Silvialite, a new sulfate-dominant member of the scapolite group with an Al-Si composition near the 14/m–P42/n phase transition

Abstract

Abstract Silvialite, ideally Ca4Al6Si6O24SO4, is tetragonal, I4/m, Z = 2, with a = 12.160(3), c = 7.560(1) Å, V = 1117.9(8) Å3, c:a = 0.6217:1, ω = 1.583, ε = 1.558 (uniaxial negative), Dm = 2.75 g/cm3, Dcalc = 2.769 g/cm3 and H (Mohs) = 5.5. It is transparent and slightly yellow, has a good {100} cleavage, chonchoidal fracture, white streak and a vitreous lustre. It occurs in upper-mantle garnet-granulite xenoliths hosted by olivine nephelinite, from McBride Province, North Queensland, Australia. The empirical formula, derived from electron-microprobe analysis, is (Na1.06Ca2.86)(Al4.87Si7.13)O24 [(SO4)0.57(CO3)0.41]. Crystal-structure refinement shows disordered carbonate and sulfate groups along the fourfold axis. Silvialite is a primary cumulate phase precipitated from alkali basalt at 900–1000°C and 8–12 kbar under high fSO2 and fO2. The name silvialite, currently used in literature to describe the sulfate analogue of meionite, was suggested by Brauns (1914).