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Kushiroite

A valid IMA mineral species

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Kushiroite, etc.

Acfer 214 meteorite, Foggaret Ezzaouia, In Salah District, In Salah Province, Algeria

Kushiroite, etc.

Acfer 214 meteorite, Foggaret Ezzaouia, In Salah District, In Salah Province, Algeria

Kushiroite, etc.

Acfer 214 meteorite, Foggaret Ezzaouia, In Salah District, In Salah Province, Algeria

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About KushiroiteHide

Ikuo Kushiro

Formula:

CaAlAlSiO₆

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Member of:

Clinopyroxene Subgroup > Pyroxene Group

Name:

The name is in honor of Ikuo Kushiro (久城育夫) (b. 30 March 1934 Osaka, Japan) Professor at the University of Tokyo, Japan. He made significant contributions in experimental petrology, geochemistry, and geophysics, studying high temperatures-pressures and water cycling in the Earth's interior. He has been awarded, in part, the Harry H. Hess Medal (1999), Roebling Medal (1999), and Wollaston Medal (2003).

Type Locality:

ⓘ Allan Hills 85085 meteorite, Allan Hills, Victoria Land, East Antarctica, Antarctica

Pyroxene Group. Clinopyroxene Subgroup. The Al analogue of burnettite (V), davisite (Sc), esseneite (Fe³⁺), and grossmanite (Ti³⁺).

Formerly known as "Ca-Tschermak's molecule" or "Calcium Tschermak's molecule".

Compare UM2004-50-SiO:AlFeGd.

Although approved based on the meteorite material, the kushiroite-dominant clinopyroxene was actually first detected within Romanian skarns, for which the following data was presented (Pascal et al., 2005):

EPMA data [wt%; Romanian skarn material] is:

SiO₂ 34.37
TiO₂ 0.22
Al₂O₃ 24.04
Cr₂O₃ 0.05
FeO_tot 9.67
MnO 0.16
MgO 5.11
CaO 24.83
Na₂O 0.08

total 98.53

This corresponds to (Ca_1.01Na_0.01)_Σ1.02(Al_0.38Fe³⁺_0.31Mg_0.29Ti_0.01Mn_0.01)_Σ0.99(Si_1.30Al_0.70)O₆.

End-member composition: Ku₃₈Ess₃₈Di₂₉Cta₂R₂, where Ess is esseneite, Cta is calcium-titanium Tschermakʼs component - CaTiAl₂O₆ - and R is remaining end-members.

Kushiroite is an important, though usually not dominant end-member in the composition of otherwise esseneite- and diopside-dominant pyrometamorphic clinopyroxenes of, e.g., burning coal-mining heaps (e.g., Kruszewski et al., 2012). Examples from France, however, show kushiroite as a potentially dominant end-member, too (Kruszewski et al., 2018).

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

39329

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:39329:8

IMA Classification of KushiroiteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

CaAl(AlSi)O₆

Approval year:

2008

First published:

2009

Type description reference:

Kimura, M., Mikouchi, T., Suzuki, A., Miyahara, M., Ohtani, E., Goresy, A. E. (2009) Kushiroite, CaAlAlSiO6: A new mineral of the pyroxene group from the ALH 85085 CH chondrite, and its genetic significance in refractory inclusions. American Mineralogist, 94 (10) 1479-1482 doi:10.2138/am.2009.3242

Classification of KushiroiteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

9.DA.15

9 : SILICATES (Germanates)
D : Inosilicates
A : Inosilicates with 2-periodic single chains, Si₂O₆; pyroxene family

Dana 8th ed.:

65.1.3.8

65 : INOSILICATES Single-Width,Unbranched Chains,(W=1)
1 : Single-Width Unbranched Chains, W=1 with chains P=2

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference for Standard
Ks	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Chemistry of KushiroiteHide

Mindat Formula:

CaAlAlSiO₆

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
O	44.010 %
Al	24.740 %
Ca	18.374 %
Si	12.876 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

Al, Ca, O, Si - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of KushiroiteHide

Crystal System:

Monoclinic

Class (H-M):

2/m - Prismatic

Space Group:

