New Minerals from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from Mt. Carmel, Israel: Magnéliite, Ziroite, Sassite, Mizraite-(Ce) and Yeite

Researchers have identified five new minerals—magnéliite, ziroite, sassite, mizraite-(Ce), and yeite—within melt inclusions trapped in corundum xenocrysts from the UNESCO-listed Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel, Israel. These high-temperature oxide or alloy phases, formed in mantle-derived melt pockets, include magnéliite (Ti₃+₂Ti₄+₂O₇) with a triclinic structure, ziroite (ZrO₂) featuring a tetragonal zirconia(HT)-type lattice, and sassite (Ti₃+₂Ti₄+O₅) with an orthorhombic pseudobrookite-type arrangement. Mizraite-(Ce), a cerium-bearing aluminum oxide, exhibits a hexagonal magnetoplumbite-type structure, while yeite (TiSi) is characterized by an orthorhombic FeB-type framework. The study employed nanomineralogical techniques to analyze these microscopic inclusions, revealing their empirical formulas and crystallographic parameters, contributing new insights into the mineral diversity of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ma, C., Cámara, F., Bindi, L., Toledo, V., & Griffin, W. L. (2023). New Minerals from Inclusions in Corundum Xenocrysts from Mt. Carmel, Israel: Magnéliite, Ziroite, Sassite, Mizraite-(Ce) and Yeite. Materials, 16(24), 7578. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16247578