Kaersutite (original) (raw)

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Calcic titanium bearing amphibole mineral

Kaersutite
Kaersutite (black) in tuff. Locality: Suletice, Czech Republic
General
Category Inosilicate
Formula(repeating unit) NaCa2(Mg3Ti4+Al)(Si6Al2)O22(O)2
IMA symbol Krs[1]
Strunz classification 9.DE.10
Dana classification 66.01.03a.18
Crystal system Monoclinic
Crystal class Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol)
Space group C2/m
Identification
Color Dark brown to black, yellow-brown, green-brown, or red-brown in thin section
Crystal habit Prismatic phenocrysts, granular aggregates
Twinning Simple or multiple twinning parallel to {100}
Cleavage Perfect on {110}, intersecting at 56° and 124°
Tenacity Brittle
Mohs scale hardness 5–6
Luster Vitreous
Streak Pale brownish-grey
Diaphaneity Semitransparent
Specific gravity 3.20–3.28
Optical properties Biaxial (−)
Refractive index nα = 1.670–1.689 nβ = 1.690–1.741 nγ = 1.700–1.772
Birefringence δ = 0.030–0.083
Pleochroism Strong; X = yellow, yellow-brown; Y = red, red-brown; Z = deep brown, dark red-brown.
2V angle 66–82°
References [2][3][4][5]

Kaersutite is a dark brown to black double-chain calcic titanium-bearing amphibole mineral with formula: NaCa2(Mg3Ti4+Al)(Si6Al2)O22(O)2.[6]

Ferro-kaersutite is the divalent iron-rich endmember of the kaersutite group, with the iron replacing magnesium in the structure.[7]

Kaersutite occurs as phenocrysts in alkalic volcanic rocks, in nodules of peridotite and gabbro in alkalic basalts, and in syenites, monzonites, and carbonatite tuffs. Mineral associations include titanian augite, rhoenite, olivine, ilmenite, spinel, plagioclase, and titanian pargasite.[2]

It was first described in 1884 and is named for Qaersut (formerly Kaersut), Umanq district in northern Greenland.[3]

  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ a b "Kaersutite" (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  3. ^ a b http://www.mindat.org/min-2129.html Mindat: Kaersutite
  4. ^ http://www.webmineral.com/data/Kaersutite.shtml Webmineral data
  5. ^ "IMA Master List". Archived from the original on 2015-01-05. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  6. ^ http://www.minsocam.org/msa/ammin/toc/Abstracts/2012_Abstracts/ND12_Abstracts/Hawthorne_p2031_12.pdf [_bare URL PDF_]
  7. ^ Ferro-kaersutite on Mindat