Lapilli from the August 1966 eruption of the carbonatite volcano Oldoinyo Lengai consist of carbonate-cemented aggregates of (i) mono- and poly-mineralic fragments of ijolitic rocks, (ii) single grains and clusters of euhedral nepheline, Ti-andradite, and Ti-magnetite, and (iii) corroded pyroxene and wollastonite grains surrounded by coronas containing combeite, melilite, Ca-silicates (possibly larnite and rankinite), and rounded bodies of submicrometre intergrowths with complex bulk compositions dominated by Na,K,Ca-phosphate-carbonate and alkali-iron-sulphide-carbonate. The (ii,iii) materials, together with abundant Na-carbonate, sylvite and fluorite occurring as cement and shells in the lapilli, are attributed to mixing and incomplete reaction of ijolite and carbonatite magmas during the explosive eruption. The rounded submicrometre intergrowths are interpreted as the quench products of two types of immiscible liquids whose properties should be studied by controlled synthesis.

Astrophyllite is a rock-forming mineral (3.4 vol.%) in the metasomatized wallrocks within 2 to 3 km of the contact with the Mount Gharib A-type complex in northeastern Egypt. In the peralkaline A-type granites of the main complex, astrophyllite occurs in accessory amounts (0.1 to 0.5 vol.%), mostly in association with arfvedsonite. Eighteen chemical analyses of astrophyllite from both rock units have been used to discuss mineral chemistry, compositional variations and isomorphism.

Substitutions in the astrophyllite unit cell [(Na,K)3Fe7Ti2Si8(O,OH)31] involve F, Ca, Mn, Zn, Mg, Nb, Zr, Sn and A1. The contents of the unit cell depart from ideal stiochiometry. Unusually high Nb contents (up to 5 wt.% Nb2O5) characterize the Egyptian astrophyllitcs. The replacement of Ti by Nb is balanced by cation vacancies (Nb5+ → Ti4+ + □). The niobophyllite-astrophyllite relationship and the structure of astrophyllite in relation to mica and biopyriboles are discussed.

Astrophyllite may have been formed at the expense of alkali amphiboles by metasomatic reactions involving Ti-Nb-rich alkaline fluids and arfvedsonite;

Most astrophyllite reported in the literature occurs in association with alkali amphiboles, particularly arfvedsonite, thus suggesting that similar metasomatic reactions were responsible for the formation of astrophyllite in many other localities in the world.

A study of mine dump material from Koberg, Bergslagen, Sweden has revealed a varied mineral assemblage, including Zr-, REE-, Th- and U-bearing minerals associated with the sulphide ore deposit. Detailed descriptions and microprobe analyses are presented of the rare earth minerals yttrian zirconolite and allanite-(Ce), and the zirconium oxide baddeleyite. Yttrian zirconolite is patchily zoned in the actinide elements Th and U, and the low analytical totals suggest the presence of several weight per cent of H2O. The implications of these features with respect to synthetic zirconolite in SYNROC and to radioactive waste management are briefly discussed. Chemical zoning of individual REE in yttrian zirconolite is described and the REE distribution compared with those of zirconolites from other localities. Allanite-(Ce) is generally unzoned, but contains REE-rich rims which are considered to be sub-micron intergrowths of allanite plus a bastnäisite-type mineral phase. The MgO content of allanite-(Ce) is unusually high and appears to be a characteristic feature of allanite from other cerium and mineral occurrences of Central Sweden. The rare earth minerals at Koberg are interpretated as having been formed as a result of localized remobilization of elements including Ti and Zr with H2O- and CO2-rich fluids.

Nyböite occurs as porphyroblasts in the Jianchang eclogite in the Donghai area, northeastern Jiangsu Province, eastern China. The Jianchang eclogite contains some inclusions of quartz after coesite in clinopyroxene, garnet and epidote. It has colourless to pale-violet pleochroism. A thin rim with violet pleochroism often develops around nyb6ite and is taramitic. It is further retrogressed by the symplectite which is mainly composed of hornblende, aegirine-augite and albite. Nyböite is associated with jadeitic pyroxene in the Jianchang eclogite, although other porphyroblastic amphiboles in other Donghai eclogites are barroisitic to katophoritic and are associated with omphacite.

Fe-Mg partitioning between garnet and clinopyroxene and the presence of coesite pseudomorphs indicate P-T conditions in the Jianchang eclogite of about 740 ± 60°C and more than 28 kbar. Similar P-T conditions were estimated for other porphyroblastic amphibole-bearing eclogites in the Donghai area. Nyböite can occur in the Na-Al-Fe-rich local bulk composition under the medium to high temperature and very high-pressure conditions. Retrograde rim amphibole is poorer in NaB, variable in Si content, and richer in NaA variable than the porphyroblastic amphibole in the Donghai area. This roughly implies a P-T path where P decreases without a large decrease of T.

