New data on the granite pedestal of the monument to Peter the Great “The Bronze Horseman” in Saint Petersburg

In order to expand and popularize knowledge about the stone decoration of Saint Petersburg, we present new data on the mineralogy and petrography of the famous Thunder-Stone, the parts of which were the basis for the monument to Peter the Great – the legendary “Bronze Horseman”. In the course of studying geological documentation of the monument's granite base, we examined the mineral composition and internal structure of granite, as well as the fragments of a pegmatite vein and veinlets found in it. 25 single-mineral samples were collected from the available micro-scaled shear fractures within the pedestal surface and studied by electron microscopy, electron probe and X-ray phase analysis. It was established that K-Na feldspar in the granite composition was represented by microcline, whereas micas were represented by annite-siderophyllite and muscovite. Accessory minerals included monazite, xenotime, thorite, zircon, rutile, apatite, fluorite, Ti-, Nb-, Ta-bearing minerals, uranium phosphates. The presence of topaz is characteristic of pegmatites. The revealed structural and textural features of four granite boulders in the monument pedestal, as well as mineralogical and chemical composition of their rock-forming and accessory minerals, showed the similarity of this rock to Precambrian biotite-muscovite granites and topaz-containing pegmatites (stockscheiders) of the late formation phase of the Vyborg rapakivi granite massif. The research results are considered as the basis for further geological and mineralogical study of the Thunder-Stone origin and determining the place of its separation from the primary source.

Odikhinchaite, Na9Sr3[(H2O)2Na]Ca6Mn3Zr3NbSi (Si24O72)O(OH)3(CO3)·H2O, a New Eudialyte-Group Mineral from the Odikhincha Intrusion, Taimyr Peninsula, Russia

The new eudialyte-group mineral, odikhinchaite, was discovered in a peralkaline pegmatite vein hosted by melteigite at the Odikhincha ultrabasic alkaline–carbonatite intrusion, Taimyr Peninsula, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. Associated minerals are orthoclase, albite, aegirine, cancrinite, ancylite-(Ce), catapleiite, and wadeite. Odikhinchaite occurs as dense rosette-like aggregates up to 11 mm across, consisting of split lamellar individuals. The mineral is translucent to transparent, deep purple, with vitreous luster. Odikhinchaite is brittle, with uneven fracture; distinct cleavage on (001) is observed. Hardness determined by the micro-indentation method is equal to 430 kgf/mm2; the Mohs hardness is 5. D(meas.) is 2.97(1) g·cm−3, D(calc.) is 3.04 g·cm–3. Odikhinchaite is optically uniaxial (–), ω = 1.638(2), ε = 1.630(2). The IR spectrum shows the presence of the IVMn2+O4 polyhedra, H2O molecules and CO32– anions. The chemical composition is (electron microprobe, H2O determined by the modified Penfield method, CO2 determined by selection sorption of gaseous annealing products; wt%): Na2O 9.25, K2O 0.59, CaO 12.77, MnO 5.49, FeO 0.75, MgO 0.24, La2O3 0.38, Ce2O3 0.39, Nd2O3 0.15, Al2O3 0.07, SiO2 44.80, ZrO2 11.13, TiO2 0.07, Nb2O5 4.17, Cl 0.69, CO2 0.90, H2O 2.22, –O = Cl –0.16, total 99.72. The crystal structure was solved using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Odikhinchaite is trigonal, space group R3m; the unit-cell parameters are: a = 14.2837(2) Å, c = 30.0697(3) Å, V = 5313.04(12) Å3. The new mineral is isostructural with other 12-layered members of the eudialyte group with the space group R3m. Its crystal chemical formula is (Z = 3): {N1(Na2.58Ca0.42)N2[Na2.37Ca0.51(H2O)0.12]N3(Sr2.00K0.45Na0.35REE0.20)N4Na3N5[(H2O)1.8Na1.2]}{ZZr3M1Ca6M2(Mn2.49Fe2+0.51)[M3Nb(OH)1.82O1.18](M4SiOH)[Si3O9]2[Si9O27]2X1[(CO3)0.53Cl0.47]X2[(H2O)0.6(O,F)0.4]XM4(CO3)0.15. The strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I, %) (hkl)] are: 11.42 (64) (101), 4.309 (41) (205), 3.405 (53) (131), 3.208 (45) (208, 036), 3.167 (44) (217), 2.978 (100) (315), 2.858 (86) (404).

