ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7768-0946
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Università degli Studi di Milano
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-12-2020
DOI: 10.3390/MIN10121118
Abstract: Here, we describe two new minerals, kishonite (VH2) and oreillyite (Cr2N), found in xenoliths occurring in pyroclastic ejecta of small Cretaceous basaltic volcanoes exposed on Mount Carmel, Northern Israel. Kishonite was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and was found to be cubic, space group Fm3¯m, with a = 4.2680(10) Å, V = 77.75(3) Å3, and Z = 4. Oreillyite was studied by both single-crystal X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy and was found to be trigonal, space group P3¯1m, with a = 4.7853(5) Å, c = 4.4630(6) Å, V = 88.51 Å3, and Z = 3. The presence of such a mineralization in these xenoliths supports the idea of the presence of reduced fluids in the sublithospheric mantle influencing the transport of volatile species (e.g., C, H) from the deep Earth to the surface. The minerals and their names have been approved by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (No. 2020-023 and 2020-030a).
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-12-2018
DOI: 10.3390/MIN9010004
Abstract: Dellagiustaite, ideally Al2V2+O4, is a new spinel-group mineral from Sierra de Comechingones, San Luis, Argentina, where it is found associated with hibonite (containing tubular inclusions, 5–100 μm, of metallic vanadium), grossite, and two other unknown phases with ideal stoichiometry of Ca2Al3O6F and Ca2Al2SiO7. A very similar rock containing dellagiustaite has been found at Mt Carmel (northern Israel), where super-reduced mineral assemblages have crystallized from high-T melts trapped in corundum aggregates (micro-xenoliths) within picritic-tholeiitic lavas ejected from Cretaceous volcanoes. In the holotype, euhedral grains of dellagiustaite are found as inclusions in grossite. The empirical average chemical formula of dellagiustaite is (Al1.09 V 0.91 2 + V 0.87 3 + Mg0.08 Ti 0.04 3 + Mn0.01)Σ3O4, but it may show limited replacement of V2+ by Mg and of V3+ by Al. As Al is the dominant trivalent cation, the ideal formula is Al2V2+O4 according to the current IMA rules. Dellagiustaite shows the usual space group of spinel-group minerals (Fd 3 ¯ m, R1 = 1.46%) with a = 8.1950(1) Å. The observed mean bond lengths T–O = 1.782(2) Å and M–O = 2.0445(9) Å, the observed site scattering (T = 13.3 eps, M = 22.5 eps), and the chemical composition show that dellagiustaite is an inverse spinel: T tetrahedra are occupied by Al3+, whereas M octahedra are occupied by V2+ and V3+, leading to the site assignment as TAlM( V 0.91 2 + V 0.88 3 + Al 0.09 3 + Mg0.08 Ti 0.03 3 + Mn0.01)O4.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-08-2023
DOI: 10.3390/MIN13081097
Abstract: Our nanomineralogical investigation of melt inclusions in corundum xenoliths from the Mount Carmel area, Israel, has revealed seven IMA-approved new minerals since 2021. We report here the first terrestrial occurrence of kaitianite (Ti3+2Ti4+O5). Kaitianite occurs as exsolution lamellae in tistarite (Ti2O3), in a melt inclusions together with a Ti,Al,Zr-oxide, a MgTi3+2Al4SiO12 phase, spinel, sapphirine, Ti-sulfide, alabandite, and Si-rich glass in a corundum grain (Grain 1125C2). The chemical composition of kaitianite using electron probe microanalysis is (wt%) Ti2O3 58.04, TiO2 37.82, Al2O3 2.87, MgO 0.85, ZrO2 0.10, CaO 0.02, SiO2 0.02, sum 99.73, yielding an empirical formula of (Ti3+1.78Al0.12Ti4+0.05Mg0.05)(Ti4+1.00)O5, with the Ti3+ and Ti4+ partitioned, assuming a stoichiometry of three cations and five oxygen anions pfu. Electron back-scatter diffraction reveals that kaitianite has the monoclinic C2/c γ-Ti3O5-type structure with cell parameters: a = 10.12 Å, b = 5.07 Å, c = 7.18 Å, β = 112°, V = 342 Å3, and Z = 4. Kaitianite is a high-temperature oxide phase, formed in melt pockets under reduced conditions in corundum-aggregate xenoliths derived from the upper mantle beneath Mount Carmel, Israel.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-12-2018
DOI: 10.3390/MIN8120601
Abstract: The new mineral species carmeltazite, ideally ZrAl2Ti4O11, was discovered in pockets of trapped melt interstitial to, or included in, corundum xenocrysts from the Cretaceous Mt Carmel volcanics of northern Israel, associated with corundum, tistarite, anorthite, osbornite, an unnamed REE (Rare Earth Element) phase, in a Ca-Mg-Al-Si-O glass. In reflected light, carmeltazite is weakly to moderately bireflectant and weakly pleochroic from dark brown to dark green. Internal reflections are absent. Under crossed polars, the mineral is anisotropic, without characteristic rotation tints. Reflectance values for the four COM wavelengths (Rmin, Rmax (%) (λ in nm)) are: 21.8, 22.9 (471.1) 21.0, 21.6 (548.3), 19.9, 20.7 (586.6) and 18.5, 19.8 (652.3). Electron microprobe analysis (average of eight spot analyses) gave, on the basis of 11 oxygen atoms per formula unit and assuming all Ti and Sc as trivalent, the chemical formula (Ti3+3.60Al1.89Zr1.04Mg0.24Si0.13Sc0.06Ca0.05Y0.02Hf0.01)Σ=7.04O11. The simplified formula is ZrAl2Ti4O11, which requires ZrO2 24.03, Al2O3 19.88, and Ti2O3 56.09, totaling 100.00 wt %. The main diffraction lines, corresponding to multiple hkl indices, are (d in Å (relative visual intensity)): 5.04 (65), 4.09 (60), 2.961 (100), 2.885 (40), and 2.047 (60). The crystal structure study revealed carmeltazite to be orthorhombic, space group Pnma, with unit-cell parameters a = 14.0951 (9), b = 5.8123 (4), c = 10.0848 (7) Å, V = 826.2 (1) Å3, and Z = 4. The crystal structure was refined to a final R1 = 0.0216 for 1165 observed reflections with Fo 4σ(Fo). Carmeltazite exhibits a structural arrangement similar to that observed in a defective spinel structure. The name carmeltazite derives from Mt Carmel (“CARMEL”) and from the dominant metals present in the mineral, i.e., Titanium, Aluminum and Zirconium (“TAZ”). The mineral and its name have been approved by the IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (2018-103).
