Lignite
Rock
Also called Brown coal
Take care.
- Fragile: Handle it gently and pack it well; it breaks or crumbles easily.
About it
Low-rank, crumbly brown coal that still shows woody plant texture, and splits and falls apart as it dries out. Mined in Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Germany, and the Latrobe Valley of Australia.
- Type
- Rock (sedimentary)
- Group
- Sedimentary (organic)
- Specific gravity
- 1.1–1.3
- Streak
- brown
- Lustre
- dull, earthy
- Colours
- brown, dark brown, brownish black
- Transparency
- opaque
- Cleavage and fracture
- uneven fracture; cracks and crumbles as it dries
Typical values: real specimens vary. For more, see mindat.org.