= 1.695 γ = 1.698, and its opacity is transparent to translucent (Fleisher, et al., 1979). Maricite has no cleavage or pleochroism, and it does not fluoresce in UV light. Maricite has a hardness of 4-4.5 and a density of 3.64. The mineral is brittle, with an uneven splintery fracture. It is a member of the orthorhombic crystal class and the biaxial negative optical class and has a 2V calculation of 43°. The Hermann-Mauguin notation symbol is 2/m 2/m 2/m, and it is in the Pmnb space group. Yvon Le Page and Gabrielle Donnay determined that the cell dimensions are a 6.864(2), b 8.994(2), and c 5.049(1). J. A. Mandarino determined the d-spacings using x-ray powder diffraction and Bragg’s law to be 2.574 at an intensity of 100, 2.729 at an intensity of 90, 2.707 at an intensity of 80, 1.853 at an intensity of 60, 3.705 at an intensity of 40, 2.525 at an intensity of 30, and 1.881 also at an intensity of 30 (Fleisher, et al., 1979; Sturman, et al., 1977). Geologic occurrence Maricite was first discovered in the Big Fish River area near the eastern border of the Yukon Territory around Latitude 68° 30’ N and Longitude 136° 30’ W. This area is a kulanite-baricite-peniksite type locality composed mostly of bedded shales and sideritic limestones. Maricite has been found in nodules up to 15 cm long within the shale beds. Some of the nodules contained only one mineral, while others contained several different minerals. Very few of the nodules consisted of only maricite. Most of the samples which contained maricite also had quartz, ludlamite, vivianite, pyrite and/or wolfeite. When samples which appeared to only contain maricite were examined closely in a thin section, there were small inclusions of ludlamite, quartz, and vivianite present along the fractures (Sturman, et al., 1977). The other location which formations of maricite have been found is Saxony, Germany (Thomas, R. and Webster J.D., 2000). Both this location and the Big Fish River Canada location are situated just north of convergent plate boundaries. Both areas consist of mountains and hills which are made of metamorphic and igneous rocks (Thomas, R. and Webster J.D., 2000; Sturman, et al., 1977). Maricite has also been discovered in meteorites found in Eastern Antarctica, Uttar Pradesh, India and Avannaa, Greenland (Johnson, et al., 2001; Kracher, et al., 1977; Partridge, et al., 1990). History Maricite was named by