Publisher: Mineralogical Association of Canada
Date: 16-01-2020
Abstract: The crystal structures of the three perraultite-type minerals (bafertisite group, seidozerite supergroup)—jinshajiangite from Norra Kärr, Sweden, ideally NaBaFe2+4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F, Z = 4 surkhobite (holotype) from the Darai-Pioz massif, Tajikistan, ideally NaBaMn4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F, Z = 4 and bobshannonite (holotype) from Mont Saint-Hilaire, Canada, ideally Na2KBa(Mn7Na)Nb4(Si2O7)4O4(OH)4O2, Z = 2—were refined in space group C to R1 = 2.73, 2.85, and 2.02% on the basis of 2746, 2657, and 4963 unique reflections [Fo & 4σFo], respectively. Refinement was done using data from twinned crystals (jinshajiangite: three twin components surkhobite and bobshannonite: two twin components). The parameters of a C-centered triclinic unit cell are as follows: jinshajiangite: a = 10.720(5), b = 13.823(7), c = 11.044(6) Å, α = 108.222(6), β = 99.28(1), γ = 89.989(6)°, V = 1532.0(2.2) Å3 surkhobite: a = 10.728(6), b = 13.845(8), c = 11.072(6) Å, α = 108.185(6), β = 99.219(5), γ = 90.001(8)°, V = 1540.0(2.5) Å3 and bobshannonite: a = 10.831(7), b = 13.903(9), c = 11.149(8) Å, α = 108.145(6), β = 99.215(9), γ = 90.007(7)°, V = 1572.6(3.2) Å3. New electron microprobe data are reported for the holotype surkhobite and new IR data for jinshajiangite. In the perraultite-type structure (structure type B1BG, B – basic, BG – bafertisite group), there is one type of TS (Titanium-Silicate) block and one type of I (Intermediate) block they alternate along c. The TS block consists of HOH sheets (H-heteropolyhedral, O-octahedral). In the O sheet, the ideal composition of the five [6]MO sites is Fe2+4apfu (jinshajiangite), Mn4apfu (surkhobite), and (Mn7Na) (bobshannonite). There is no order of Fe2+ and Mn in the O sheet. In the H sheet, the ideal composition of the two [6]MH sites is Ti2apfu (jinshajiangite, surkhobite) and Nb4apfu (bobshannonite). The four [4]Si sites are occupied solely by Si. The MH octahedra and Si2O7 groups constitute the H sheet. The TS blocks link via common vertices of MH octahedra. The I block contains AP(1,2) and BP(1,2) cation sites. In the I block of jinshajiangite and surkhobite, the AP(1) site is occupied by Ba and the AP(2) site by K & Ba the ideal composition of the two AP(1,2) sites is Ba apfu. In the I block of bobshannonite, Ba and K are ordered at the AP(1) and AP(2) sites, Ba:K ∼ 1:1 , ideally BaK apfu. The two BP(1,2) sites are each occupied by Na & Ca, ideally Na apfu (jinshajiangite, surkhobite) and solely by Na, ideally Na2apfu (bobshannonite). There is no order of Na and Ca at the BP(1,2) sites in jinshajiangite and surkhobite [currently defined as a Ca-ordered analogue of perraultite, ideally NaBaMn4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F, Z = 4]. The ideal formulae of surkhobite, KBa3Ca2Na2Mn16Ti8(Si2O7)8O8(OH)4(F,O,OH)8 (current IMA formula) and of bobshannonite, Na2KBa(Mn,Na)8(Nb,Ti)4(Si2O7)4O4(OH)4(O,F)2 (current IMA formula) have been revised as follows: NaBaMn4Ti2(Si2O7)2O2(OH)2F, Z = 4 (surkhobite) and Na2KBa(Mn7Na)Nb4(Si2O7)4O4(OH)4O2, Z = 2 (bobshannonite). The revised ideal formula of surkhobite is identical to the ideal formula of perraultite and hence surkhobite should be discredited.
Publisher: Mineralogical Society of America
Date: 04-2019
DOI: 10.2138/AM-2019-6949
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
Location: Italy
No related grants have been discovered for Fernando Cámara.