Minerals with Willsey: Calcite

Say hello to calcite, a common carbonate mineral, especially in sedimentary rocks. Join geology professor Shawn Willsey as he showcases this mineral's properties and how it shows up in some rock types.
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[@scottryan5634]

Hydrochloric acid (HCl), also called muriatic acid, is available from hardware stores in the chemical cleaners section, but as a stronger concentration so you'll have to dilute it with water. Low odor muriatic acid is 20% HCl so a 50/50 ratio of water to acid will make 10% HCl. When diluting acid, always add the acid to the water to instantly dilute it. The other way around splashes acid and may also have a strong chemical reaction. Safety: Prepare baking soda-saturated water as an eye-rinse in case of an accidental eye-splash. Wear eye protection and chemical resistant rubber gloves. Mix outside or with good ventilation. To neutralize any used or spilled HCl, sprinkle with baking soda until the fizzing stops. Prevent letting hydrochloric acid contact metal, as it will eat into it. Therefore, disposing of HCl in small quantities is better poured down a porcelain toilet rather than a sink with a metal drain.

[@jeffrysmith8200]

FYI, hydrochloride acid is readily available at any pool service business and most Walmarts or Home Depots as muriatic acid

[@davidk7324]

"No beautiful mineral sample deserves to sit in a bath of acid." No minerals were harmed in the creation of this video. Have you been known to carry a clear calcite crystal with you at social occasions? Really enjoying this series.

[@sanya9999]

as someone that sells a lot of sandstone and limestone, this is very informative! thank you!!!

[@valoriel4464]

Yay! Here and ready for class. Thx kind Sir

[@muzikhed]

Thoroughly enjoyable video. A lot of new info there filling the vesicles in my knowedge. Thanks Shawn.

[@cinderelly2592]

Your videos are great. I learn a lot from you. Thank you.

[@peggykelley1465]

I am really enjoying and learning from your videos. Thank you!

[@minemilx2702]

Yes, calcite can occur as a primary mineral in igneous rocks in carbonatites.

[@balesjo]

Seeing these mineral crystals is kind of bittersweet for me. Back in Undergrad & grad school, I'd collected mineral and fossil specimens from central and northwest Arkansas, and specimens of carbonatite collected at Magnet Cove, AR for use in my thesis. When I finished school, I'd stored them at my parents and at some point, they disappeared. My parents have passed and my sister has no idea as to what happened to them. Point of this for your viewers, if you store a personal collection, make sure to identify the container and that it's not to be thrown out! Really enjoy the mineral videos.

[@Mistydazzle]

I’m sorry! I heard a Geologist’s story about all the rock samples he left at his parents’ house, when he was younger, were just put out, willy-nilly, into their garden. At least they were still around.

[@williamogilvie6909]

Very interesting, thanks. Some people collect fluorescent samples of calcite. While canoeing among the many islands in Georgian Bay, I came upon a shore that had several pieces of pure white limestone. Those rocks were transported by the ice from a location about 30 miles West, where there are white cliffs. Granite, feldspar, basalt and similar igneous rocks are common on the North shore of Georgian Bay. In one location migmatite occurs, ground flat like a canvas by glaciers.

[@cinderelly2592]

I found some of the Blue Azurite at A copper mine along with the malachite. Your video confirmed to me what I picked up. Thank you . I hope you do more minerals as this was very informative.

[@222foont]

Your series is just what I have been seeking! I have been kicking this stuff out of the way to see fossil bearing lode! Now I know what that stuff is....

[@briandwi2504]

Thanks. A very informative run through the calcite. Great series!

[@DeeFay-fl1hs]

I am officially hooked on your geology channel! I very much enjoy collecting rock samples and don’t always know what they are.

[@shawnwillsey]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@texas2645]

Love the videos! I learn so much 😊

[@earthandtime5817]

Another great video. Thank you. A thought for classes. Would be cool to show the calcite under a blacklight also. It is often a fun Wow moment for students. Thanks again.

[@DavidHuber63]

You rock while you rock Brother Thank you.👍🏼❤️

[@MountainFisher]

Did you know Zeolite under pressure in a bead form will adsorb Nitrogen from the air and leave 95% Oxygen-O2. Then the Nitrogen is released once the pressure drops and if you've ever heard an O2 concentrator you will hear this cycling by its puffing. With newer chemical beads they've been able to make small portable O2 concentrators, but zeolite started it all. edit; note I wrote adsorb not absorb, two different processes.

[@mikekilian5403]

This was very beneficial. Thank you for your work. Really enjoy learning.

[@stevehix1656]

Another great video Shawn. It's kind of weird,I use acid based compounds to polish calcite based stones. To polish harder stones I use tin oxide. Have a awesome day👍

[@BlGGESTBROTHER]

Hey Shawn, glad to see you finally got rid of that pesky cough. Hopefully you're feeling better! This series on minerals has been really awesome so far. I'm learning all sorts of new things 👍

[@shawnwillsey]

The persistent cough was just a nuisance. Felt fine most of the time. Glad you are enjoying these.

