Mineralogy is the branch of the geosciences that investigates the chemical composition, crystal structure, physical properties, and genesis of minerals, which are naturally occurring, inorganic solids with ordered atomic arrangements and defined (though sometimes variable) chemical formulas. It integrates crystallography, solid-state chemistry, and thermodynamics to characterize mineral phases, their stability fields, and phase transitions under varying pressure–temperature–composition conditions. Mineralogical research underpins petrology, ore deposit studies, and environmental and planetary sciences by providing quantitative tools for identifying minerals, modeling geochemical processes, and interpreting rock-forming and alteration histories at microscopic to planetary scales.
A new study published in Science Advances by researchers from the National Graphene Institute at University of Manchester and the University of Oviedo, has revealed a previously unseen behavior of light in gypsum, a mineral ...
Condensed Matter
Jul 21, 2025
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Researchers from Nagoya City University, Tohoku University, and other institutions have used numerical simulations to replicate how a peculiar mineral texture called barred olivine forms inside chondrules—millimeter-sized ...
Planetary Sciences
May 23, 2025
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A QUT-led study analyzing data from NASA's Perseverance rover has uncovered compelling evidence of multiple mineral-forming events just beneath the Martian surface—findings that bring scientists one step closer to answering ...
Astrobiology
Apr 16, 2025
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A team of geologists at the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, the Institute of Space Sciences and the Shandong Institute of Geological Sciences, all in China, has found evidence in soil samples collected from the far ...
Sometimes scientists must dig and work and sweat to make scientific discoveries. And sometimes a robot rolls over a rock that turns out to be a revelation.
Astrobiology
Mar 5, 2025
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290
The gemstone spinel, known for its vibrant colors resembling gems such as rubies and sapphires, has now been shown to be capable of storing quantum information, making it a viable material in the field of quantum technology.
Condensed Matter
Jan 27, 2025
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114
Water is ubiquitous on Earth—about 70% of Earth's surface is covered by the stuff. Water is in the air, on the surface and inside rocks. Geologic evidence suggests water has been stable on Earth since about 4.3 billion years ...
Planetary Sciences
Nov 25, 2024
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85
NASA's Curiosity rover is preparing for the next leg of its journey, a months-long trek to a formation called the boxwork, a set of weblike patterns on Mars's surface that stretches for miles. It will soon leave behind Gediz ...
Astrobiology
Nov 18, 2024
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177
Exactly how does coral make its skeleton, a sea urchin grow a spine, or an abalone form the mother-of-pearl in its shell? A new study at the Advanced Light Source at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 26, 2024
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119
At first glance, mica is something quite ordinary: it is a common mineral, found in granite for example, and has been extensively studied from geological, chemical and technical perspectives.
Nanomaterials
Jan 25, 2023
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