As part of the Virginia Department of Health's ongoing mission to promote and protect the health of all Virginians, the VDH encourages Virginia residents to learn more about the Zika virus, including its symptoms; how to prevent it, who should get tested, and more, by visiting here.
Rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate mineral with chemical composition MnCO3. In its (rare) pure form, it is typically a rose-red color, but impure specimens can be shades of pink to pale brown. It streaks white, and its Mohs hardness varies between 3.5 and 4. Its specific gravity is between 3.5 and 3.7.
Manganese is one of the most abundant metals in soils, where it occurs as oxides and hydroxides, and it cycles through its various oxidation states. Manganese occurs principally as pyrolusite (MnO 2), and to a lesser extent as rhodochrosite (MnCO 3). More than 25 million tonnes are mined every year, representing 5 million tons of the metal, and reserves are estimated to exeed 3 billion tonnes of the metal.