David Chew (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, chewd@tcd.ie) Daniel Harlov (GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Germany, daniel.harlov@gfz-potsdam.de) Alicja Wudarska (Institute of Geological Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, and GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Germany, ndgiera@cyf-kr.edu.pl) Bartosz Puzio (AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow, Poland, bpuzio@agh.edu.pl)

This session is supported by Sociedad Española de Mineralogía (SEM; Spanish Mineralogical Society).

Keynote: John Rakovan

Due to its robust crystal structure allowing for many cationic and anionic substitutions, the apatite supergroup is one of the largest mineral families known. One of its most prominent members, fluorapatite, is a major sink for P, F, and REE in the Earth’s crust and the upper mantle since it occurs as an accessory mineral in almost all rock types. As a host for many isotopes commonly used in radiometric techniques, it plays a significant role in petrochronology. Although normally an accessory mineral, apatite can also be a rock-forming mineral in sedimentary phosphorites and igneous ore deposits of economic importance such as iron oxide-apatite deposits and carbonatites. While it is also the main component of teeth, bones, and certain invertebrate exoskeletons, synthetic apatite and its derivatives have applications in a variety of fields including the pharmaceutical industry and tissue engineering. Moreover, apatite is the foundation of the global phosphorous cycle as well as an essential source for fertilizer and an important agent in environmental remediation. Here we invite all contributions devoted to minerals of the apatite supergroup, both from nature and experiment, including applications in geological and biological systems as well as in agriculture and industry.

Callum J Hetherington, Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University (callum.hetherington@ttu.edu); Ewa Slaby, Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Center in Warsaw, Poland (e.slaby@twarda.pan.pl); Bartosz Budzyń, Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Center in Cracow, Poland (ndbudzyn@cyf-kr.edu.pl)

Keynote: Claire Corkhill

Accessory mineral petrology is a well-established field of Earth Sciences contributing to the understanding of processes across diverse geologic environments, and on scales from nanometer to the planetary. With perpetual improvements in analytical methods, increased understanding of trace element behavior between rock-forming and accessory minerals, knowledge of isotope systems, and novel approaches in experimental petrology, researchers are continually expanding the range of minerals that we leverage to understand rock-forming processes.
This session seeks contributions from practitioners of accessory-mineral science to understanding geologic processes and welcomes those making contributions to improving our understanding of minerals ranging from the better known and ubiquitous minerals (e.g. zircon, monazite, apatite), to the more exotic, less common phases that have more limited occurrence, and perhaps unique attributes (e.g. small windows of stability) or compositions (e.g. Nb-Ta-phases, REE-fluorides and carbonates, metal-oxides).
Accessory minerals continue to have far-reaching applications for understanding igneous, metamorphic and hydrothermal systems, as well as contributing to understanding tectonics and sedimentary systems (provenance as well as rates and tempos), and ore-forming processes, and we encourage submissions that contribute to broadening the understanding of crustal processes.

1 Chair - Stefania Corvó²: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, stefania.corvo@unipv.it 2 Co-convener - Mattia Bonazzi: Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of Pavia (IGG-CNR), mattia.bonazzi@crystal.unipv.it 3 Co-convener - Hugo van Schrojenstein Lantman: The Njord Centre, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, h.w.van.s.lantman@mn.uio.no 4 Co-convener - Aratz Beranoaguirre: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), aratz.beranoaguirre@kit.edu

Keynote: Mahyra Tedeschi

Petrochronology is the best tool to constrain the pressure, temperature and time (P-T-t) history of geological processes from the grain-scale to tectonic plates. The reconstruction of metamorphism, fluid-rock interaction and deformation in space and time provides key information about the evolution of the lithosphere. This goal is commonly achieved by linking chronological, geochemical and microstructural data from U-bearing phases such as zircon, monazite, titanite, rutile, garnet or calcite. The continuous advancement and coupling of in-situ analytical techniques, allows to investigate metamorphic and deformation processes and their interaction with a great level of detail. We aim to provide a forum for geologists dealing with and contributing to unraveling geological issues using a multiscale and multidisciplinary approach. This session welcomes contributions, which integrate the results of classic and innovative analyses with cutting-edge analytical techniques (e.g., EBSD, EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, Raman, FTIR) addressing the comprehension of local and regional settings.

