbauer, R. J., Fitzpatrick, J. A., Stafford Jr, T. W. (1993): Ikaite precipitation by mixing of shoreline springs and lake water, Mono Lake, California, USA. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta. 57, 3855-3856.
Buchardt, B., Seaman, P., Stockmann, G., Wilken, M.V.U., Duwel, L., Kristiansen, A., Jenner, C., Whiticar, M. J., Kristensen R.M., Petersen, G.H., and Thorbjorn, L. (1997): Submarine columns of ikaite tufa. Nature, 390, 129–130.
Shahar, A., Bassett, W. A., Mao, H., Chou, I.-M., Mao, W. (2005): The stability and Raman spectra of ikaite, CaCO3·6H2O, at high pressure and temperature. American Mineralogist 90, 1835-1839.
Dieckmann, G. S., Nehrke, G., Papadimitriou, S., Göttlicher, J., Steininger, R., Kennedy, H., Wolf-Gladrow, D., and Thomas, D. N. (2008): Calcium carbonate as ikaite crystals in Antarctic sea ice. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L08501.
Frank, T. D., Thomas, S. G., Fielding, C. R. (2008) On using carbon and oxygen isotope data from glendonites as paleoenvironmental proxies: A case study from the Permian system of eastern Australia. Journal of Sedimentary Research 78, 713-723.
M. B. Oehlerich, N. Sánchez-Pastor, C. Mayr, B. Kremer, E. Griesshaber, W. W. Schmahl, A. Lücke, C. Ohlendorf and B. Zolitschka (2009): On the Study of Natural and Synthetic Ikaite Crystals. Macla 11, 135-136. [http://www.ehu.es/sem/macla_pdf/macla11/Macla11_135.pdf]
Dieckmann, GS; Nehrke, G; Uhlig, C; Gottlicher, J; Gerland, S; Granskog, MA; Thomas, DN. (2010): Brief Communication: Ikaite (CaCO3.6H2O) discovered in Arctic sea ice. CRYOSPHERE 4 (2), 227-230.
Žák K., Skála R., Filippi M., Plášil J. (2010): Ikait - málo známý minerál zaledněných jeskyní: výskyt v občasném sezónním zalednění jeskyně Koda (Český kras). Bulletin mineralogicko-petrologického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze 18 (1), 109-115. [Ikaite on surface of seasonal cave ice formations]
Tateno, N., Kyono, A. (2014): Structural change induced by dehydration in ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O). Journal of Mineralogical and Petrological Sciences 109, 157-168.
Boch, R. et al. (2015): Ikaite (CaCO3.6H2O) in a man-made river bed: concrete leaching and hydrochemical alteration. Mitteilungen der Österreichischen Mineralogischen Gesellschaft 161, 24 (abs.).
Tansman, G. F., Kindstedt, P. S., Hughes, J. M. (2017) Minerals in food: Crystal structures of ikaite and struvite from bacterial smears on washed-rind cheese. Canadian Mineralogist 55, 89-100.
Field, L.P., Milodowski, A.E., Shaw, R.P., Stevens, L.P., Hall, M.R., Kilpatrick, A., Gunn, J., Kemp, S.J., Ellis, M.A. (2017): Unusual morphologies and the occurrence of pseudomorphs after ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O) in fast growing, hyperalkaline speleothems. Mineralogical Magazine 81, 565-589.
Wikipedia (2017): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikaite [many further references]
Seaman, P. & Buchardt, B. (2009): The Ikka Project. http://reocities.com/RainForest/Vines/1486/ikkap.htm
Internet Links for Ikaite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-2007.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
Search Engines:
External Links:
Mineral Dealers:
Localities for Ikaite
Locality List




All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Antarctica | |
| Dieckmann, G. S., Nehrke, G., Papadimitriou, S., Göttlicher, J., Steininger, R., Kennedy, H., Wolf-Gladrow, D., and Thomas, D. N. (2008): Calcium carbonate as ikaite crystals in Antarctic sea ice. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L08501. |
| AmMin 86:1530-1533 (2001) |
Dieckmann, G. S., Nehrke, G., Papadimitriou, S., Göttlicher, J., Steininger, R., Kennedy, H., Wolf-Gladrow, D., and Thomas, D. N. (2008): Calcium carbonate as ikaite crystals in Antarctic sea ice. Geophys. Res. Lett., 35, L08501. | |
Australia | |
| Keith F Compton collection |
Canada | |
| Last, F. M., Last, W. M., Fayek, M., & Halden, N. M. (2013). Occurrence and significance of a cold-water carbonate pseudomorph in microbialites from a saline lake. Journal of paleolimnology, 50(4), 505-517. |
Czech Republic | |
| Žák K., Skála R., Filippi M., Plášil J. (2010): Ikait - málo známý minerál zaledněných jeskyní: výskyt v občasném sezónním zalednění jeskyně Koda (Český kras). Bulletin mineralogicko-petrologického oddělení Národního muzea v Praze 18 (1), 109-115. |
Denmark (TL) | |
| Petersen, O. V. & Johnsen, O. (2005): Mineral species first described from Greenland. Canadian Mineralogist, Special publication no. 8. |
Japan | |
| Genko. 91(6). 209-219 |
Norway | |
Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 228. | |
Romania | |
| Bogdan P. Onac, Jonathan G. Wynn (2017) Ikaite in old and newly formed ice deposit of Scărișoara Ice Cave, Romania. In 17th International Congress of Speleology (No. I, p. 261). Australian Speleological Federation Inc. |
| Slavoaca, R., Slavoaca, D.C., 2000. Water chemistry and hydrochemical processes assessment in zones with Land slip in Buzău and Vrancea, SE Romania. Romanian Journal of Mineral Deposits, 79, Suppl. I, 2000, p.99-101 |
Russia | |
| Actually 'glendonite' |
UK | |
| Field, L.P., Milodowski, A.E., Shaw, R.P., Stevens, L.P., Hall, M.R., Kilpatrick, A., Gunn, J., Kemp, S.J., Ellis, M.A. (2017): Unusual morphologies and the occurrence of pseudomorphs after ikaite (CaCO3·6H2O) in fast growing, hyperalkaline speleothems. Mineralogical Magazine 81, 565-589. |
USA | |
| Kennedy, G. L., Hopkins, D. M., & Pickthorn, W. J. (1987, October). Ikaite, the glendonite precursor, in estuarine sediments at Barrow, Arctic Alaska. In Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs (Vol. 19, p. 725). |
| Geology 21:971-974.; Whiticar, M. J., & Suess, E. (1998). The Cold Carbonate Connection Between Mono Lake, Californiaand the Bransfield Strait, Antarctica. Aquatic Geochemistry, 4(3), 429-454. |
Olenitsa River, White Sea Coast, Murmansk Oblast, Russia