B2/b

Cell Parameters:

a = 9.609(3) Å, b = 8.652(2) Å, c = 5.274(2) Å
β = 106.06(2)°

Ratio:

a:b:c = 1.111 : 1 : 0.61

Unit Cell V:

421.35 Å³ (Calculated from Unit Cell)

Crystal StructureHide

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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure

ID	Species	Reference	Link	Year	Locality	Pressure (GPa)	Temp (K)
0000406	Kushiroite	Okamura F P, Ghose S, Ohashi H (1974) Structure and crystal chemistry of calcium Tschermak's pyroxene, CaAlAlSiO6 American Mineralogist 59 549-557		1974		0	293

CIF Raw Data - click here to close

data_global
_chemical_name_mineral 'Kushiroite'
loop_
_publ_author_name
'Okamura F P'
'Ghose S'
'Ohashi H'
_journal_name_full 'American Mineralogist'
_journal_volume 59 
_journal_year 1974
_journal_page_first 549
_journal_page_last 557
_publ_section_title
;
 Structure and crystal chemistry of calcium Tschermak's pyroxene, CaAlAlSiO6
;
_database_code_amcsd 0000406
_chemical_formula_sum 'Si Al2 Ca O6'
_cell_length_a 9.609
_cell_length_b 8.652
_cell_length_c 5.274
_cell_angle_alpha 90
_cell_angle_beta 106.06
_cell_angle_gamma 90
_cell_volume 421.353
_exptl_crystal_density_diffrn      3.438
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M 'C 1 2/c 1'
loop_
_space_group_symop_operation_xyz
  'x,y,z'
  '1/2+x,1/2+y,z'
  'x,-y,1/2+z'
  '1/2+x,1/2-y,1/2+z'
  '-x,y,1/2-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2+y,1/2-z'
  '-x,-y,-z'
  '1/2-x,1/2-y,-z'
loop_
_atom_site_label
_atom_site_fract_x
_atom_site_fract_y
_atom_site_fract_z
_atom_site_occupancy
Si   0.28802   0.09693   0.21337   0.50000
Al   0.28802   0.09693   0.21337   0.50000
Al1   0.00000   0.90934   0.25000   1.00000
Ca2   0.00000   0.31117   0.25000   1.00000
O1   0.10519   0.08210   0.12264   1.00000
O2   0.36571   0.26707   0.30988   1.00000
O3   0.35524   0.01881   0.97977   1.00000
loop_
_atom_site_aniso_label
_atom_site_aniso_U_11
_atom_site_aniso_U_22
_atom_site_aniso_U_33
_atom_site_aniso_U_12
_atom_site_aniso_U_13
_atom_site_aniso_U_23
Si 0.00570 0.00561 0.00848 -0.00016 0.00154 -0.00044
Al 0.00570 0.00561 0.00848 -0.00016 0.00154 -0.00044
Al1 0.00674 0.00637 0.00916 0.00000 0.00052 0.00000
Ca2 0.00985 0.00683 0.01020 0.00000 0.00119 0.00000
O1 0.01045 0.00982 0.01090 0.00263 0.00289 0.00093
O2 0.01175 0.00842 0.01451 -0.00081 0.00330 -0.00020
O3 0.00786 0.01145 0.01232 0.00020 0.00218 0.00009

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
2.940 Å	(100)
2.904 Å	(36)
2.863 Å	(45)
2.535 Å	(38)
2.509 Å	(28)
2.478 Å	(48)
1.991 Å	(35)
1.382 Å	(32)

Locality:

Allan Hills 85085 meteorite, Allan Hills, Victoria Land, East Antarctica, Antarctica

Reference:

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event	<2.4
47h : [Near-surface oxidized, dehydrated minerals]
Stage 10b: Anthropogenic minerals	<10 Ka
56 : Slag and smelter minerals (see also #51 and #55)

Type Occurrence of KushiroiteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Allan Hills 85085 meteorite, Allan Hills, Victoria Land, East Antarctica, Antarctica

General Appearance of Type Material:

Grains, along with another pyroxene, forming a mantle (maximum width of ~6 μm) on a grossite grain. The largest kushiroite grain is 9 μm long.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Houston, Texas, USA, ALH 85085.

