The International Mineralogical Association's approved amphibole nomenclature has been revised in order to simplify it, make it more consistent with divisions generally at 50%, define prefixes and modifiers more precisely and include new amphibole species discovered and named since 1978, when the previous scheme was approved. The same reference axes form the basis of the new scheme and most names are little changed but compound species names like tremolitic hornblende (now magnesiohornblende) are abolished and also crossite (now glaucophane or ferroglaucophane or magnesioriebeckite or riebeckite), tirodite (now manganocummingtonite) and dannemorite (now manganogrunerite). The 50% rule has been broken only to retain tremolite and actinolite as in the 1978 scheme so the sodic calcic amphibole range has therefore been expanded. Alkali amphiboles are now sodic amphiboles. The use of hyphens is defined. New amphibole names approved since 1978 include nyböite, leakeite, kornite, ungarettiite, sadanagaite and cannilloite. All abandoned names are listed. The formulae and source of the amphibole end member names are listed and procedures outlined to calculate Fe3+ and Fe2+ when not determined by analysis.
The International Mineralogical Association's approved amphibole nomenclature has been revised in order to simplify it, make it more consistent with divisions generally at 50%, define prefixes and modifiers more precisely, and include new species of amphibole discovered and named since 1978, when the previous scheme was approved. The same reference axes form the basis of the new scheme, and most names are little changed, but compound species names like tremolitic hornblende (now magnesiohornblende) are abolished, as are crossite (now glaucophane or ferroglaucophane or magnesioriebeckite or riebeckite), tirodite (now manganocummingtonite) and dannemorite (now manganogrunerite). The 50% rule has been broken only to retain tremolite and actinolite as in the 1978 scheme; the sodic-calcic amphibole range has therefore been expanded. Alkali amphiboles are now sodic amphiboles. The use of hyphens is defined. New amphibole names approved since 1978 include nyböite, leakeite, kornite, ungarettiite, sadanagaite and cannilloite. All abandoned names are listed. The formulae and source of the amphibole end-member names are listed, and procedures outlined to calculate Fe 3+ and Fe 2+ where not determined by analysis.
The use of manganese and iron oxides by late Neandertals is well documented in Europe, especially for the period 60–40 kya. Such finds often have been interpreted as pigments even though their exact function is largely unknown. Here we report significantly older iron oxide finds that constitute the earliest documented use of red ochre by Neandertals. These finds were small concentrates of red material retrieved during excavations at Maastricht-Belvédère, The Netherlands. The excavations exposed a series of well-preserved flint artifact (and occasionally bone) scatters, formed in a river valley setting during a late Middle Pleistocene full interglacial period. Samples of the reddish material were submitted to various forms of analyses to study their physical properties. All analyses identified the red material as hematite. This is a nonlocal material that was imported to the site, possibly over dozens of kilometers. Identification of the Maastricht-Belvédère finds as hematite pushes the use of red ochre by (early) Neandertals back in time significantly, to minimally 200–250 kya (i.e., to the same time range as the early ochre use in the African record).
Vochtenite, a new mineral from the Basset Mine, southeast of Camborne in Cornwall, England, is a ferrous-ferric magnesium-bearing hydroxy uranyl phosphate mineral. It is monoclinic with a = 12.606, b = 19.990, c = 9.990 A, fl = 102.31 ~ Z = 3; the ideal formula is." (Fe z+,Mg)Fe3+[UOz/PO4]4(OH) 9 12-13 H20.The strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern are: 9.998(100) (020) (344,471). Vochtenite is brown in colour with a bronzy lustre and is non-fluorescent. Mohs hardness is 2.5 and the density (calc.) = 3.663 g/cm 3. There is a prominent (010) cleavage. Vochtenite is optical biaxial negative, 2V (calc.) = 89(3)~ its dispersion is indiscernible. Refractive indices are a = 1.575(2),/3 = 1.589(2), y = 1.603(2), and the pleochroism is very weak. Orientation X(c011b is perpendicular to (010) and Z(y)/~ c is small. The mineral occurs as subparallel (0.5-1.0 mm) crystal aggregates with a pseudo-quadratic outline.
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