Geological Society of America

T191 Mineralogical Evidence for the Co-Evolution of the Geosphere and Biosphere: In Honor of Robert M. Hazen, 2016 Roebling Medalist

Tuesday, 27 September 2016
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room 207

CHROMIUM AND VANADIUM MINERAL ECOLOGY

Paper number: T191-11
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 10:45 AM – 11:00 AM

Authors

Chao Liu Presenting Author
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC
Robert M. Hazen
Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC
Grethe Hystad
Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, IN
Joshua J. Golden
University of Arizona, Arizona, AZ
Daniel R. Hummer
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington DC
Robert T. Downs
University of Arizona, Arizona, AZ
Shaunna M. Morrison
University of Arizona, Arizona, AZ
Jolyon Ralph
Surrey

Abstract

Minerals containing chromium (Cr) and vanadium (V) as an essential element display systematic trends in their diversity and distribution. For Cr minerals, we employ data for 85 approved terrestrial species (rruff.info/ima, as of 15 April 2016), representing 4248 mineral species-locality pairs (mindat.org and other sources, as of 15 April 2016). We find that Cr-containing mineral species, for which 30% are known at only one locality and more than half are known from 3 or fewer localities, conform to a Large Number of Rare Events (LNRE) distribution. Our model predicts that at least 114 ± 12 (1σ) Cr minerals exist in Earth’s crust today, indicating that at least 29 species have yet to be discovered. We also performed similar analysis on 228 V mineral representing 5589 mineral species-locality pairs. We find that V-containing mineral species, for which 28% are known at only one locality and more than half are known from 3 or fewer localities, also conform to the LNRE distribution. Our model predicts that at least 314 V minerals exist in Earth’s crust today, indicating that at least 86 species have yet to be discovered.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 48, No. 7

doi: 10.1130/abs/2016AM-279329

© Copyright 2016 The Geological Society of America (GSA), all rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to the author(s) of this abstract to reproduce and distribute it freely, for noncommercial purposes. Permission is hereby granted to any individual scientist to download a single copy of this electronic file and reproduce up to 20 paper copies for noncommercial purposes advancing science and education, including classroom use, providing all reproductions include the complete content shown here, including the author information. All other forms of reproduction and/or transmittal are prohibited without written permission from GSA Copyright Permissions.