Owen Weller, University of Cambridge, ow212@cam.ac.uk; Freya George, University of Bristol, freya.george@bristol.ac.uk; Richard Palin, University of Oxford, richard.palin@earth.ox.ac.uk; Carrie Soderman, University of Cambridge, cs801@cam.ac.uk; Charlie Beard, University of Cambridge, cdb53@cam.ac.uk

This session is supported by the Metamorphic Studies Group of the Mineralogical Society.

Keynote: Simon Schorn

The generation, transport and emplacement of partial melts in continental settings play a fundamental role in the chemical differentiation of the Earth, the transport of heat and volatiles, and therefore the rheology, deformation and geological evolution of the continents. In this session, we invite contributions from studies investigating partial melt processes at any point from source to sink. We encourage contributions from a broad range of subject areas operating at this interface between igneous and metamorphic petrology, including experimental petrology, phase equilibria modelling, diffusion chronometry and field-based studies.

Andreozzi, Giovanni B., Sapienza University of Rome, Italy (gianni.andreozzi@uniroma1.it); Stylianos Aspiotis, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC) and Department of Earth System Sciences, University of Hamburg, stylianos.aspiotis@uni-hamburg.de Lisa Baratelli, Department of Earth Sceinces, University of Milano, lisa.baratelli@unimi.it Simone Bernardini, Department of Science, Roma Tre University, simone.bernardini@uniroma3.it Bruschini, Enrico, IAPS-INAF, Italy (enrico.bruschini@inaf.it) Carli, Cristian, IAPS-INAF, Italy (cristian.carli@inaf.it) Giuli Gabriele, University of Camerino, Italy (gabriele.giuli@unicam.it) Stephant, Alice, The Open University, UK (alice.stephant@open.ac.uk) Tempesta, Gioacchino, University of Bari, Italy (gioacchino.tempesta@uniba.it)

Keynote: Mara Murri

Spectroscopic techniques are frequently used in mineralogical studies and can deliver unique information about the chemical composition and local-short-range scale structural configurations of minerals and amorphous phases.

The application of classical and innovative spectroscopic approaches is highly relevant both for identifying critical elements (given the role of critical minerals in clean energy transition) and for characterizing planetary materials. Spectroscopic results combined with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have been successfully used in very recent studies, focused on environmental contamination, paleo-environments reconstruction, in-situ rock analysis, mineral resources, planetary investigation, and cultural heritage. Moreover, since the crystal-chemical configuration of minerals is highly sensitive to external conditions (i.e., pressure, temperature, and oxygen fugacity), in-situ high-temperature and high-pressure spectroscopic experiments (via Raman and/or infrared spectroscopy) under a controlled atmosphere may provide fundamental data for understanding planetary-scale phenomena, including petrogenesis of volcanic rocks, metamorphic processes, and mineral evolution at convergent plate margins.

We foster participation and contribution to the session with spectroscopy-based research on both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial materials, from fundamentals to applications. Contributions addressing the crystallochemical characterization of minerals including mineral behavior under non-ambient conditions, dehydrogenation processes and transport of volatile elements into deeper regions of the Earth’s crust and mantle are also welcome.

Georgia Cametti, University of Bern, georgia.cametti@geo.unibe.ch; Davide Comboni, University of Milan, davide.comboni@unimi.it; Michael Fischer, University of Bremen, michael.fischer@uni-bremen.de; Paolo Lotti, University of Milan, paolo.lotti@unimi.it

This session is supported by the Clay Minerals Group of the Mineralogical Society.

Keynote: Anke Neumann

At present, minerals (e.g., clays, phosphates, etc.) and tailored man-made compounds (e.g., synthetic zeolites) are exploited in a wide range of technological applications. The never-ending development of lab instruments, large-scale facilities and computational methods is increasingly fostering the crystal-structural characterization of these materials, which is a key factor to fully understand their properties and successfully tailor new man-made compounds.
This session is open to experimental and computational contributions dealing with minerals and synthetic analogues, with a special focus on their structural characterization in relation to their properties. Studies focused on framework or layered compounds are particularly welcome, but the session is not restricted to these groups of minerals.  Aim of the session is to bring together the experimental and computational approaches, crystallographers and applied mineralogists in order to disclose the structure-property relationships of compounds with potential technological applications.

