Chemistry:Elkinstantonite
| Elkinstantonite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Mineral |
| Formula (repeating unit) | Fe 4(PO 4) 2O |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Space group | P21/c (no. 14) |
Elkinstantonite /ˌɛlkɪnzˈtæntənaɪt/ is a mineral with formula Fe
4(PO
4)
2O that was first generated in a laboratory in the 1980s[1] and first identified from natural origins in 2022, when the official mineral designation was also given. It is monoclinic, with space group P21/c (space group 14).[2]
History
Elkinstantonite was first identified in nature by scientists from the University of Alberta who were given a 70-gram piece of an ancient 15-ton El Ali meteorite that landed in Somalia and was first noticed by the international scientific community in 2020.[3] Elkinstantonite was named after NASA scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton.[3]
The mineral was identified by Andrew Locock who is employed by the university as the head of its electron microprobe laboratory,[4] and classified by geologist Chris Herd.[5] Locock also identified the first natural specimen of elaliite in the same sample.[6]
Synthetic versions of elkinstantonite were produced in a French laboratory in the 1980s, but could not be categorised as a mineral until they were found in nature.[4]
References
- ↑ Bouchdoug, M. et al."Preparation et etude d'un oxyphosphate Fe4(PO4)2O". J. Solid State Chem. (1982) 42, p. 149-157 10.1016/0022-4596(82)90261-4
- ↑ Chris Herd (Nov 21, 2022). "The El Ali Meteorite: Ancient History and New Minerals". https://www.ualberta.ca/institute-for-space-science-exploration-and-technology/media-library/symposium2022-videos/herd.mp4., talk given at the Space Exploration Symposium 2022, University of Alberta.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Somalia meteorite: Joy as scientists find two new minerals" (in en-GB). BBC News. 2022-11-29. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63800879.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "In meteorite, Alberta researchers discover 2 minerals never before seen on Earth | Globalnews.ca" (in en-US). https://globalnews.ca/news/9309682/alberta-2-new-minerals-meteorite-somalia/.
- ↑ "U of A scientists help identify two new minerals found in 'curious' meteorite" (in en-CA). https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/u-of-a-scientists-help-identify-two-new-minerals-found-in-curious-meteorite.
- ↑ "Researchers discover two new minerals on meteorite grounded in Somalia" (in en). 2022-11-29. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/nov/29/researchers-discover-two-new-minerals-on-meteorite-grounded-in-somalia.
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