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Warkite

A valid IMA mineral species

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David Wark

Formula:

Ca₂Sc₆Al₆O₂₀

Ca₂(Sc,Ti³⁺,Al,Mg,Zr)₆Al₆O₂₀

Crystal System:

Triclinic

Member of:

Sapphirine Group > Sapphirine Supergroup

Name:

Named in 2013 by C. Ma, A.N. Krot, K. Nagashima and O. Tschauner in honor of David Wark (27 June 1939, Melbourne, Australia - 8 June 2005, Australia) for his many contributions to research on Ca-Al-rich inclusions in meteorites, including the discovery of the Wark-Lovering rims that surround inclusion bodies in meteorites.

Co-Type Localities:

ⓘ Murchison meteorite, Murchison, City of Greater Shepparton, Victoria, Australia
ⓘ Vigarano meteorite (Cariani; Ferrara; Mainardi; Morandi; Parish; Pieve; Vigarano Mainarda; Vigarano Pieve; Vigarno; Vigarvano; Vigavano [NHM cat.]), Vigarano Pieve, Vigarano Mainarda, Ferrara Province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy

The Sc analogue of addibischoffite and beckettite. Second Ca-Al-Sc mineral after davisite. Rhönite group of the sapphirine supergroup.

An ultra-refractory, early Sc phase, formed in reducing conditions. Found in Murchison and Vigarano meteorites. One of a few recently described Sc-rich meteoritic minerals, among allendeite, davisite, kangite, and panguite.

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Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

46079

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:46079:4

GUID
(UUID V4):

d5fb6a22-9638-492a-9fb6-de74341fcbae

IMA Classification of WarkiteHide

IMA status:

Approved

Approval year:

2013

Type description reference:

Ma, C., Krot, A. N., Beckett, J. R., Nagashima, K., Tschauner, O., Rossman, G. R., ... & Bischoff, A. (2020). Warkite, Ca2Sc6Al6O20, a new mineral in carbonaceous chondrites and a key-stone phase in ultrarefractory inclusions from the solar nebula. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 277, 52-86.

Classification of WarkiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2024):

4.BC.15

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
C : With medium-sized and large cations

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference
Wki	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Chemistry of WarkiteHide

Mindat Formula:

Ca₂Sc₆Al₆O₂₀

Ca₂(Sc,Ti³⁺,Al,Mg,Zr)₆Al₆O₂₀

Elements listed:

Al, Ca, O, Sc - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Common Impurities:

Ti(III)

Crystallography of WarkiteHide

Crystal System:

Triclinic

Class (H-M):

1 - Pinacoidal

Space Group:

Setting:

Cell Parameters:

a = 10.367 Å, b = 10.756 Å, c = 8.895 Å
α = 105.98°, β = 96.04°, γ = 124.72°

Ratio:

a:b:c = 0.964 : 1 : 0.827

Unit Cell V:

739.41 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
8.067 Å	(53)
8.063 Å	(51)
4.802 Å	(55)
2.684 Å	(74)
2.684 Å	(72)
2.544 Å	(100)
2.541 Å	(78)
2.540 Å	(77)

Comments:

From Type Description.

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 1: Primary nebular phases	4.567-4.561
3 : Solar nebular condensates (CAIs, AOAs, URIs)	>4.565

Type Occurrence of WarkiteHide

Co-Type Localities:

General Appearance of Type Material:

4-12 μm aggregates of 1-4 μm crystals

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Type material is deposited in the collections of the Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA (Murchison) and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, USA, registration number USNM 7618 (Vigarano)

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Chondrite meteorites

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Spinel	Perovskite	Melilite Group	Diopside	Davisite
Spinel	Gehlenite

Reference:

Synonyms of WarkiteHide

IMA2013-129

Relationship of Warkite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Sapphirine Group > Sapphirine Supergroup

Other Members of this group:

Addibischoffite	Ca₂Al₆Al₆O₂₀	Tric. 1 : P1
Khmaralite	(Mg,Al,Fe)₁₆[(Al,Si,Be)₁₂O₃₆]O₄	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
Louisfuchsite	Ca₂(Mg₄Ti₂)(Al₄Si₂)O₂₀	Tric. 1 : P1
Sapphirine	Mg₄(Mg₃Al₉)O₄[Si₃Al₉O₃₆]	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
UM2002-52-SiO:AlFeMg	Mg₄(Mg_1.5Fe⁺²_0.3Fe⁺³_1.6Al_8.5)O₄[Si_1.7Al_10.3O₃₆]

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

4.BC.	Addibischoffite	Ca₂Al₆Al₆O₂₀	Tric. 1 : P1
4.BC.	Ellinaite	CaCr₂O₄	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pnma
4.BC.05	Marokite	CaMn³⁺₂O₄	Orth.
4.BC.10	Dmitryivanovite	CaAl₂O₄	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/b
4.BC.25	Kudryavtsevaite	Na₃(Mg,Fe)(Fe,Ti)₂Ti₃O₁₂	Orth. mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) : Pbcm
4.BC.30	Tululite	Ca₁₄(Fe³⁺,Al)(Al,Zn,Fe³⁺,Si,P,Mn,Mg)₁₅O₃₆	Iso. 2 3 : F2 3
4.BC.30	Valleyite	Ca₄Fe₆O₁₃	Iso. 4 3m : I4 3m
4.BC.35	Krotite	CaAl₂O₄	Mon. 2/m

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for WarkiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-46079.html
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External Links:

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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

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References for WarkiteHide

Reference List:

Williams, P. A., Hatert, F., Pasero, M., Mills, S. J. (2014) New minerals and nomenclature modifications approved in 2014, CNMNC Newsletter No 20. Mineralogical Magazine, 78 (3) 549-558 doi:10.1180/minmag.2014.078.3.05

Ma, C., Krot, A.N., Beckett, J.R., Nagashima, K. and Tschauner, O. (2015) Discovery of warkite, Ca₂Sc₆Al₆O₂₀, a new Sc-rich ultra-refractory mineral in Murchison and Vigarano. Meteoritics and Planetary Science: 50 (S1): Abstract No. 5025. 78th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society

(2023) Warkite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for WarkiteHide

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Australia (TL)
Victoria City of Greater Shepparton Murchison ⓘ Murchison meteorite (TL)	Williams et al. (2014) +1 other reference

Italy (TL)
Emilia-Romagna Ferrara Province Vigarano Mainarda Vigarano Pieve ⓘ Vigarano meteorite (Cariani; Ferrara; Mainardi; Morandi; Parish; Pieve; Vigarano Mainarda; Vigarano Pieve; Vigarno; Vigarvano; Vigavano [NHM cat.]) (TL)	Williams et al. (2014) +2 other references

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