Paola Comodi, Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Universita di Perugia, Italy, paola.comodi@unipg.it. Jun Tsuchiya, Geodynamics Research Center, Ehime University, Japan, junt@ehime-u.ac.jp

This session is supported by the Mineral Physics Group of the Mineralogical Society.

Keynote: Tiziana Boffa Ballaran. Single-crystals at high-pressures and high-temperatures in order to constrain planet interiors.

Recent years have seen remarkable progress in the field of materials science, making it possible to develop materials from the atomic scale. This is due to new technologies and techniques such as the higher resolution and higher speed of electron microscopes, the increased computing power of computers, and the larger scale and higher precision of materials simulation techniques etc.

These new methods have the potential to revolutionize the understanding of chemical-physical properties of solid state matter, which can strongly impact on the knowledge of the natural and synthetic substances at extreme pressure and temperature conditions.

This session aims to bring together researchers involved in the development of cutting-edge   methods in geoscience and materials science to exchange interdisciplinary information for the development of new interdisciplinary technologies that can be applied to the study of the mechanisms of the Earth and other planets, as well as the developments of the industrial and technological materials.

This session is sponsored by the Commission of Physics of Minerals in the International Mineralogical Association (CPM-IMA).

Alessandro F. Gualtieri (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy) Andrij Holian (University of Montana, USA) Melanie Kah (University of Auckland, New Zealand) Alessandro Pacella (La Sapienza, University of Roma, Italy) Jasmine Rita Petriglieri (University of Torino, Italy)

Keynote: Emanuela Felley-Bosco

Medical Mineralogy is a highly multidisciplinary field of research promoting cross investigations aimed at understanding the interaction between natural materials and humans. This research field is focused on the bio-chemical processes responsible for health conditions, both normal and pathological, that involve the interaction of inorganic species and organic molecules with natural materials. To do this, different approaches are followed including kinetic studies of mineral reactions under conditions relevant to the human body, molecular modelling studies, and studies aimed at evaluating environmental factors as causes for exposure modes and activating diseases in genetically predisposed subjects. Special attention is devoted to the crystal-chemical-physical properties of natural materials responsible for the onset of adverse effects in vitro and in vivo.

This interdisciplinary session welcomes contributions on natural toxicants causing exposure to humans such as respirable crystalline silica, asbestos and mineral fibres in general, metals’-containing nanoparticulate, metals in soils and water, and much more.

The outcome of this session should be of broad inspiration for future research lines directed towards a multidisciplinary action, involving different perspectives such as medicine, toxicology, bio-chemistry, mineralogy, crystallography, and many more. Sharing different perspectives and working in synergy with a multidisciplinary view is not just a need, but the awareness that it is the only key to disclosing the very mechanisms of carcinogenesis prompted by natural toxicants.

Remi Rateau, Trinity College Dublin, rrateau@tcd.ie Gabrielle Stockmann, University of Iceland and Jarvik Geoconsulting AB, gabrielle@hi.is Giuseppe Saldi, University of Perugia, giuseppe.saldi@unipg.it Dominique Tobler, University of Copenhagen, dominique.tobler@plen.ku.dk Juan Diego Rodriguez-Blanco, Trinity College Dublin, j.d.rodriguez-blanco@tcd.ie

This session is supported by the Environmental Mineralogy Group of the Mineralogical Society.

Keynote: Ashley J. King

Carbonate rocks and minerals are a critical component of the global carbon budget and a natural long-term carbon sink. They provide geochemical proxies for paleoclimate studies and take key roles in climate change mitigation strategies (e.g., carbon capture and storage (CCS)). They are also widely used for environmental and industrial purposes, e.g., for cement and steel production, as filler material in pigments and paper, for water and soil acidity control and metal decontamination, among many other applications.

