Where is magnesium found in nature?

Magnesium is a highly reactive element and therefore does not occur in its native (free) state in nature. Instead, it is found in a wide variety of compounds within rocks, brines, and seawater.12

Mineral Sources

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in Earth’s crust. It is commonly found in the following minerals:12
* Carbonates: Dolomite and magnesite are the most common ore minerals.12
* Hydroxides and Halides: Brucite and carnallite are also significant sources.12
* Silicates: Magnesium is distributed in various silicates, including talc, olivine, asbestos, and serpentine.2

Aqueous Sources

Magnesium is also recovered from water sources:
* Seawater: While it constitutes only about 0.13 percent of seawater, the world's oceans represent the largest and an almost inexhaustible source of the element.12
* Brines: Magnesium chloride is extracted from naturally occurring brines, such as the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea.13

Additionally, magnesium is essential to all living cells, serving as a central component of chlorophyll in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria.4