A silver-palladium alloy with structural formula close to AgPd has been found in laterite from the Bahia lateritic gold deposit. The alloy occurs in a void of an iron oxide nodule, associated with goethite and hematite. The angular shape and protuberances of the alloy grains suggest crystal growth in a lateritic environment, indicating that the alloy is a secondary mineral precipitated during lateritisation. The oxidation of sulphides of the parent rocks probably favoured the migration of palladium and silver as transient thiosulphate and sulphite complexes. Destruction of the thiosulphate and sulphite ligands could result in precipitation of both palladium and silver as an alloy. Eh-pH phase diagrams for Pd-H2O-C1 and Ag-H2O-C1 systems show that both palladium and silver are stable in lateritic environments under lower redox potentials. Such an environment may exist at the top of the ferruginous zone due to the abundant organic matter near the surface.

New stability constant data are presented for the minerals blixite, mendipite and the compound Pb7O6Cl2.2H2O at 298.2 K and P = 105 Pa. Mendipite is in fact a metastable phase at this temperature, being thermodynamically stable under the appropriate conditions at temperatures above about 29°C Kinetic influences are of some significance with respect to the sequence of formation of solid phases in the PbO-HCl-HH2O system, and these have been elucidated for some important reactions. Penfieldite and fiedlerite appear to be metastable phases at all temperatures at 105 Pa. The results have been used to reassess the conditions of formation of the lead(II) oxy- and hydroxychloride phases that are known to form as minerals and as corrosion products of lead-containing artefacts. The effect of CO2 on the system is also described.

An iron-rich vesigniéite, [Ba(Cu,Fe)3(VO4)2(OH)2] with Cu : Fe near 4 : 1, was identified in samples from the submarine-exhalative Gorob-Hope copper deposit, Namibia. The olive-colour mineral occurs as mammillary encrustations and vein fillings in the gossan zone of this deposit; it often has a brownish oxidation coating. The main X-ray lines are 3.21 Å (100) [204, 113], 2.72 Å (63) [313,002] and 2.94 Å (61) [020, 311]. The cell parameters are a = 10.236, b = 5.905, c = 14.253 Å and B = 103.71°. The formation of vesigniéite took place during the alteration of the ore under strongly alkaline and slightly reducing to oxidizing conditions. While copper and barium were derived from the submarine exhalative mineralisation, vanadium was leached from the countryrock, a micea schist.

The new mineral tooeleite occurs with pyrite, arsenopyrite, scorodite, and jarosite at the U.S. Mine, Tooele Country, Utah. Analysis by electron microprobe gave Fe2O3 43.56%, As2O5 38.61%, SO3 7.24%, and H2O by the Penfield method 9.80%. For this analysis, the suggested formula is Fe8-2x3+[(AS1-xSx)O4]6(OH)6.5H20; x is about 0.2.

Crystals are orthorhombic, perhaps Pbcm or Pbc21, with a = 6.416, b 19.45, c = 8.941 Å. The strongest diffraction lines are [d in Å, (hkl), (I)] 9.75 (020) (10); 3.208 (200,132) (9); 3.047 (061,220) (5); 4.476 ({002) (4) and 2.680 (240,113) (4). The mineral is optically negative with a small 2V; α = 1.94, β = 2.05, γ = 2.06. Hardness = 3, Dmeas = 4.23, Dcalc = 4.15 g/cm3 for Z = 2.

Spodumene pegmatites, aplites and schists from the Aclare Li prospect of SE Ireland host sporadically developed, small, red, euhedral garnets. Chemical data indicate that the pegmatite- and aplite-hosted garnets are rich in spessartine and are similar to garnets in many African Li-rich pegmatites. Partial melting as a source of the garnets is unlikely due to the large spessartine component, the abundance of inclusions within the garnets and the general P-T-X evolution of the pegmatite body. It is suggested that an aqueous fluid was exsolved during pegmatite crystallisation and complexed available Mn. Movement of this fluid to the intermediate zone of the pegmatite body produced areas of high Mn concentrations which permitted the crystallisation of spessartine-rich garnets at low pressures (<3 kbar).

Uraniferous bitumens from Great Britain, Scandinavia and South Africa have been studied by oilimmersion reflected-light microscopy and categorised into those formed either by replacement of preexisting uraninite and pitchblende or by complexation/reduction mechanisms in pre-existing hydrocarbons. The former are characterised by displaying normal replacive textures, and containing high concentrations of non-mineral-bound uranium, or later, occasionally exotic, uraniferous fracturefilling phases. Uraniferous bitumens formed during complexation/reduction reactions display monotonous mineralogies and ordered mineral-inclusion distributions.

Radiolytic alteration of uraniferous bitumens induces both chemical and mechanical alteration. Early alteration is marked by the generation of mobile hydrocarbons during 'cracking reactions' with subsequent within-sample migration to form globular bitumens and dendritic interspersions of mineralrich and -poor uraniferous bitumen. Mobile hydrocarbons may act as lubricants during mechanical deformation. Advanced organic alteration is characterised by well-documented increased reflectance around uraniferous grains, and by fracturing of the bitumens.