Thin Section Thursday! This megacryst of orthopyroxene shows high relief and faint pleochroism in PPL. Cross the polars, & the crystal comes alive with abundant thin bands of exsolution lamellae of clinopyroxene. Contributed by Matt Kohn. #thinsectionthursday

American Mineralogist: Nanogeochemistry of Ni, Co, and Cu in zoned marcasite-pyrite crystals Amira R. Ferreira, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Highlights the economic potential of pyrite in ore deposits, emphasizing the importance of nanoscale studies in improving metal recovery.

American Mineralogist: Nanoscale mapping of ZrSiO4 phases in naturally shocked zircon using electron energy loss spectroscopy Vladimir Roddatis, Elizaveta Kovaleva, Marcin D. Syczewski, Anja Schreiber, and Richard Wirth doi.org/10.2138/am-2...

Mineral Monday! New Museum Exhibit: Unearthed: Raw Beauty By Aaron Celestian "UnEarthed: Raw Beauty” will open at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. More info: nhm.org/unearthed-rare-mineral-exhibition #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #Museum #NaturalHistoryMuseum #rareminerals

American Mineralogist: High-resolution analysis of clay minerals and amorphous materials in martian analog environments Michael T. Thorpe, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... The secondary amorphous assemblage is dynamic within the journey of sediment from the mountains to the ocean.

Thin Section Thursday! Blue yoderite Mg2Al5.7Fe0.3Si4O18(OH)2, is found only in two locations: Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Formed by the reaction of talc + kyanite to yoderite + quartz. Plane light and Cross polars view. Submitted by Bill Minarik.

American Mineralogist: On the labyrinthine crystal-chemistry of boleite, a Pb-Ag-Cu hydroxyhalide G. Diego Gatta, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... The H-bonding network in the structure of boleite is now unambiguously described on the basis of the neutron structural model.

American Mineralogist: Olgafrankite, Ni3Ge, a new mineral as the carrier of siderophile germanium in reduced systems Oleg S. Vereshchagin, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... This can be an important germanium carrier in reduced assemblages, in particular in iron- and stony-iron meteorites.

Early Career Webinar Organized by the MSA Early Career Committee Time: Nov 11, 2025 01:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting us02web.zoom.us/j/8468393724... Meeting ID: 846 8393 7243 Passcode: 525172 All early career persons welcome.

Mineral Monday! It’s all Silica By Bernardo Cesare Quartzine is a variety of chalcedony: called "length-slow chalcedony" and usually intergrown with the more common type of fibrous "length-fast" chalcedony. #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #mineralogy #Quartzine #Chalcedony #quartz

American Mineralogist: Fuyuanite [Mg7Nb6O18(OH)8], a new hydrous magnesic-niobic oxide mineral from the Bayan Obo deposit, China Hai-Dong She, Hong-Rui Fan, Yun-Xiang Zhan, Xiang-Ping Gu, Xiao-Chun Li, Kui-Feng Yang, Qi-Wei Wang doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Approved by the IMA-CNMNC (2024-059).

The first Annual MSA meeting will be held in Tucson AZ on Feb. 16 – 18, 2026. Abstract deadline: Friday, 31 October! MSA& sponsors will support student participation. Students: when submitting an abstract, say you are a student. More information on the Meeting: msaweb.org/annualmeeting/

Photomicrograph (crossed polars, gypsum plate inserted) of a slate (metamorphic rock). Mineral grains shown include actinolite amphibole, biotite mica, quartz, & plagioclase feldspar. FOV: 5 millimeters (mm). Contributed by Christopher Houdeshell, U Maine Farmington. #thinsectionthursday

The first Annual MSA meeting will be held in Tucson AZ on Feb. 16 – 18, 2026. Abstract deadline: Friday, 31 October! MSA& sponsors will support student participation. Students: when submitting an abstract, say you are a student. More information on the Meeting: msaweb.org/annualmeeting/

American Mineralogist: The sulfate-bearing associations of fumarolic environments of Somma-Vesuvius volcano (Italy): A review from historical samples (Royal Mineralogical Museum of Naples) Annamaria Pellino, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2...

American Mineralogist: Snowball quartz in highly fractionated peraluminous granites: An indicator of multiple magma degassing Daohan Zhang, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... It formed as a result of moderate undercooling (ΔT = 50–100 °C) of the melt during multiple episodes of magma degassing.

