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The independently measured pressure and temperature evolution of Ca3V2O8 is characterized by X-ray diffraction and DFT calculations. A pressure-induced phase transition is discovered and the crystal structure for the HP phase reported.

The Traspena meteorite fell on 2021 January 18 about 20 km south-east of the city of Lugo (Galiza, Spain), shortly after a huge and bright fireball crossed the sky for 4.84 s. Astrometric measurements obtained from the fireball cameras of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC) as well as from many casual videos were used to determine the atmospheric trajectory of this meteoroid which penetrated the atmosphere and generated sound waves that were detected at three seismic stations. The original meteoroid had a diameter of about 1.15 m and a mass around 2620 kg. It impacted the Earth’s atmosphere with a steep entry angle of about 76 . ◦7 from a height of 75.10 km until fading away at 15.75 km with a velocity of 2.38 km s −1 . Before the impact, this small asteroid was orbiting the Sun with a semimajor axis of 1.125 au, a moderate eccentricity of 0.386, and a low inclination of 4 . ◦55. A weak evidence of dynamic link with the PHA (Potential Hazardous Asteroid) Minos was investigated. During the atmospheric entry, two major fragmentation events occurred between heights of 35 and 29 km at aerodynamic pressures between 1 and 5 MPa. The strewn field was computed after calculating the individual dark flights of the main body along with two smaller fragments. For- tunately, 2 month after the superbolide, a 527-g meteorite was found. It was examined using several geochemical and petrographic analyses which allowed us to classify it as a moderately shocked (S3) L5 ordinary chondrite with a bulk density of 3.25 g cm −3 ., This paper was supported by the Xunta de Galicia (Spain) under the ED431B 2020/38 grant.

Karstic bauxite deposits are the main resource of aluminum in Europe and are formed through a combination of weathering, leaching, and deposition processes known as bauxitization. Bauxites have recently been proposed as unconventional resources of rare-earth elements (REE) as well. The studied karstic bauxite deposits are located on the salt-detached Serres Marginals thrust sheet, at the external most unit of the south-central Pyrenees (Catalonia, NE Spain). The Pyrenean bauxites are found overlaying and filling karstic surfaces forming aligned pockets up to several meters thick. These deposits have been mined for more than 20 years and present high variability in SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 contents. Here, we characterize these deposits for the first time by a combination of field geology, XRD, FTIR and XRF to determine their formation, mineralogy, and geochemistry and to understand the causes affecting their compositional variations. Field data indicate that the bauxite deposits fill a paleokarst system affecting Dogger dolostones and/or Tithonian-Berriasian limestones. XRD data indicate that the studied karstic bauxites are mainly composed of Al-rich minerals kaolinite and boehmite, in addition to the Fe-oxide hematite, and lesser amounts of the Ti-oxides rutile and anatase. The detailed study of the FTIR spectra also confirmed the presence of diaspore and dickite. XRF data confirm the presence of varying amounts of Al, Fe and Si in addition to varying low contents of REE. These results suggest that boehmite was formed first during bauxitization and later transformed to diaspore, kaolinite and finally to dickite upon metasomatism. The presence of dickite in faults and fractures provides a direct proof for such fluid circulation. Our results suggest that the mechanisms responsible of the compositional variations in karstic bauxites are rather complex and fall beyond the standard bauxitization processes. The observed metasomatism should be further assessed, since the inferred fluid-rock interactions are susceptible to affect and mobilize REE not only in the south-central Pyrenees karstic bauxites but elsewhere in similar geological settings.

Carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) can beconsidered cosmic aggregates containingprotoplanetary disk components. Modern analytical techniques allow us to identify CCsunaffected by thermal or aqueous alterationprocesses, having a pristine nature. Such ahighly unequilibrated meteorites allow us toget clues on the early Solar System (ESS), astheir components are ancient materials retentive of chemical clues on their formation.The information they contain is valuable to beapplied to better understand protoplanetary disks.