Given the importance of carbonate minerals for our society and the environment, it is critical to improve our understanding of carbonate mineral crystallisation (e.g., pathways, reaction thermodynamics and kinetics, element partitioning, mineral habitats), notably via experiment-based research.

We welcome experimental studies of carbonate minerals including, but not limited to, the following topics:

– New experimental and analytical methodologies for the study of carbonates
– Thermodynamic measurements of carbonate mineral reactions
– Carbonate crystallisation pathways and kinetic models
– Biogenic mineralization and applications
– Nano and micro-carbonate minerals for industrial and environmental applications
– Understanding carbonation processes for carbon capture and storage
– Rare earth carbonates

Nadia Malaspina (University of Milano-Bicocca; nadia.malaspina@unimib.it); Andrea Rielli (Italian National Research Council; andrea.rielli@igg.cnr.it); Alicja Lacinska (British Geological survey; alci@bgs.ac.uk)

Keynote: Chiara Boschi

In the last decades many studies have been focusing on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) as a technology to mitigate the increase of atmospheric CO2 concentration. Even though capture technologies are relatively mature, how to safely store CO2 is still debated. Mineral carbonation is amongst the most promising storage approaches because CO2 is stored in stable carbonate minerals (such as magnesite MgCO3) with theoretically no risk of release. This process takes place spontaneously in ultramafic systems through the interaction of CO2-rich aqueous fluids and divalent cations such as Mg2+ derived mainly from serpentine and brucite. However, spontaneous carbonation is relatively slow, compared to the rates of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, and thus innovative carbonation pathways and/or new catalysers are required to speed up the reaction. This session welcomes studies of natural carbonation systems, as well as experimental approaches aimed to advance mineral carbonation in ultramafic rocks both in- and ex-situ.

Tapio Halkoaho, Geological Survey of Finland, tapio.halkoaho@gtk.fi Anna Vymazalova, Czech Geological Survey, anna.vymazalova@geology.cz Jussi Liipo, Metso Outotec, jussi.liipo@mogroup.com

Keynote: Olga Filiminova. Characterisation of Platinum-Group Elements in Minerals Using X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Six platinum group elements: ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum (PGE) occur as discrete metallic alloys and as minerals (PGM), in which the PGEs are an essential component. PGE may also occur in solid solution mainly in Ni± Cu± Fe sulfides. Characterization followed by beneficiation of these elements has many challenges for the applied mineralogist due to its trace concentrations, small grain sizes or nugget effects and multiple associations with different coexisting minerals, like sulfides, arsenides, oxides and silicates. Nowadays, PGEs are classified as strategic raw materials for the European Union. PGEs have become indispensable to modern life as many current and future industrial applications are dependent on them. This session aims to encourage the discussion about the important role of the PGEs by combining contributions from the full range modern investigation techniques. Results from advanced ore characterization, ore mineralogy, applied mineralogy or with any other topic related to PGEs and PGMs are welcomed.

Maximilian Korges, University of Potsdam (Germany), korges@uni-potsdam.de Philip Rieger, ICRAG (Ireland), philip.rieger@icrag-centre.org Hilde Koch, Trinity College Dublin (Ireland), hkoch@tcd.ie Malte Junge, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich (Germany), Malte.Junge@lrz.uni-muenchen.de

This session is supported by the Applied Mineralogy Group of the Mineralogical Society.

Keynote: Johannes Giebel

The supply-demand gap for “critical” metals, which are essential for cutting-edge technologies designed to combat global warming, is acute. To achieve a low-carbon-based society, metals and metalloids are crucial ingredients. The increasing metal demand requires the discovery of new ore deposits. In order to find new ore deposits, existing genetic models and our understanding of ore forming processes need to be reviewed, tested, and refined. Recent years have seen advances in the development of models and methods, which have improved our capabilities of better understanding, assessing, and predicting the properties of buried mineral resources. Such advances include developments in using field-based research, laboratory experiments, and computer simulations, which can provide invaluable insights into the inherent complexity of ore formation. As such, this session aims to bring together researchers from various fields to share progress in deciphering the complexity of ore formation and invite multidisciplinary contributions utilizing novel and advanced experimental, analytical, or numerical methods. The investigation of the potential of metals in primary deposits and mine residues, as well as the development of innovative concepts for exploration activities for mineral deposits, mining and ore processing are highly appreciated and welcome.

