A naturally occurring mineral alteration product of uranium minerals, typically yellow or orange in color.
From 'gum' (referring to its gum-like appearance) plus the mineralogical suffix '-ite,' which denotes minerals and rocks. The '-ite' suffix comes from Greek and appears in 'granite,' 'calcite,' and 'hematite.'
Gummite is radioactive and was one of the first indicators that uranium minerals break down over time into secondary products—miners noticed the gummy, altered crusts on old uranium deposits before scientists understood radioactive decay.
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