Combined Micro-chemical and Micro-structural Analysis of New Minerals Representing Extreme Conditions

Abstract:

Recent improvements in micro-chemical analysis in combination with novel tools for micrometer-scale structural analysis of minerals from synchrotron X-ray diffraction open a pathway towards studies of mineral paragenesis that were previously not or barely accessible. Often mineral assemblies that represent extreme conditions also pose extreme challenges to analysis: very small size scale, complex matrix, minor amounts of material. Examples of such extreme, but also quite relevant environments are: a) High pressure shock-metamorphic minerals in meteorites and terrestrial impact sites, b) inclusions in diamonds from the deep mantle, c) ultrarefractory phases in Ca-Al-inlcusions from the solar nebula, d) presolar condensates. We show how a combination of synchrotron-based structural and semi-quantitative chemical techniques, with electron-microscopy based high-resolution imaging and fully quantitative chemical analysis and qualitative structural identification establish a powerful tool for discovery and characterization of important and interesting new minerals on micron- to submicron size scale.