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UAB Altres ajuts: Departament de Cultura of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the CERCA Program - ARQ001SOL-173-2022 The lithographic limestone of La Pedrera de Meià (LPM) in south-Central Pyrenees (NE Spain) is considered one of the best preserved lacustrine-coastal successions of the Early Cretaceous in Europe, hosting a taxonomically diverse record of Barremian biota. While this Konservat-Lagerstätte has been extensively surveyed for paleontological purposes, little is known about the paleoenvironmental and depositional conditions prevailing during the formation of this fossil lagerstätte deposit. LPM limestone is made up of a homogeneous, dark gray to pale brown, faintly laminated 50 m-thick succession of micrite-rich intervals. To shed light on the environmental conditions of deposition, 303 rock samples were studied using a multiproxy approach based on different techniques including petrography, SEM-EDX, XRD, ICP-MS, XRF, Rare Earth Element distributions and C and O stable isotope geochemistry. The combination of sedimentological and geochemical data reveals a vertical shift of facies from littoral to profundal environments and then returning to littoral conditions. Profundal facies are made up of filament-rich mudstones originated from in situ precipitation of micrite either through biotically mediated or physico-chemical processes in undisturbed low energy settings, under anoxic conditions, characterized by the presence of transported terrestrial and lacustrine organisms that are exquisitely well-preserved. Littoral areas are characterized by the presence of in situ charophytes, smooth ostracods, and miliolid foraminifera that accumulated in mud-rich facies indicating low/moderate-energy, shallow-water, and relatively oxygenated conditions. Stable isotopic data and elemental geochemistry suggest a hydrologically closed to semi-closed lacustrine system with a restricted water circulation encouraging dysoxic to anoxic conditions in profundal sediments. Paleoproductivity proxies suggest a good correlation between catchment-derived siliciclastic discharge to the lake and primary productivity peaks. Furthermore, a decline interrigenous input coupled with a reduction of meteoric water entrance to the lake is interpreted based on elemental proxies derived from paleosalinity and paleoredox analysis. Collectively, the strontium/barium (Sr/Ba) ratios, the sparse presence of miliolid foraminifera, and the isotopic signatures indicate an increase in salinity toward the younger intervals of the lake infilling, although their ultimate causes are unclear (i.e., increased evaporation, or a combination of reduced meteoric input and sporadic marine inputs might explain our data). The present work shows the importance of performing detailed multiproxy geochemical-sedimentological studies to better constrain the unique paleoenvironmental and paleohydrological conditions associated with the exceptional preservation of fossil biotas in Konservat-Lagerstätte deposits in analogous depositional settings.

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The crystal structures of newly found minerals are routinely determined using single-crystal techniques. However, many rare minerals usually form micrometer-sized aggregates that are difficult to study with conventional structural methods. This is the case for numerous platinum-group minerals (PGMs) such as, for instance, zaccariniite (RhNiAs), the crystal structure of which was first obtained by studying synthetic samples. The aim of the present work is to explore the usefulness of USPEX, a powerful crystal structure prediction method, as an alternative means of determining the crystal structure of minerals such as zaccariniite, with a relatively simple crystal structure and chemical formula. We show that fixed composition USPEX searches with a variable number of formula units, using the ideal formula of the mineral as the only starting point, successfully predict the tetragonal structure of a mineral. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations can then be performed in order to more tightly relax the structure of the mineral and calculate different fundamental properties, such as the frequency of zone-center Raman-active phonons, or even their pressure behavior. These theoretical data can be subsequently compared to experimental results, which, in the case of newly found minerals, would allow one to confirm the correctness of the crystal structure predicted by the USPEX code.