Phosphorus-containing helvite of the Shakhdarinsky pegmatite vein (Southwest Pamir, Tajikistan)

В миароловой пегматитовой жиле Шахдаринская, расположенной на юго-западном склоне Шугнанского хребта на Юго-Западном Памире (ГБАО, Таджикистан), диагностирован гельвин. Минерал обнаружен в виде тетраэдрических кристаллов (0.2–1 мм) и зернистых агрегатов в миароловых полостях в ассоциации с кварцем, щелочным бериллом, литиевыми слюдами, эльбаитом, кальцитом. Цвет гельвина от лимонножелтого до желто-коричневого. Микротвердость VHN = 762. Показатель преломления n = 1.733(2). Плотность 3.22(3) г/см3. Параметр кубической элементарной ячейки a = 8.2705(8) Å, V = 565.7(2) Å3. Приведена рентгеновская дифрактограмма. ИК-спектр близок к опубликованным данным для гельвина, но содержит дополнительные полосы поглощения 1095 и 1048 см–1, возможно, принадлежащие колебаниям PO4- тетраэдров. Химический состав гельвина изучен электронно-зондовым методом и LA-ICP-MS. Среднее по 7 анализам (мас.%): SiO2 32.08, Al2O3 0.25, SnO2 0.04, FeO 11.47, MnO 37.64, ZnO 1.63, CaO 0.07, BeO 13.4, Li2O 0.06, P2O5 0.54, S 5.59, – S = O 2.80, сумма 99.96. Эмпирическая формула (расчет на сумму катионов 10): (Mn2.95Fe0.89Zn0.11Li0.02Ca0.01)3.98(Be2.98Al0.03)3.01(Si2.97P0.04)3.01O12.07S0.97. Гельвин обогащен элементамипримесями (ppm): Sc 297, Li 260, Sn 327, Y 32, HREE 11. Фосфор (P2O5 от 0.1 до 1.1 мас.%), по косвенным данным, входит в гельвин как изоморфная примесь.

Zircons from a Pegmatite Cutting Eclogite (Gridino, Belomorian Mobile Belt): U-Pb-O and Trace Element Constraints on Eclogite Metamorphism and Fluid Activity

This report presents new data on U-Pb geochronology, oxygen isotopes, and trace element composition of zircon from a pegmatite vein crosscutting an eclogite boudin on Stolbikha Island, Gridino area, Belomorian mobile belt (BMB). The zircon grains occur as two distinct populations. The predominant population is pegmatitic and shows dark cathodoluminescence (CL); about a third of this population contains inherited cores. The second zircon population is typical of granulite and exhibits a well-defined sectorial (mosaic) zoning in CL. Both the inherited cores and sectorial in CL zircons appear to have been captured from metabasites as xenocrysts during the pegmatite vein formation. A U-Pb age of 1890 ± 2 Ma for the main zircon population is interpreted as the age of the pegmatite injection. This value is close to the age threshold for the BMB eclogites (~1.9 Ga) and unambiguously defines the upper age limit for the eclogite metamorphism. The pegmatite formation is thus related to partial melting events that occurred during the retrograde amphibolite-facies metamorphism shortly after the eclogitization. A U-Pb date of 2743 ± 10 Ma obtained for the sectorial in CL zircons is considered as the age of the granulite-facies metamorphism established previously within the BMB. The values of δ18O in the zircon populations overlap in a broad range, i.e., δ18O in the pegmatitic zircons varies from 6.1‰ to 8.3‰, inherited cores show a generally higher δ18O of 6.7–8.8‰, and in the captured granulitic zircons δ18O is 6.2–7.9‰. As a result of fluid attack during the final stage of the pegmatite vein formation, the composition of the pegmatitic zircons in terms of non-formula elements (REE, Y, Ca, Sr, Ti) has become anomalous, with the content of these elements having been increased by more than tenfold in the alteration zones. Our data provide new constraints on the timing of eclogite metamorphism within the BMB and show that the late-stage pegmatite-related fluids exerted a very pronounced influence on trace element abundances in zircon, yet had no significant impact on the isotopic composition of oxygen.

Oxybismutomicrolite, a new pyrochlore-supergroup mineral from the Malkhan pegmatite field, Central Transbaikalia, Russia

Oxybismutomicrolite, ideally [(Bi3+,#)2]Σ4+Ta2O6O, where # = subordinate substituents, such as Na+, Ca2+ and vacancy (□), is a microlite-group, pyrochlore-supergroup mineral discovered at the Solnechnaya (‘Sunny’) pegmatite vein, Malkhan pegmatite field, Zabaykalskiy Kray, Central Transbaikalia, Russia. It forms rough octahedral crystals up to 1 mm across and equant grains up to 2 mm across embedded in an albite–lepidolite–elbaite complex. Other associated minerals are Bi-rich fluornatromicrolite, bismutotantalite and stibiotantalite. The new mineral is black, with resinous lustre; the streak is greyish white. It is non-fluorescent under ultraviolet light. Oxybismutomicrolite is brittle, with Mohs’ hardness of ~5. Cleavage is not observed, fracture is uneven. Dmeas. = 6.98(2) g/cm3 and Dcalc. = 7.056 g/cm3. The mineral is optically isotropic. The mean refractive index calculated from the Gladstone–Dale equation is 2.184. The infrared spectrum shows the absence of H2O molecules and OH groups. The chemical composition is (electron microprobe, wt.%): Na2O 3.45, CaO 2.88, MnO 0.31, PbO 0.76, Bi2O3 29.81, ThO2 0.18, TiO2 3.89, SnO2 1.77, Nb2O5 4.50, Ta2O5 51.08, F 1.17, O = F –0.49, total 99.31. The empirical formula, on the basis of 2 cations at the B site, is (Bi0.79Na0.68Ca0.32Mn0.03Pb0.02□0.16)Σ2.00(Ta1.42Ti0.30Nb0.21Sn0.07)Σ2.00O6.00(O0.52F0.38□0.10)Σ1.00. The crystal structure refinement (R = 0.019) gave the following data: cubic, Fd–3m, a = 10.4746(11) Å, V = 1149.2(4) Å3 and Z = 8. The eight strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å(I, %)(hkl)] are: 6.051(12)(111), 3.160(10)(311), 3.026(100)(222), 2.621(32)(400), 1.854(33)(440), 1.581(27)(622), 1.514(7)(444) and 1.203(7)(662). Type material is deposited in the collections of the Fersman Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, registration number 5409/1.