Geological Setting of Type Material:

Carbonaceous chondrite meteorite.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Grossite

Pyroxene Group

Reference:

Synonyms of KushiroiteHide

IMA2008-059

UM2005-27-SiO:AlCa

Other Language Names for KushiroiteHide

Dutch:Kushiroiet

German:Kushiroit

Varieties of KushiroiteHide

Ti-kushiroite

A Ti-rich variety of kushiroite.

Relationship of Kushiroite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Clinopyroxene Subgroup > Pyroxene Group

Other Members of Clinopyroxene Subgroup:

Aegirine	NaFe³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Aegirine-augite	(Na_aCa_bFe²⁺_cMg_d)(Fe³⁺_eAl_fFe²⁺_gMg_h)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Augite	(Ca_xMg_yFe_z)(Mg_y1Fe_z1)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Burnettite	CaVAlSiO₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Clinoenstatite	MgSiO₃	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
Clinoferrosilite	Fe²⁺₂Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
Colomeraite	NaTi³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Davisite	CaScAlSiO₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Esseneite	CaFe³⁺[AlSiO₆]	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Grossmanite	CaTi³⁺ AlSiO₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Hedenbergite	CaFe²⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Jadeite	Na(Al,Fe³⁺)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Jervisite	NaSc³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Johannsenite	CaMn²⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Kanoite	Mn²⁺MgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
Kosmochlor	NaCrSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Namansilite	NaMn³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Natalyite	NaV³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Omphacite	(Na_aCa_bFe²⁺_cMg_d)(Al_eFe³⁺_fFe²⁺_gMg_h)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m
Petedunnite	CaZnSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Pigeonite	(Ca_xMg_yFe_z)(Mg_y1Fe_z1)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
Ryabchikovite	CuMgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
Spodumene	LiAlSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
Tissintite	(Ca,◻)AlSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
'UM2003-36-SiO:CaNa'	NaCrSi₂O₆ - CaMgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:

2 photos of Kushiroite associated with Spinel	MgAl₂O₄
2 photos of Kushiroite associated with Melilite Group	A₂M(XSiO₇)
2 photos of Kushiroite associated with Hibonite	CaAl₁₂O₁₉
2 photos of Kushiroite associated with Addibischoffite	Ca₂Al₆Al₆O₂₀
1 photo of Kushiroite associated with Anorthite	Ca(Al₂Si₂O₈)
1 photo of Kushiroite associated with Perovskite	CaTiO₃

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

9.DA.	Colomeraite	NaTi³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.	Protoenstatite	Mg₂Si₂O₆	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbcn
9.DA.	Ryabchikovite	CuMgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
9.DA.05	Donpeacorite	Mn²⁺MgSi₂O₆	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbca
9.DA.05	Enstatite	Mg₂Si₂O₆	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbca
9.DA.05	Ferrosilite	Fe²⁺₂Si₂O₆	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbca
9.DA.10	Clinoenstatite	MgSiO₃	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
9.DA.10	Clinoferrosilite	Fe²⁺₂Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
9.DA.10	Kanoite	Mn²⁺MgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
9.DA.10	Pigeonite	(Ca_xMg_yFe_z)(Mg_y1Fe_z1)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : P2₁/c
9.DA.15	Grossmanite	CaTi³⁺ AlSiO₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15	Diopside	CaMgSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15 va	'Jeffersonite'	Ca(Mn,Zn,Fe)Si₂O₆
9.DA.15	Hedenbergite	CaFe²⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15	Johannsenite	CaMn²⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15	Petedunnite	CaZnSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15	Esseneite	CaFe³⁺[AlSiO₆]	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15	Augite	(Ca_xMg_yFe_z)(Mg_y1Fe_z1)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.15	Davisite	CaScAlSiO₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.20	Aegirine-augite	(Na_aCa_bFe²⁺_cMg_d)(Fe³⁺_eAl_fFe²⁺_gMg_h)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.20	Omphacite	(Na_aCa_bFe²⁺_cMg_d)(Al_eFe³⁺_fFe²⁺_gMg_h)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m
9.DA.25	Jadeite	Na(Al,Fe³⁺)Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.25	Namansilite	NaMn³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.25	Natalyite	NaV³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.25	Aegirine	NaFe³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.25	Jervisite	NaSc³⁺Si₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.25	Tissintite	(Ca,◻)AlSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.25	Kosmochlor	NaCrSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.30	Spodumene	LiAlSi₂O₆	Mon. 2/m : B2/b
9.DA.35	Hiroseite	FeSiO₃	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for KushiroiteHide

mindat.org URL:

https://www.mindat.org/min-39329.html
Please feel free to link to this page.