Mineral Monday: Nahcolite stalactites By Aaron Celestian This nahcolite (NaHCO₃) specimen has a rare stalactitic growth habit. It formed through precipitation, accumulating from supersaturated solutions dripping from cave ceilings or mine workings. #MSACommuncations #MineralMonday #nahcolite

Abstract Deadline is Rapidly Approaching for the MSA Inaugural Annual Meeting Abstract submissions are being accepted NOW through October 31, 2025, so we encourage you and your colleagues and students to submit. The abstract form is available at this link: msaweb.org/annualmeeting/.

American Mineralogist: Sublattice disorder and Fe-Mg substitution in brucite: Implications for the subduction-zone water cycle Weibin Gui, Jin Liu, Ao Deng, Jun Hu, Penghui Sun, Changzeng Fan, Fahui Xiong doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Gui et al. investigated the structure and properties of brucite.

Thin Section Thursday! Photomicrographs of the North Jay, ME granite, with crossed polars and gypsum plate inserted. Minerals pictured include biotite mica and muscovite mica in addition to quartz, alkali feldspar and plagioclase feldspar. Contributed by Dustin Lombardo, U Maine Farmington.

American Mineralogist: Oxybarometry of reduced silicate glasses: Using multivariate methods to constrain Cr oxidation states with application to lunar glasses Molly C. McCanta, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... A Cr oxybarometer that may be more sensitive for silicate melts equilibrated at low fO2.

MSA Inaugural Annual Meeting Reminder Feb. 16-18, 2026, Tucson, AZ, USA Latest News! MSA will be able to offer some travel support to students whose abstracts (either posters or presentations) are accepted for the meeting. When you submit your abstract be sure to indicate that you are a student!

American Mineralogist: Nigelcookite, PbFe2(2+)V2(3+)(PO4)3(OH)3, and plumbojohntomaite, PbFe2(2+)Fe2(3+)(PO4)3(OH)3, two new minerals of the bjarebyite group from the Yushui Cu deposit, South China Wei Yao, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2...

Mineral Monday: Roses of Scapolite By Sophia Ortner, UC Santa Barbara The scapolite rosettes appear to have formed by sulfide breakdown in the presence of an oxidizing fluid. #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #Scapolite #Silvialite #Meionite #Pentlandite #DepartmentsinAction

American Mineralogist: Theoretical studies of thermodynamic and elastic properties of diamond under Earth’s mantle conditions Xu Zheng, Joshua M.R. Muir, Yi Wang, Jiajun Jiang, Qianxi Chen, Feiwu Zhang doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Diamonds exhibit elastic anisotropy and nonlinear responses to P & T.

Thin Section Thursday! Photomicrographs of a basalt, with crossed polars and gypsum plate inserted. The large pink to yellow grains are plagioclase feldspar, the smaller grains include smaller plag grains & hornblende. FOV: 5 millimeters (mm). Contributed by Hazel McEnaney, U Maine Farmington.

American Mineralogist: Laboratory synthesis, spectroscopic characteristics, and thermal behavior of phoxite Wenxi Chen, Xiaohui Fu, Zhongchen Wu, Jiang Zhang, Guobin Jin, Lingxi Zhang, Wang Liu doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Phoxite can be a new biomarker mineral & an indicator of habitable environments.

American Mineralogist: Rare occurrence of jarosite-alunite solid solutions with intermediate Al-Fe contents in the Jurassic Aztec Sandstone, Nevada, U.S.A. Thomas M. McCollom, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Only the third geologic setting where such solid solutions have been documented.

It's Earth Science Week, and today is Minerals Day! See more at mineralsday.org

Mineral Monday: ‘Rocks and Minerals Down the Microscope’ at U Maine Farmington By Larry Tuttle The ‘Rocks and Minerals Down the Microscope’ geoart exhibition will be on display until November 19, 2025. #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #Geoart #EarthScienceWeek #minerals #DepartmentsInAction

MSA Inaugural Annual Meeting Update Feb. 16-18, 2026, Tucson, AZ, USA Field trips announced: A. To Bisbee, AZ to tour the underground Copper Queen Mine B: Tour to a porphyry copper deposit near Tucson C: Trip to Kitt Peak Observatory - still in the planning stages See msaweb.org/annualmeeting/

American Mineralogist: Moxuanxueite, NaCa6Zr(Si2O7)2OF3, a new wöhlerite-group mineral from Gejiu alkaline complex, Yunnan Province, China Kai Qu, Guochen Dong, Ting Li, Guang Fan, Xiangping Gu, Yufei Wang, Yanjuan Wang doi.org/10.2138/am-2... A new Zr-disilicate.