[@MrFmiller]

I’ve been enjoying the minerals but I’m a rock hound. You might include discussions about minerals in your rock series. By the way, cleaning vinegar is stronger than white vinegar. German Deli’s have 25% vinegar but it’s expensive. It does elicit a very strong reaction.

[@keithstudly6071]

"Lime Away" is a product available in stores in cleaning supplies which is good for rock testing. You also might get some muratic acid at hardware stores but be careful and follow the instructions on the label for safety because it can be dangerous if mis-handled.

[@williamsohveymah5550]

Another awesome lesson. Thank you.

[@suhaibalromy]

Man you are Amazing ❤

[@leechild4655]

Good mineral video. I didnt really know marble was just calcite before so I wanted to hear about that some. I heard it forms in the bedrock more or less near a fissure of a volcano. I guess part of it morphism before we see it. Will you be talking about granitic rock? That could stretch out a ways huh? Maybe talk about various types of breccia and conglomerate?

[@haseo8244]

It’s metamorphic limestone that’s heated and under pressure.

[@shawnwillsey]

Yes, marble is metamorphosed limestone. Both rocks are nearly 100% calcite. We will discuss more when we get to metamorphic rocks. Looking forward to rock series.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

I just subscribed from the Obsidian Cliffs video and wanted to say hi from the Granite State. How many states have a cool name like that. Beats having tar on your heel like where I moved from.

[@shawnwillsey]

Thanks for watching and subscribing. The Granite State is a real treasure visited there once. We stayed in Chocura and visited the White Mountains. I even bouldered at Rumney. Hope you enjoy perusing the existing videos.

[@oscarmedina1303]

Thanks Shawn. Very informative and useful video. You make learning fun!

[@patrickkillilea5225]

EXCELLENT!😎

[@stevewhalen6973]

Thanks!

[@haseo8244]

What about hornblende?

[@haseo8244]

Or fluorite?

[@shawnwillsey]

I covered hornblende (an amphibole mineral) in the last mineral video along with olivine and pyroxene.

[@haseo8244]

Have Dolomites here in Minnesota. Looks a lot like limestone and acids ruins fossils rather than the rock itself ha.

[@jt21419]

So we can have basalts with both zeolite AND calcite amygdales? Good to know!

[@shawnwillsey]

Yes indeed.

[@StellaVinum]

This is such a random question, but where do you obtain those little dropper bottles you use for the HCL? I've been trying to find a good container for vinegar since 10% Hcl is probably not something I can get, but haven't found a good dropper bottle I trust not to leak while I’m hiking.

[@john-draftanimal]

I hope you don't stop. Maybe we need some new exotic minerals?

[@GabrielMercier-ue9gs]

Fantastic video! I am in awe of your knowledge. However, there might be a mistake in this video. Short before 4min 0 sec, you claim that weak acid falls from the sky. I learned that rainwater becomes acidic because it dissolves the CO2 produced by the plants' roots...

[@branni6538]

Is calcite more brittle than quartz?

[@stevo728822]

That was fun:)

[@Anne5440_]

I'm confused. Here in Washington we have calcium carbonate. Is that also calcite? I have a hard time keeping this straight and mess up on it.

[@shawnwillsey]

Calcite is a mineral composed of calcium carbonate.

[@Anne5440_]

@shawnwillsey thanks I am working on remembering this.

[@stevenmclaughlin1834]

Calcite comes in white ,yellow, red , blue and many more colors.

[@3xHermes]

👍

[@MythrilSpork]

It's terrifying watching you handle HCL with just a paper towel, and not even gloves and I'm sitting here cringing worried for you! I guess it takes more of a concentration, and longer exposure to be concerning?

[@TheStormpilgrim]

Alcohol is another way to demonstrate birefringence at a party.

[@jagers4xford471]

Shaun, love your videos, very informative. Unfortunately you have fallen into the CO2 lie. The scientific fact is we are in a CO2 draught at 400 PPM. Plant life on earth is dangerously close to dying off at 180 PPM. Yes humans are adding CO2 to the atmosphere, thank God we are. Let's keep the global greening happening. It's good for the life on earth. Look at it this way, without CO2 the earth's eco system would collapse. There would be no life on earth as we know it.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Shush, I need my power and control like KS said once to his group of "bright young faces" that have "infiltrated governments across the world." Infiltrated is a strange choice of words don't you think. Now back to my bowl of conspiracy theories AKA crickets and meal worms.

[@samfuchs314]

Your an idiot. What do you think you get high CO2 without any consequences? It's increases temps and drought globally. It adds to ferocious storms and wildfires. And plants don't need that much CO2. Infact it benefits invasive species.

[@сергейТрикиша]

большое спасибо за все видео ,очень полезно