Marko Bermanec, Noa Vidović, Liubomyr Gavryliv, Shaunna M. Morrison, Robert M. Hazen
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Crystal structures of minerals are defined by a specific atomic arrangement within the unit-cell, which follows the laws of symmetry specific to each crystal system. The causes for a mineral to crystallize in a given crystal system have been the subject of many studies showing their dependency on different formation conditions, such as the presence of aqueous fluids, biotic activity and many others. Different attempts have been made to quantify and interpret the information that we can gather from studying crystal symmetry and its distribution in the mineral kingdom. However, these methods are mostly outdated or at least not compatible for use on large datasets available today. Therefore, a revision of symmetry index calculation has been made in accordance with the growing understanding of mineral species and their characteristics. In the gathered data, we observe a gradual but significant decrease in crystal symmetry through the stages of mineral evolution, from the formation of the solar system to modern day. However, this decrease is neither uniform nor linear, which provides further implications for mineral evolution from the viewpoint of crystal symmetry. The temporal distribution of minerals based on the number of essential elements in their chemical formulae and their symmetry index has been calculated and compared to explore their behaviour. Minerals with four to eight essential elements have the lowest average symmetry index, while being the most abundant throughout all stages of mineral evolution. There are many open questions, including those pertaining to whether or not biological activity on Earth has influenced the observed decrease in mineral symmetry through time and whether or not the trajectory of planetary evolution of a geologically active body is one of decreasing mineral symmetry/increasing complexity.
Geoscience Data JournalGEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARYMETEOROLOGY-METEOROLOGY & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
CiteScore
5.90
自引率
9.40%
发文量
35
审稿时长
4 weeks
期刊介绍:
Geoscience Data Journal provides an Open Access platform where scientific data can be formally published, in a way that includes scientific peer-review. Thus the dataset creator attains full credit for their efforts, while also improving the scientific record, providing version control for the community and allowing major datasets to be fully described, cited and discovered.
An online-only journal, GDJ publishes short data papers cross-linked to – and citing – datasets that have been deposited in approved data centres and awarded DOIs. The journal will also accept articles on data services, and articles which support and inform data publishing best practices.
Data is at the heart of science and scientific endeavour. The curation of data and the science associated with it is as important as ever in our understanding of the changing earth system and thereby enabling us to make future predictions. Geoscience Data Journal is working with recognised Data Centres across the globe to develop the future strategy for data publication, the recognition of the value of data and the communication and exploitation of data to the wider science and stakeholder communities.