Editing Microcline (section)

==Geology==

Microcline may be chemically the same as [[monoclinic]] orthoclase, but because it belongs to the [[triclinic]] crystal system, the prism angle is slightly less than right angles; hence the name "microcline" from the [[Greek language|Greek]] "small slope". It is a fully ordered [[triclinic]] modification of [[potassium]] [[feldspar]] and is [[Polymorphism (materials science)|dimorphous]] with [[orthoclase]]. Microcline is identical to orthoclase in many physical properties, and can be distinguished by x-ray or optical examination. When viewed under a [[Petrographic microscope|polarizing microscope]], microcline exhibits a minute multiple [[Crystal twinning|twinning]] which forms a grating-like structure that is unmistakable.
[[Image:Amazonita1.jpeg|left|thumb|Feldspar (amazonite)]]
[[Perthite]] is either microcline or orthoclase with thin lamellae of exsolved albite.

Amazon stone, or [[amazonite]], is a green variety of microcline. It is not found anywhere in the [[Amazon Basin]], however. The [[Spain|Spanish]] explorers who named it apparently confused it with another green mineral from that region.

The largest documented single crystals of microcline were found in Devil's Hole Beryl Mine, [[Colorado]], US and measured ~50 × 36 × 14 m. This could be one of the largest crystals of any material found so far.<ref>{{cite journal| url = http://www.minsocam.org/ammin/AM66/AM66_885.pdf| journal = American Mineralogist| volume = 66| pages = 885–907| year= 1981| title= The largest crystals| author = P.C. Rickwood}}</ref>

Microcline is exceptionally active ice-nucleating agent in the atmosphere.<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://www.nature.com/articles/nature12278| journal = Nature| volume = 498| pages = 355–358| year= 2013| title= The importance of feldspar for ice nucleation by mineral dust in mixed-phase clouds| author = J.D. Atkinson, B.J. Murray, M.T. Woodhouse, T.F. Whale, K.J. Baustian, K.S. Carslaw, S. Dobbie, D. O'Sullivan, T.L. Malkin| issue = 7454| doi = 10.1038/nature12278| pmid = 23760484| bibcode = 2013Natur.498..355A}}</ref> Recently it has been possible to understand how water binds to the microcline surface.<ref>{{cite journal| journal = Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters| volume = 15| issue = 1| pages = 15–22| year= 2024| title= How Water Binds to Microcline Feldspar (001)| author = G. Franceschi, A. Conti, L. Lezuo, R. Abart, F. Mittendorfer, M. Schmid, U. Diebold| doi = 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03235| pmid = 38156776| pmc = 10788961}}</ref>