We acknowledge Víctor Fondevilla, who cooperated with sedimentology and was co-advisor for the master’s thesis of A.G. The funding of this research, together with the associated permission to conduct the field study, was provided by the ‘General Research Project of the Junta de Andalucía, First human occupations and paleoecological context from the Plio-Pleistocene deposits of the Guadix-Baza basin, Archaeological zone of the Orce basin (Granada, Spain)’. Servicio General de Análisis de Isótopos Estables (Nucleus, Salamanca University) is acknowledged for the quick delivery of isotopic data. Soledad Alvarez, from the XRD Service at GEO3BCN-CSIC, is acknowledged for technical support with the XRD measurements. O.O. is a member of the 2017SGR-1666 research group. A.K. was funded by the Academy of Finland. We are very grateful to L. Melim and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive and detailed review of this manuscript. Roy Siddall (Univ. Helsinki Language Centre) did an excellent revision of English language., Despite the paleontological relevance of the terrestrial Early Pleistocene Venta Micena bonebed (Baza Basin, Spain), it lacks a comprehensive geochemical/sedimentological study. Here, we demonstrate that the 1.5-m-thick Venta Micena limestone formed in a relatively small freshwater wetland/pond located at the periphery of the large saline Baza paleolake. Two microfacies are observed, with high and low contents of invertebrate fossils, and which originated in the centre and margin of the wetland, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD) mineralogy and paleohydrological characterization based on ostracod and bulk-rock geochemistry (δ13C and δ18O) indicate that the limestone reflects a general lowstand of the Baza lake, permitting the differentiation of freshwater wetlands that were fed by adjacent sources. Conversely, during highstands, the Baza lake flooded the Venta Micena area and the freshwater fauna was replaced by a saline one. Bulk-rock isotopic data indicate that the lower interval C1 of the limestone (bone-rich in marginal settings) displays general negative values, while the upper interval C2 (bone free) displays less negative values. The bones of predated mammals accumulated in the marginal areas, which were flooded and buried by recurring water-table fluctuations. Lake dynamics played a critical role in bone accumulation, which was previously considered as representing a hyena den., Academy of Finland, Junta de Andalucía

The sedimentary record of the maar lake succession at Camp dels Ninots (Pliocene, NE Spain) reflects mineralogical shifts that correlate with orbitally forced climate changes. X-ray powder diffraction was obtained from a 47 m-long core collected from a borehole drilled in the centre of the paleolake. The results show compositional variations in terms of allogenic/authigenic mineral assemblages which, in turn, correlate with climate proxies such as pollen. Intervals that are dominantly composed of allogenic minerals (quartz, feldspar, smectite) correlate with wet periods. These periods are characterised by an increase in the percentage of Abies pollen. Conversely, intervals enriched in carbonates correlate with dry periods, with decreased amounts of Abies pollen. This cyclicity is attributed to rainfall variations leading to hydrologically open lake conditions during periods of relative high precipitation (when clastic input is enhanced) and hydrologically closed lake conditions during drier periods (when precipitation of authigenic carbonates is enhanced). It is concluded that the mineralogy of maar paleolakes may be highly sensitive to record climate changes., We would like to thank the land owners for their permission to work in the area, and the Town Council of Caldes de Malavella and the Departament de Cultura de la Generalitat de Catalunya for the economic funding of the excavation under the project CLT009/18/00052. This study was partially funded by project of the Spanish Government and the SGR2017-859 and SGR-2017-1666 of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The research of B.G.S. and G.C. is funded by the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya. The Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA) has received financial support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the ‘María de Maeztu’ program for Units of Excellence (CEX2019-000945-M). XRD technical assistance was provided by Soledad Álvarez and José J. Elvira at the XRD Laboratory of GEO3BCN-CSIC (former ICTJA-CSIC), and by Laura Burrel.

Ladle furnace slag (LFS) has been proposed as partial cement replacement due to its similar chemical composition with Portland cement. However, its mineralogical composition needs to be considered due to problems with expansive reactions and lower cementing activity. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of particle size and mineralogical composition of LFS in cement-slag systems. The obtained results show a correlation between microstructural changes and macroscopic properties, lower mechanical performance and volumetric instability problems, although within the established limits in normal curing conditions. Therefore, it is concluded that LFS presents an interesting potential as cement replacement., This work was funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) DOCTORADO EN EL EXTRANJERO, BECAS CHILE/2019 – 72200568.

