Elkinstantonite
Mineral
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elkinstantonite /ˌɛlkɪnzˈtæntənaɪt/ is a mineral with formula Fe4(PO4)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]
| Elkinstantonite | |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Category | Minerals |
| Formula | Fe4(PO4)2O |
| Crystal system | Monoclinic |
| Space group | P21/c (no. 14) |
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]