New mineral Králíkit discovered in Ostrava-Karviná mines

Geologists have discovered a previously unknown mineral, named Králíkit, within the salt stalactites of the Ostrava-Karviná mines in the Czech Republic. The mineral is a barium chloride dihydrate (BaCl₂·2H₂O) and is highly soluble in water.

Králíkit is submicroscopic, meaning it is too small to be observed with a standard optical microscope. Researchers had to utilize specialized methods, including electron microscopy and synchrotron measurements, to identify and describe it. The discovery was made during research for a book on the minerals of the Ostrava-Karviná mines.

The research was a collaborative effort involving geologists from Palacký University, the Czech Institute of Research and Advanced Technologies (CATRIN), VŠB – Technical University of Ostrava, the University of Jena, and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. This addition brings the total number of officially described and approved minerals in the world to 6,214.