Ronchi et al. (in press) comment on the stratigraphic, sedimentological, mineralogical and palaeontological analyses performed in the recently described Coll de Terrers Permian–Triassic terrestrial succession from the Catalan Pyrenees by Mujal et al. (2017a). The comment debates our interpretation of a succession of red-beds as Permian (Upper Red Unit, URU). Instead, the comment infers that the analysed succession is part of the regional upper Buntsandstein facies unit (Triassic), debating the proposed stratigraphic scheme by using the tectonic evolution as the main argument. Here, we clarify and present more details on the interpretation published in Mujal et al. (2017a). Based on this clarification and taking into account the comment, we arrive to the conclusion that the interpretation and inferences presented in Mujal et al. (2017a) are sound and justified. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.

The Las Minas Gypsum Unit consists of more than 100 m of alternations of gypsum, carbonates and marls in Las Minas Basin (Betic Cordillera). Although this unit has been previously described as lacustrine, a marine influence in the basin has been suggested. This study provides new geochemical and paleontological data supporting the marine influence during the interevaporitic episodes, allowing to refine the palaeogeography of the eastern Betic Seaway during the Late Tortonian. Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios in gypsum (0.70797 to 0.70825) suggest recycling of Triassic evaporites. The sulphate isotopic values in gypsum (11.5 < delta S-34(VCDT) < 21.9 parts per thousand; 16.6 < delta O-18(VSMOW) < 28.1 parts per thousand) are indicative of microbial sulfate-reduction activity. Carbonates are mainly composed of dolomite formed by subspherical crystal aggregates related to bio-mediated processes. The Sr-87/Sr-86 values in the interevaporitic carbonates (0.70823 to 0.70851) are higher than those expected for Triassic marine authigenic carbonates but lower than expected for the Late Miocene ones, suggesting a mixing of continental and marine water contributions. The 'non-marine' isotopic values in gypsum and carbonates contrast with an abundant content of marine siliceous fossils (radiolarians, diatoms, porifera, etc.) in the marls and carbonates that reveals marine incursions into the basin between periods of gypsum precipitation. A tephra layer identified in Las Minas and in the nearby El Cenajo Basin, located in a more inland position, allows a precise correlation between both basins, showing marine fossils in Las Minas and lacustrine in El Cenajo. In El Cenajo Basin, marine microfossils have been found but only in some levels, while others show lacustrine diatoms. A new palaeogeographic model of evaporitic lakes with temporal marine connections is proposed for the latest Tortonian in this region, when the uplift of the Betic Cordillera was very active accelerating the palaeogeographic evolution., Funding was provided by Spanish Government grants CGL-2013-42689 and CGL-2016-79458, and by the Catalan Government action 217-SGR-829.

Rhenium disulfide (ReS2), known in nature as the mineral rheniite, is a very interesting compound owing to its remarkable fundamental properties and great potential to develop novel device applications. Here we perform density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the structural properties and compression behavior of this compound and also of the (Re,Mo)S-2 solid solution as a function of Re/Mo content. Our theoretical analysis is complemented with high-pressure X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements, which have allowed us to reevaluate the phase transition pressure and equation of state of 1T-ReS2. We have observed the 1T-to-1T' phase transition at pressures as low as similar to 2 GPa, and we have obtained an experimental bulk modulus, B-0, equal to 46(2) GPa. This value is in good agreement with PBE+D3 calculations, thus confirming the ability of this functional to model the compression behavior of layered transition metal dichalcogenides, provided that van der Waals corrections are taken into account. Our experimental data and analysis confirm the important role played by van der Waals effects in the high-pressure properties of 1T-ReS2., J.I. and C.P. acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities via Grant FIS2017-2017-83295-P. T.W. acknowledges financial support from Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education via Diamond Grant no. D\2015 002645.

