NOTE: This article was published in a former series of GEUS Bulletin. Please use the original series name when citing this article, for example:
Petersen, O. V., Khomyakov, A. P., & Henning. (2001). Natrophosphate from the Ilímaussaq alkaline complex, South Greenland. Geology of Greenland Survey Bulletin, 190, 139-141. https://doi.org/10.34194/ggub.v190.5184
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The rare mineral natrophosphate has been identified for the first time in the Ilímaussaq alkaline complex in a drill core from the Kvanefjeld area. It occurs sparsely in zoned veinlets with cores of natrophosphate and borders of fibrous trona. The natrophosphate is more or less smoky, transparent and unaltered. The refractive index n = 1.448 ± 0.005 is low compared to that given for the material from the type locality, Khibina alkaline complex, Kola Peninsula; the unit cell parameter a = 27.76 ± 0.05 Å is in excellent agreement with that given for the material from the type locality. The veins occur in hyper-agpaitic naujakasite lujavrite; villiaumite is an associated mineral. Only a few water-soluble minerals have so far been found in the Ilímaussaq alkaline complex compared to the wealth of such minerals in the Khibina and Lovozero alkaline complexes. This is possibly at least partly due to lack of necessary precautions during sampling.
