Janet Loring, age 11, of Fredericton, N,B., for her question:

Where do we find magnesite?

Magnesite is a pale, porcelain like mineral occur ing in the earths crust. It is a calcite compound called magnesium carbonate   a chemical name which tells us that it is made from the elements carbon, oxygen and magnesium. In color, magnesite ranges from translucent white to pale grey and it is mined from massive beds which occur in many parts of the world.

In North America, deposits of magnesite occur in Massachusetts, Texas and Pennsylvania. More massive deposits occur in California and the state of Washington. Magnesite deposits in Brazil resemble coarse marble and small, neat crystals of magnesite have been found on Staten Island, New York.