This study aims to assess the feasibility of delineating and identifying mineral ores from hyperspectral images of tin–tungsten mine excavation faces using machine learning classification. We compiled a set of hand samples of minerals of interest from a tin–tungsten mine and analyzed two types of hyperspectral images: (1) images acquired with a laboratory set-up under close-to-optimal conditions, and (2) a scan of a simulated mine face using a field set-up, under conditions closer to those in the gallery. We have analyzed the following minerals: cassiterite (tin ore), wolframite (tungsten ore), chalcopyrite, malachite, muscovite, and quartz. Classification (Linear Discriminant Analysis, Singular Vector Machines and Random Forest) of laboratory spectra had a very high overall accuracy rate (98%), slightly lower if the 450–950 nm and 950–1650 nm ranges are considered independently, and much lower (74.5%) for simulated conventional RGB imagery. Classification accuracy for the simulation was lower than in the laboratory but still high (85%), likely a consequence of the lower spatial resolution. All three classification methods performed similarly in this case, with Random Forest producing results of slightly higher accuracy. The user’s accuracy for wolframite was 85%, but cassiterite was often confused with wolframite (user’s accuracy: 70%). A lumped ore category achieved 94.9% user’s accuracy. Our study confirms the suitability of hyperspectral imaging to record the spatial distribution of ore mineralization in progressing tungsten–tin mine faces., EIT RawMaterials supported this research within the framework of the iTARG3T (Innovative targeting & processing ofW–Sn–Ta–Li ores: towards EU’s self-supply) project nb. 18036.

Numerous and extensive 'Stone Walled Sites' have been identified in southern African Iron Age landscapes. Appearing from around 1200 CE, and showing considerable variability in size and form, these settlements are named after the dry-stone wall structures that characterize them. Stone Walled Sites were occupied by various Bantu-speaking agropastoral communities. In this paper we test the use of pXRF (portable X-ray fluorescence analysis) to generate a 'supplementary' archaeological record where evident stratigraphy is lacking, survey conditions may be uneven, and excavations limited, due to the overall site size. We propose herein the application of portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (pXRF) coupled with multivariate exploratory analysis and geostatistical modelling at Seoke, a southern African SWS of historical age (18th century CE). The aim of the paper is twofold: to explore the potential of the application of a low cost, quick, and minimally invasive technique to detect chemical markers in anthropogenic sediments from a Stone Walled Site, and to propose a way to analyse the results in order to improve our understanding of the use of space at non-generalized scales in such sites., This research is funded by Fundación Palarq, calls 2019 and 2020, project ”Geo-EtnoArqueologia y uso del espacio (GEA)” entrusted to SB. SM and FM received financial support from the Office of Research and Development at the University of Botswana. The work of SGA was funded by the European Union’s MapDung project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No H2020-MSCA-IF-2017-794823. SB, JAM, ARG, CL and SGA are members of CaSEs Research Group of the Catalan Research Agency (AGAUR SGR-212), which is an associated unit (Unidad Asociada) to the Institucion Mila Y Fontanals of the Spanish Research National Council (CSIC). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

14th Europlanet Science Congress, The Moon is no longer a goal in itself but a necessary step for the conquest of space. In this work we focus in the composition of Lunar meteorites as the only objects alongside Apollo, and Luna collected samples, that the scientific community has available to first-hand analyze the Moon. Future Artemis sample return missions will provide new samples to continue learning from our satellite. Given its proximity to our planet, our satellite is an ideal planetary body to use it as a space camp for new technology, to establish a space base, and to test space mining. The continuous depletion of Earth resources put special importance on the exploration of extraterrestrial natural resources potential and the feasibility of its exploitation. After many robotic and manned missions, the utilization of lunar resources has been studied for a long time. In-Situ Resources Utilization (ISRU) refers to the generation of materials (for construction, life support, or as propellants) from the available resources on a celestial body that otherwise, would have needed to be brought from Earth, The authors acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Ministry (PGC2018-097374-B-I00).