Magnetic and Very Low Frequency Electromagnetic (VLF-EM) investigations for gold exploration around Ihale in Bunnu-Kabba Area of Kogi, north-central Nigeria

This study integrates ground magnetic and Very Low Frequency Electromagnetic (VLF-EM) methods of geophysical investigation to probe the subsurface in terms of rock magnetic susceptibility and ground conductivity for the purpose of identifying mineralized pegmatite veins that could serve as host for gold and associated metallic deposits. Twenty five (25) carefully planned ground magnetic and VLF-EM profiles, each, were occupied east and west of a reference profile which was purposively established on an identified mineralized pegmatite vein around Ihale in Bunnu-Kabba area of Kogi, north-central Nigeria. The acquired ground magnetic data were filtered and Reduced To Pole at Low Latitude (RTPLL) to remove regional field effect, cultural noise as well as focus the peaks of magnetic anomalies over corresponding sources. The measured raw real and raw imaginary components of the EM fields were subjected to Fraser and Karous Hjelt filtering to remove harmonic noise, focus and make anomaly amplitudes relate directly to the causative conductor as well as generate current density employed to characterise the subsurface. Seven (7) zones of relatively high VLF-EM derived current density with matching high residual positive magnetic anomalies present closely correlate-able signatures with subsurface response obtained around the reference profile established where local mining activities indicate evidence of gold and associated metallic mineralization of the pegmatite vein. The delineated zones constitute targets for gold and associated base metal prospects which could be further developed for economic benefit of the community.

Oxynatromicrolite, (Na,Ca,U)2Ta2O6(O,F), a new member of the pyrochlore supergroup from Guanpo, Henan Province, China

A new mineral species of the pyrochlore supergroup, oxynatromicrolite (IMA2013-063), (Na,Ca,U)2Ta2O6O, was found in the No. 309 rare-metal granitic pegmatite vein, Guanpo, Lushi county, Henan Province, China, which is characterized by tantalum at theB site and oxygen at the Y site and is Na dominant at the A site. The mineral occurs as strongly metamict, and mostly euhedral octahedral crystals up to 0.05–0.20 mm across. The measured density of an unheated sample is 6.580(4) g cm–3, and the calculatedone is 6.506 g cm–3. Optically, the mineral is isotropic, with an index of refraction 1.999(5) and a reflectance of 11.88% (470 nm). When heated to 1000°C for 4 hours in N2, the mineral recrystallizes in the cubic system, with space group Fd3mand with unit-cell parameters similar those of other pyrochlore supergroup species: a = 10.420(6) Å, V = 1131.4(2) Å3. Electron microprobe analyses revealed the following composition of the mineral (in wt.%): Na2O 5.41, CaO 4.56, UO214.60, La2O3 0.16, Ce2O3 0.11, Nd2O3 0.13, PbO 0.62, Ta2O5 61.52, Nb2O5 8.21, Sb2O5 0.23, TiO2 0.05, SiO2 0.56, SnO2 0.29, F1.04, H2O 1.50 (calculated to correspond to 0.47 H2O pfu), F≡O –0.44, sum = 98.53%, which corresponds to the empirical formula (Na0.99Ca0.46U0.31Pb0.02La0.01H2O0.21)∑2.00(Ta1.58Nb0.35Si0.05Sn0.01Sb0.01)∑2.00O6 (O0.43F0.31H2O0.26)∑1.00, represented by the simplified formula (Na,Ca,U)2(Ta,Nb)2O6(O,F).Oxynatromicrolite crystallized during the late-stage of formation for the No. 309 pegmatite dyke and is associated with quartz, albite, potassium feldspar, muscovite, kaolinite, tantalite-Mn, stibiotantalite, pollucite, spodumene, montebrasite, Hf-rich zircon, a red tourmaline, polylithionite,trilithionite, luanshiweiite-2M1 (IMA2011-102) and a hydrated derivative of oxynatromicrolite.