# Mercury - how/where is it found in its "natural" state? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949 "2005-08-07T03:31:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![XP\_inhales](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/46a35a/32.png) [@XP\_inhales](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XP_inhales)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/1 "2005-08-07T03:31:23Z")
I am curious as to where it’s found, what state it’s found in (I assume liquid), and how much is found at one time. Do they drill for mercury like oil, or could I be walking along and find a mercury lake? Is there a way to mine it? Is most of the mercury used in thermometers real, a synthetic substitute, or a combination? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Armilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e19b73/32.png) [@Armilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Armilla)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/2 "2005-08-07T03:39:36Z")
Mercury is found in [Cinnabar](http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/cinnabar/cinnabar.htm), also known as Mercury Sulphide. It’s a solid red rock which, when heated, gives off mercury vapour that can be condensed and collected. I don’t think it’s normally found in its pure liquid state unless it was put there by humans. ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/3 "2005-08-07T04:37:15Z")
> [@Armilla](#): > > Mercury is found in [Cinnabar](http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/cinnabar/cinnabar.htm), also known as Mercury Sulphide. It’s a solid red rock which, when heated, gives off mercury vapour that can be condensed and collected. > > I don’t think it’s normally found in its pure liquid state unless it was put there by humans. Most metals are found in ore form I believe. Pure gold can be found of course usually in small quantities. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/4 "2005-08-07T04:40:07Z")
> [@OldGuy](#): > > Most metals are found in ore form I believe. Pure gold can be found of course usually in small quantities. As can silver, copper and few others. When they are found in this state, they are termed “native metals”, in case you wish to search further. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/5 "2005-08-07T04:44:34Z")
More on cinnabar, including mine locations [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnabar). > [@](#): > > Cinnabar may be associated with elemental (liquid) mercury and thus be dangerous to handle. Body temperature is often enough to vaporize the mercury out of the rock and this gas can be absorbed through the skin. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/6 "2005-08-07T05:38:16Z")
I remember seeing some (documentry) show where liquid mercury was recovered from the seabed by a diver. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/7 "2005-08-07T12:53:22Z")
> [@Armilla](#): > > Mercury is found in [Cinnabar](http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfides/cinnabar/cinnabar.htm), also known as Mercury Sulphide. It’s a solid red rock which, when heated, gives off mercury vapour that can be condensed and collected. > > I don’t think it’s normally found in its pure liquid state unless it was put there by humans. As **Squink** ’s follow-up notes, natural heating will occasionally produce elemental mercury by reduction from cinnabar. Though in small quantities (think a gold nugget), it does occur naturally as the liquid metal. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/8 "2005-08-07T13:10:31Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > …liquid mercury was recovered from the seabed by a diver. Could this have been salvage from the wreck of a ship carrying mercury? In early days, mercury was used in minining silver and gold, since it forms an amalgam with these. The amalgam is then heated, driving off the mercury and leaving the precious metal. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/9 "2005-08-07T15:05:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Could this have been salvage from the wreck of a ship carrying mercury? It very well could have been, it’s been a long time since I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/10 "2005-08-07T15:25:01Z")
[#19 - Mercury, oil found on Bay’s ocean bed (PDF Document)](http://www.geography.otago.ac.nz/Geography/Resources/envnews/env.news.bulletins/1998/Enb221098.pdf): > [@](#): > > _Bay of Plenty Times, p1 15/10/1998_ > > A German research ship and a submersible > vessel Jago, have investigated an ocean > corridor between Whakatane and White > Island. Photographs, rock samples, and > temperature readings were taken, as well as > samples of small amounts of oil in water > around White Island. More than 145 > different species of diverse seafloor fauna > were recorded living near White Island’s > underwater vent sites. About 20% of the > species were either unknown or previously > undescribed. Liquid mercury oozed out > of some geological samples, the first known > occurrence of native mercury from a sea > floor hydrothermal system anywhere in the > world. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/11 "2005-08-07T16:51:31Z")