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External Links:

Look for Kushiroite on Webmineral

Look for Kushiroite on Wikipedia

Look for Kushiroite on Mineralien Atlas

Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

Mineral Dealers:

Buy from D. Joyce minerals

References for KushiroiteHide

Reference List:

Pascal, M.-L., Katona, I., Fonteilles, M., Verkaeren, J. (2005) Relics of high-temperature clinopyroxene on the join Di-CaTs with up to 72 mol% Ca(Al,Fe³⁺)AlSiO₆ in the skarns of Ciclova and Magureaua Vaţei, Carpathians, Romania. The Canadian Mineralogist, 43 (3). 857-881 doi:10.2113/gscanmin.43.3.857

Ma, C., Simon, S. B., Rossman, G. R., Grossman, L. (2009) Calcium Tschermak's pyroxene, CaAlAlSiO6, from the Allende and Murray meteorites: EBSD and micro-Raman characterizations. American Mineralogist, 94 (10) 1483-1486 doi:10.2138/am.2009.3231

Kruszewski, Ł., Ciesielczuk, J., Misz-Kennan, M. (2012): What have meteorites to do with coal fires? A case of Upper and Lower Silesian Coal Basins. Min. Spec. Pap.: 40: 28–29

Kruszewski, Ł., Gatel, P., Thiéry, V., Moszumańska, I., Kusy, D. (2018): Crystallochemical Behavior of Slag Minerals and the Occurrence of Potentially New Mineral Species from Lapanouse-de-Sévérac, France. Chapter 13, in: Stracher, G.B. (Ed.), Coal and Peat Fires: A Global Perspective, Vol. 5 – “Case Studies – Advances in Field and Laboratory Research”, 241–300.

(2021) Kushiroite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for KushiroiteHide

Showing 10 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

Hide all sections | Show all sections

Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.


Algeria
In Salah Province In Salah District Foggaret Ezzaouia ⓘ Acfer 214 meteorite	[var: Ti-kushiroite] Ma et al. (2017)

Antarctica (TL)
East Antarctica Victoria Land Allan Hills ⓘ Allan Hills 85085 meteorite (TL)	Kimura et al. (2009)

France
Occitanie Aveyron Rodez Sévérac-d'Aveyron ⓘ Lapanouse-de-Sévérac slag locality	publication date: November 2018 +1 other reference

Israel
Haifa District Kishon river Kishon Mid Reach zone 2 Mount Carmel ⓘ Rakefet magmatic complex	Ma et al. (2024)

Mexico
Chihuahua Pueblito de Allende ⓘ Allende meteorite	Kimura et al. (2009)

Romania
Caraş-Severin County Ciclova Română ⓘ Ciclova deposit (Csiklova deposit)	Pascal et al. (2005)
Hunedoara County Vaţa de Jos Cerboia Valley ⓘ Magureaua Vatei	Pascal et al. (2005)

Slovakia
Banská Bystrica Region Lučenec District Čamovce ⓘ Unnamed stone quarry	Reato et al. (2022)

Ukraine
Zaporizhia Oblast Berdyansk Raion ⓘ Mriya lamproite pipe	SEMONOVA (2025)

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Kushiroite

About KushiroiteHide

Unique IdentifiersHide

IMA Classification of KushiroiteHide

Classification of KushiroiteHide

Mineral SymbolsHide

Chemistry of KushiroiteHide

Crystallography of KushiroiteHide

Crystal StructureHide

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Geological EnvironmentHide

Type Occurrence of KushiroiteHide

Synonyms of KushiroiteHide

Other Language Names for KushiroiteHide

Varieties of KushiroiteHide

Relationship of Kushiroite to other SpeciesHide

Common AssociatesHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat GroupingHide

Other InformationHide

Internet Links for KushiroiteHide

References for KushiroiteHide

Localities for KushiroiteHide

Locality ListHide

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide