galena

views updated May 08 2018

galena Mineral, PbS; sp. gr. 7.4–7.6; hardness 2.5; cubic; lead-grey; lead-grey streak; metallic lustre; crystals cubes or octahedra, and often octahedral twins; cleavage perfect cubic {100}; widely distributed in hydrothermal veins and syngenetic exhalative deposits and as a replacement in limestones and dolomitic rocks, associated in veins with sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, barite, quartz, fluorite, and calcite.

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY

galena

views updated May 29 2018

galena (lead sulphide, PbS) Grey metallic mineral, major ore of lead. It is found in hydrothermal veins and as a replacement in limestone and dolomite rocks. Hardness 2.5–2.7; r.d. 7.5.

World Encyclopedia

galena

views updated May 21 2018

galena lead ore. XVII. — L.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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