Fracture-filling rose-like clusters of bladed calcite crystals are found in the northern sector of the Cad&iacute, thrust sheet (SE Pyrenees). This unusual calcite crystal morphology has been characterized by using optical and electron microscope, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, &delta, 18O, &delta, 13C, 87Sr/86Sr, clumped isotopes, and major and rare earth elements + yttrium (REEs + Y) analysis. Petrographic observations and powder X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that these bladed crystals are mainly made of massive rhombic crystals with the conventional (104) faces, as well as of possibly younger, less abundant, and smaller laminar crystals displaying (108) and/or (108) rhombic faces. Raman analysis of liquid fluid inclusions indicates the presence of aromatic hydrocarbons and occasionally alkanes. Clumped isotopes thermometry reflects that bladed calcite precipitated from meteoric fluids at ~60&ndash, 65 &deg, C. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios and major elements and REEs content of calcite indicate that these fluids interacted with Eocene marine carbonates. The presence of younger &lsquo, nailhead&rsquo, calcite indicates later migration of shallow fresh groundwater. The results reveal that rose-like calcite clusters precipitated, at least in the studied area, due to a CO2 release by boiling of meteoric waters that mixed with benzene and aromatic hydrocarbons. This mixing decreased the boiling temperature at ~60&ndash, C. The results also suggest that the high Sr content in calcite, and probably the presence of proteins within hydrocarbons trapped in fluid inclusions, controlled the precipitation of bladed crystals with (104) rhombohedral faces.

It is shown that portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is a powerful tool for the identification and geochemical characterization of prospective Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary sites. Field measurements in two well-known K–Pg boundary sequences, located at Agost and Caravaca, SE Spain, have been performed. A sizable enrichment around the K–Pg horizon of several elements such as K, Ti, Fe, Ni, Cr, Cu, Zn, As or Pb, together with a strong reduction in the Ca content, is found with the pXRF instrument. These observations represent a primary geochemical signature of the K–Pg boundary in distal marine sections such as those of Agost and Caravaca. Also, the intensities of the pXRF peaks correlate well with elemental composition data obtained by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) on collected samples. Hence, the pXRF field measurements are shown to provide fast and useful quantitative information about K–Pg boundary sequences., Work co-funded by ERDF-EU Ref. CSIC10-4E-141 (XRD-pXRF laboratory) and by ERDF-EU Ref. CSIC08-516 4E-001 (LabGEOTOP infrastructure). This study was carried out within the framework of the Research Consolidated Group GEOPAM (Generalitat de Catalunya, 2014SGR869). VF and JP-C acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (FPI grants BES-2012-052366 and BES-2016-076469, respectively).

Geological Society of American Annual Meeting 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, 22-25 september

