Buserite

buserite

asbolane

todorokite

birnessite

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Formula: Na₄Mn₁₄O₂₇.21H₂O (?)
Hydrated oxide, manganese-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Environments

Stream beds and hot spring deposits

Buserite is an unstable manganese oxide that dehydrates to birnessite. It has been found in stream beds, in a hot spring deposit, deposited from rhodochrosite mine wastewater and possibly also in deep sea manganese nodules (Mindat).

Localities

The original material was reported from the Yuno-Taki waterfall, Me-akan volcano, Akan National Park, Kushiro Province, Hokkaido Island, Japan (Mindat).

At Green Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan, Michigan/Wisconsin, USA, freshwater nodules of iron and manganese minerals have been investigated.
The samples can be divided into three types: manganese-rich nodules, iron-manganese nodules, and iron-rich nodules. The manganese-bearing phases are todorokite, birnessite, and buserite. The iron-bearing phases are feroxyhyte, goethite and ferrihydrite (Clays and Clay Minerals 64.5.523–536).

At Pinal Creek, Arizona, USA, it is suggested that the birnessite or ranciéite and todorokite found in the creek crusts may be transformation products of a buserite precursor (AM 87.580-591). Todorokite is considered to be a mixture of buserite and its breakdown products birnessite and manganite (AM 68.972-980).

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