Thin Section Thursday: The matrix of devitrified glass and microlites has flowed around this large composite feldspar grain. In XP, the central grain is black because it has been rotated to extinction. In other orientations it is gray to white. Contributed by Matt Kohn. #thinsectionthursday

American Mineralogist: EBSD mapping of Cu-Fe-sulfides reveals microstructures enriched in critical/precious metals and resolves deformation histories Samuel A. King, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Chalcopyrite is shown to be a rich source of micro-structural and -textural information.

October American Mineralogist: Natrojarosite formed in the Matanomadh Formation, Kutch, India: A Na analog of jarosite on Mars Dwijesh Ray, Aditya Das, Subham Sarkar, Satadru Bhattacharya, Chandrani Nayak doi.org/10.2138/am-2...

Dear Members of MSA: Please check your email for information on MSA events happening at the GSA meeting in San Antonio TX this month. We hope to see you at the lunch, the reception, or the MSA booth (#236) in the Exhibits Hall.

Mineral Monday: Thaumasite Distress in Concrete Thaumasite is a rare but highly destructive mineral phase that can form in concrete under specific conditions, leading to severe deterioration. #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #concrete #thaumasite

Announcement: the Keynote Speakers for the MSA Inaugural Annual Meeting on February 16-18, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona, USA are: Peter Megaw, Jolyon Ralph, Pupa Gilbert, Nancy Ross, & Elizabeth Rampe. Abstract submissions due October 31, 2025, More information: msaweb.org/annualmeeting/.

American Mineralogist: Enrichment mechanism of heavy rare earth elements in magmatic-hydrothermal titanite: Insights from SXAS/XPS experiments and first-principles calculations and implications for regolith-hosted HREE deposits Yuzhou Feng, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2...

Thin Section Thursday! Large crystals of feldspar and quartz scatter across a groundmass of devitrified glass and microlites. In XP, the feldspars display spectacular twinning and zoning. Contributed by Matt Kohn. #thinsectionthursday Send images and a caption to akoziol1 at udayton dot edu.

American Mineralogist: Mariakrite, [Ca4Al2(OH)12(H2O)4][Fe2S4]: A new mineral and the first layered double hydroxide intercalated with dithioferrate (iron disulfide) chains Mikhail N. Murashko, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Found in pyrometamorphic rocks in the Negev Desert.

American Mineralogist: The high-pressure, vacancy-stabilized component in clinopyroxenes Ioannis Baziotis, Chi Ma, Stephan Klemme, Jasper Berndt, Oliver Tschauner, Paul D. Asimow doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Baziotis et al. assess the molar volume of vacancy-rich, high-pressure clinopyroxenes.

Mineral Monday: Battle between the Bands The presence of low-Al komatiite-like rocks in the early oceanic crust were the reason for both the formation of BIFs and their abundance in the Archaean/early Proterozoic era. #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #BIF #bandedironformations

American Mineralogist: Vesuvianite as a key tool for the reconstruction of skarn formation conditions: An example from the Sauce Chico Complex, Argentina Carlos A. Ballivián Justiniano, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Vesuvianite does not seem to undergo important structural modifications.

American Mineralogist: Lianbinite, (NH4)(C2H3O3)(C2H4O3), a new glycolate mineral, from the Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.A. Hexiong Yang, Xiangping Gu, Warren Lazar, Ronald B. Gibbs, Robert T. Downs doi.org/10.2138/am-2...

NOTE: MSA Inaugural Annual Meeting: Feb, 16-18, 2026, Tucson, AZ, USA This will follow the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. On Feb. 17 and 18 there will be a series of talks and poster sessions. Abstracts due: Oct. 31. Registration will be through the MSA website at www.msaweb.org

American Mineralogist: Formation and transformation of clay minerals in Mars-analog rock varnish Qian Fang, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Rock varnish is considered a representative analog for studying traces of life and water-rock interactions on Mars.

Silicate liquid immiscibility in the Chang'e 5 lunar mare magmas: Constraints on the petrogenesis of lunar granitic rocks Le Zhang, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Silicon-rich melt inclusions hosted in fayalite formed through late-stage silicate liquid immiscibility in lunar mare basaltic magmas.

Mineral Monday: Embracing the future of mining careers starting with Generation Z By Harriet Naakai Tetteh & Zohreh Kazemi Motlagh ResearchGate Link: www.researchgate.net/publication/... #MSACommunications #MineralMonday #CareersinMining

American Mineralogist: Reconstructing volatile evolution in melts using zircon-hosted apatite inclusions: Implications for the use of apatite as a fertility indicator Qiang Li, et al. doi.org/10.2138/am-2... Apatite-in-zircon is of superior value for reconstructing melt volatile evolution.