In small quantities at least. I have two samples of cinnabar I picked up in Europe which indeed have mercury oozing out of their pores. I took a picture of them this morning. Picture 1 - Cinnabar from Spain - you can see the droplets which are trapped in pores. [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/pictures/0508/Cin1.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/pictures/0508/Cin1.jpg) Picture 2 - closeup of Spanish cinnabar. [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/pictures/0508/Cin2.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/pictures/0508/Cin2.jpg) Picture 3 - Cinnabar of unknown origin, but I think it’s from Alameda, Spain. The silvery sheen over it are miniscule drops of mercury which are visible under a loupe but not quite visible with the camera. [http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/pictures/0508/Cin3.jpg](http://www.coalgoddess.net/files/pictures/0508/Cin3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/12 "2005-08-07T16:56:01Z")
Oh, not that anyone really cares about the effort, but I confirmed the sample in pics 1 and 2 I actually picked up from Italy. Sample 3 is from Spain. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/13 "2005-08-07T17:16:19Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > I have two samples of cinnabar I picked up in Europe… I have many rocks in my house, including lead and bismuth ores, and a 60 Lb chunk of taconite on my living room carpet, but those leaky bits of cinnabar are _not_ something I’d keep inside! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/14 "2005-08-07T17:30:13Z")
> [@Una Persson](#): > > Oh, not that anyone really cares about the effort, but I confirmed the sample in pics 1 and 2 I actually picked up from Italy. Sample 3 is from Spain. We do care, and we thank you. I had known that cinnabar gives off Hg vapours but not liquid Mercury, thus this was edifying. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/15 "2005-08-07T18:50:32Z")
I keep them in sealed containers normally, and took them out just for the pics. So I’ve hopefully reduced the mercury vapour diet I get each day. Of course the uranium, thorium, and other radioactive elements I have are likely giving me doses of gamma every now and again. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2005, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/16 "2005-08-07T19:04:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > We do care, and we thank you. I had known that cinnabar gives off Hg vapours but not liquid Mercury, thus this was edifying. 🙂 You’re welcome. I meant the effort of identifying the country; I wasn’t looking for compliments. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/17 "2005-08-08T18:25:08Z")
> [@XP inhales](#): > > Is most of the mercury used in thermometers real, a synthetic substitute, or a combination? If it’s truly a mercury thermometer, it’s pure mercury, plain and simple. There is really no common substitute that has the look of mercury (a silvery metal that is liquid at room temerature). Due to its toxicity, however, alcohol is commonly used nowadays instead of mercury. Because alcohol is a clear liquid, a red dye is added for visibility. So if the liquid inside a thermometer is a silvery metal, it is mercury. If it is a red liquid, it is likely alcohol. (Last year, my son’s 2nd grade teacher, a 20-year veteran teacher, told her class that the red liquid in thermometers was mercury. :smack: ) ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/18 "2005-08-08T20:58:18Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Due to its toxicity, however, alcohol is commonly used nowadays instead of mercury. Because alcohol is a clear liquid, a red dye is added for visibility. > > So if the liquid inside a thermometer is a silvery metal, it is mercury. If it is a red liquid, it is likely alcohol. IIRC mercury thermometers have been banned in the U.S. Regarding native mercury, it’s been years since I collected minerals, but I’m sure I used to have a small rock with quite large drops of native mercury on it. I bought it most likely at the shop in a science or natural history museum. I’m sure that no such specimens are easly available today in this era when an entire high school is evacuated because someone in the science lab breaks a mercury thermometer. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/19 "2005-08-09T01:07:07Z")
> [@robby](#): > > If it’s truly a mercury thermometer, it’s pure mercury, plain and simple. There is really no common substitute that has the look of mercury (a silvery metal that is liquid at room temerature). There are alloys of gallium, tin and indium that are liquid at room temperature and below (and are silvery in colour) - As you suggest though, they aren’t particularly common. ---
**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2005, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949/20 "2005-08-09T01:59:59Z")
Mercury thermometers have not been banned in the US, although most drug stores no longer carry them, and some cities have beened them for non-prescribed usage. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mercury-how-where-is-it-found-in-its-natural-state/315949.md?page=2)