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Fort Washington Avenue & 171st Street, Washington Heights, Manhattan (New York County), New York City, New York, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Fort Washington Avenue & 171st Street | - not defined - |
| Washington Heights | - not defined - |
| Manhattan (New York County) | Borough |
| New York City | City |
| New York | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
40° 50' 39'' North , 73° 56' 28'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Kรถppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Heights | 152,613 (2017) | 0.8km |
| Morris Heights | 40,982 (2017) | 1.9km |
| Fort Lee | 36,672 (2017) | 2.6km |
| Inwood | 10,082 (2006) | 2.7km |
| Tremont | 22,870 (2017) | 3.0km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| New York Mineralogical Club | New York, New York | 9km |
| New York Paleontological Society | NYC, New York | 14km |
| North Jersey Mineralogical Society, Inc. | Paterson, New Jersey | 21km |
| Nassau Mineral Club | Glen Cove, New York | 26km |
| New Jersey Mineralogical Society, Inc | Mountainside, New Jersey | 40km |
An earlier detailed description is given in The Mineral Collector for January 1896. This is summarised as follows. Recent excavations at 171st Street and Fort Washington Avenue has brought to light mineral specimens of more than local interest on account of their rarity or size or both. William Niven is credited with discovering and exploiting the find in October 1895. He first obtained permission from the chief of the New York Board of Public Works, and then hired labourers who worked the site with drills and dynamite. The occurrence was a coarse pegmatite dyke (quartz, orthoclase and muscovite) up to 1m thick which had intruded mica schist. The pegmatite was exposed for 24 metres of strike, striking 030 degrees and dipping 85 degrees east. This dip and strike paralleled the foliation in the host mica schist. The minerals of interest occurred in three pockets within the pegmatite. Crystals of xenotime to 6mm were found embedded in quartz, feldspar and mica. Monazite crystals to 18mm were found embedded in quartz and feldspar. Schorl was abundant in the pegmatite and large crystals to 24cm were recovered. Minor minerals included zircon, dumortierite, poorly characterised secondary uranium minerals (autunite? torbernite?), green apatite and almandine. Muscovite crystals were up to 15cm across, and a part trapezohedron of almandine was found, which if complete would have been 23cm across.
In the same issue of the Mineral Collector, mineral dealers Niven and Hopping of New York City offer a large tourmaline crystal (9.5 x 4 inches) from the find for sale at $250 (as a reference gold was $19/ounce at the time). Monazite and xenotime from the same locality were also offered (10c to $15). The schorl crystal was purchased by the American Museum of Natural History in 1896 and the following day the New York Herald published a picture of the crystal together with an article on the sale. The specimen was recently tracked down in the American Museum collection by curator George Harlow. Approximately 50 years ago it had been trimmed of most of its matrix and the termination had been reconstructed with plaster and coloured with black shoe polish. A photograph of this crystal is given in the Mineralogical Record, Vol. 37, No. 4, pg. 306.
Granite pegmatite lens at now defunct construction site
In the same issue of the Mineral Collector, mineral dealers Niven and Hopping of New York City offer a large tourmaline crystal (9.5 x 4 inches) from the find for sale at $250 (as a reference gold was $19/ounce at the time). Monazite and xenotime from the same locality were also offered (10c to $15). The schorl crystal was purchased by the American Museum of Natural History in 1896 and the following day the New York Herald published a picture of the crystal together with an article on the sale. The specimen was recently tracked down in the American Museum collection by curator George Harlow. Approximately 50 years ago it had been trimmed of most of its matrix and the termination had been reconstructed with plaster and coloured with black shoe polish. A photograph of this crystal is given in the Mineralogical Record, Vol. 37, No. 4, pg. 306.
Granite pegmatite lens at now defunct construction site
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| โ Almandine Formula: Fe2+3Al2(SiO4)3 |
| โ 'Apatite' Formula: Ca5(PO4)3A |
| โ Dumortierite Formula: Al(Al2O)(Al2O)2(SiO4)3(BO3) |
| โ Microcline Formula: K(AlSi3O8) |
| โ 'Monazite Group' Formula: REE(PO4) |
| โ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| โ Orthoclase Formula: K(AlSi3O8) |
| โ Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
| โ Schorl Formula: NaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| โ 'Xenotime' |
| โ Xenotime-(Y) Formula: Y(PO4) |
| โ Zircon Formula: Zr(SiO4) |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| โ | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates | |||
| โ | Xenotime-(Y) | 8.AD.35 | Y(PO4) |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| โ | Almandine | 9.AD.25 | Fe2+3Al2(SiO4)3 |
| โ | Zircon | 9.AD.30 | Zr(SiO4) |
| โ | Dumortierite | 9.AJ.10 | Al(Al2O)(Al2O)2(SiO4)3(BO3) |
| โ | Schorl | 9.CK.05 | NaFe2+3Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| โ | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| โ | Microcline | 9.FA.30 | K(AlSi3O8) |
| โ | Orthoclase | 9.FA.30 | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Unclassified | |||
| โ | 'Monazite Group' | - | REE(PO4) |
| โ | 'Xenotime' | - | |
| โ | 'Apatite' | - | Ca5(PO4)3A |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | โ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| B | Boron | |
| B | โ Dumortierite | Al(Al2O)(Al2O)2(SiO4)3(BO3) |
| B | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | โ Almandine | Fe32+Al2(SiO4)3 |
| O | โ Dumortierite | Al(Al2O)(Al2O)2(SiO4)3(BO3) |
| O | โ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| O | โ Monazite Group | REE(PO4) |
| O | โ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | โ Orthoclase | K(AlSi3O8) |
| O | โ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| O | โ Xenotime-(Y) | Y(PO4) |
| O | โ Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| O | โ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | โ Almandine | Fe32+Al2(SiO4)3 |
| Al | โ Dumortierite | Al(Al2O)(Al2O)2(SiO4)3(BO3) |
| Al | โ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | โ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | โ Orthoclase | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | โ Almandine | Fe32+Al2(SiO4)3 |
| Si | โ Dumortierite | Al(Al2O)(Al2O)2(SiO4)3(BO3) |
| Si | โ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | โ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | โ Orthoclase | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | โ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| Si | โ Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| P | Phosphorus | |
| P | โ Monazite Group | REE(PO4) |
| P | โ Xenotime-(Y) | Y(PO4) |
| P | โ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | โ Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| K | โ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| K | โ Orthoclase | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | โ Apatite | Ca5(PO4)3A |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | โ Almandine | Fe32+Al2(SiO4)3 |
| Fe | โ Schorl | NaFe32+Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH) |
| Y | Yttrium | |
| Y | โ Xenotime-(Y) | Y(PO4) |
| Zr | Zirconium | |
| Zr | โ Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- PedmontiaAccretionary Complex
- Piedmontia DomainDomain
USA
- New York
- New York City
- Manhattan (New York County)
- Manhattan IslandIsland
- Manhattan (New York County)
- New York City
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References
Manchester, James G. (1931) The Minerals of New York City and its Environs. Bulletin of the New York Mineralogical Club Vol. 3 (1). New York Mineralogical Clubp.24 - A locality for which no cross street is provided in this reference

Fort Washington Avenue & 171st Street, Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA