Odinite, a new dioctahedral-trioctahedral Fe3+-rich 1:1 clay mineral

Abstract

AbstractOdinite is a Fe3+-rich green clay that is widespread in the form of infillings or replacements of microtests, bioclasts, faecal pellets, or mineral debris on shallow marine shelfs and reef lagoonal areas in tropical latitudes. The structure is based on a 1 : 1 serpentine-type layer that is intermediate between dioctahedral and trioctahedral. Octahedral cation totals range from 2·30 to 2·54 cations per 3·0 sites for 10 samples. The structural formula for the purest sample is Both monoclinic and trigonal polytypes are present in most samples, with 1M more abundant than 1T. Unit-cell dimensions are 1M: a = 5·373(3), b = 9·326(7), c = 7·363(6) Å, β = 104·0(1)°; 1T: a = 5·366(5), b = 9·334(9), c = 7·161(8), β = 90° (on orthohexagonal axes). The name is for Dr. Gilles Serge Odin, Département de Géologie Dynamique, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, who has done most of the pioneering work on this new mineral.