The most severe biotic crisis on Earth history occurred during the Permian–Triassic (PT) transition around 252 Ma. Whereas in the marine realm such extinction event is well-constrained, in terrestrial settings it is still poorly known, mainly due to the lack of suitable complete sections. This is utterly the case along the Western Tethys region, located at Pangaea's equator, where terrestrial successions are typically build-up of red beds often characterised by a significant erosive gap at the base of the Triassic strata. Henceforth, documenting potentially complete terrestrial successions along the PT transition becomes fundamental. Here, we document the exceptional Coll de Terrers area from the Catalan Pyrenees (NE Iberian Peninsula), for which a multidisciplinary research is conducted along the PT transition. The red-bed succession, located in a long E-W extended narrow rift system known as Pyrenean Basin, resulted from a continuous sedimentary deposition evolving from meandering (lower Upper Red Unit) to playa-lake/ephemeral lacustrine (upper Upper Red Unit) and again to meandering settings (Buntsandstein facies). Sedimentary continuity is suggested by preliminary cyclostratigraphic analysis that warrants further analysis. Our combined sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical data infer a humid-semiarid-humid climatic trend across the studied succession. The uppermost Permian strata, deposited under an orbitally controlled monsoonal regime, yields a relatively diverse ichnoassemblage mainly composed of tetrapod footprints and arthropod trace fossils. Such fossils indicate appropriate life conditions and water presence in levels that also display desiccation structures. These levels alternate with barren intervals formed under dry conditions, being thus indicative of strong seasonality. All these features are correlated with those reported elsewhere in Gondwana and Laurasia, and suggest that the Permian–Triassic boundary might be recorded somewhere around the Buntsandstein base. Consequently, Coll de Terrers and the whole Catalan Pyrenees become key regions to investigate in detail the Permian extinction event and the Triassic ecosystems recovery. © 2017 Elsevier B.V., E. Mujal obtained financial support from the PIF grant of the Geology Department at UAB, and from the Erasmus + program of the UAB performed at the Palaeontology Department from the Institut des Sciencies de l'Evolution (Université de Montpellier, France). E. Mujal received funding from the SYNTHESYS Project http://www.synthesys.info/ (FR-TAF-3621, FR-TAF-4808) which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 “Capacities” Program. J. Fortuny acknowledges the support of the postdoc grant “Beatriu de Pinós” 2014 – BP-A 00048 from the Generalitat de Catalunya as well as from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad and the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (MINECO/FEDER EU, project CGL2014-54373-P). J. Pérez-Cano acknowledges the support from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (FPI grants BES-2016-076469). This work received support from CERCA programme at Institut Català de Paleontologia (ICP) and from the projects “Vertebrats del Permià i el Triàsic de Catalunya i el seu context geològic” and “Evolució dels ecosistemes amb faunes de vertebrats del Permià i el Triàsic de Catalunya” (ref. 2014/100606), based at ICP and financially supported by the Departament de Cultura (Generalitat de Catalunya).

The new mineral abellaite (IMA 2014-111), ideally NaPb2(CO3)2(OH), is a supergene mineral that was found in one of the galleries of the long-disused Eureka mine, in the southern Pyrenees (Lleida province), Catalonia, Spain. Abellaite is found as sparse coatings on the surface of the primary mineralization, it forms subhedral crystals not larger than 10 mm as well as larger pseudohexagonal platelets up to ∼30 μm. Individual crystals commonly have a tabular to lamellar habit and form fairly disordered aggregates. The mineral is associated with a large number of primary minerals (roscoelite, pyrite, uraninite, coffinite, 'carbon', galena, sphalerite, nickeloan cobaltite, covellite, tennantite and chalcopyrite) and supergene minerals (hydrozincite, aragonite, gordaite, As-rich vanadinite andersonite, čejkaite, malachite and devilline). Abellaite is colourless to white, with a vitreous to nacreous lustre. The mineral is translucent, has a white streak and is non-fluorescent. The aggregates of microcrystals are highly friable. The calculated density using the ideal formula is 5.93 g/cm3. The chemical composition of the mineral (the mean of 10 electron microprobe analyses) is - Na 3.88, Ca 0.29, Pb 72.03, C 4.17, O 19.47 and H 0.17, total 100.00 wt% (H, C and O by stoichiometry assuming the ideal formula). On the basis of 7 O atoms, the empirical formula of abellaite is Na0.96Ca0.04Pb1.98(CO3)2(OH). The simplified formula of the mineral is NaPb2(CO3)2(OH). The mineral is hexagonal, space group P63mc, a = 5.254(2), c = 13.450(5) Å, V= 321.5(2)Å3 and Z = 2. The strongest powder-diffraction lines [d in Å (I) (h k l)] are: 3.193 (100) (0 1 3), 2.627 (84) (1 1 0), 2.275 (29) (0 2 0), 2.242 (65) (0 2 1, 0 0 6), 2.029(95) (0 2 3). Abellaite has a known synthetic analogue, and the crystal structure of the mineral was refined by using crystallographic data of the synthetic phase. The mineral is named in honour of the mineralogist and gemmologist Joan Abella i Creus (b. 1968), who has long studied the deposits of the Eureka mine and who collected the mineral. © 2017 E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung., The work is partially funded by ERDF-EU Ref. CSIC10-4E-141.