José María González Jiménez (Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC, Spain; email: jmgonzj@ugr.es) Malte Junge (Mineralogical State Collection Munich, SNSB,Ludwig Maximilians Universität, Germany; email: malte.junge@lrz.uni-muenchen.de) Hannah Hughes (Camborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, UK; email: H.Hughes@exeter.ac.uk) Eduardo Texeira Mansur (Norges Geologiske Undersøkelse, Norway; etmansur@gmail.com)

This session is supported by the IMA’s Commission on Ore Mineralogy

Metals are part of our daily lives, becoming more important with emerging technology as we transition from an economy relying on fossil fuels to one on renewable energy. A key need in assessing the ‘supply chain’ of the critical metals is therefore developing a detailed understanding of critical metal deportment in various minerals. Improvements in a range of new high-resolution analytical methods (FIB-FE-SEM, HRTEM, LA-ICP-MS, EMPA, SIMS and nano-SIMS and synchrotron XRF/XAS) now allow the sampling and characterization of minerals from the micro to nano scales. Thus, minerals are now seen as more complex entities than ever before, not least because their chemical properties very as function of particle size. New observations also reveal that a significant budget of critical metals could not always be in solid solutions in minerals but instead as inclusions of nanoparticles and nanominerals.  This thematic session seeks recent developments in nanomineralogy in order to identify the role that nanoparticles and nanominerals have as active agents of element transport and fixation. We welcome contributions of all disciplines addressing nanogeoscience research, including the study of natural samples and experiments covering both hydrothermal and magmatic processes, with particular emphasis on the role of ore systems as nanoparticle factories.

Paul Slezak - University College Dublin, paul.slezak@ucd.ieLingli Zhou - Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam; l.zhou@vu.nlVladimir Khomenko - National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine; vladimir.khom@yahoo.comDariia Chernysh - Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Ore Formation, Kyiv;  
chernysh_d@ua.fmIryna Lunova - Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Ore Formation, Kyiv; gerasimetsirina@gmail.com

This session is supported by the Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft (German Mineralogical Society)

Keynote: Ben Walter (V.M. Goldschmidt Prize winner, Deutsche Mineralogische Gesellschaft). Crustal wall-rock assimilation and metasomatism of carbonatite melts – key processes for HFSE enrichment?

New advances in high technologies and the Green Revolution have shed light on previously lesser-known commodities such as Li, Be, REE, etc., which now play a vital role in economic development and national security. However, in contrast to some well-established mineral deposits (e.g., porphyry Cu-Mo±Au systems), there is limited, fragmented and/or incomplete information on many critical raw material (CRM) deposits including, but not limited to, Li, Be, Sc, V, Nb, and REE. These information gaps may result from ore deposits with unique mineralogies (e.g. genthelvite [Be₃Zn₄(SiO₄)₃S] in a unique Ukrainian deposit), complex petrogenesis (e.g. (per)alkaline igneous rocks), previous oversights due to mineral comminution and economics (e.g. REE in IOCG/IOA deposits), and general lack of geologic knowledge on some critical metals (e.g. Be, Sc)

This session aims to show the importance of reviewing and reassessing the known, as well as searching around the world for new and atypical sources of CRMs, which can potentially be used to increase their production as well as develop new processing and storage technologies. We invite studies on weird, overlooked, and atypical CRM deposits including their geological setting, geochemistry, mineralogy, metal deportment, origins, and genetic models.

Sean McLeneghan (Trinity College Dublin, MCCLENS@tcd.ie), Simon Jones (University College Dublin, simon.jones@icrag-centre.org)

This session is supported by the International Association for Geology of Ore Deposits (IAGOD)

The growing demand for metals worldwide has led to the recognition of a large class of critical raw materials (CRMs) essential to long-term economic stability and energy security. These CRMs are critical due to a scarcity of economic concentrations within the earth’s crust, and are found largely as trace constituents in base-metal (Cu-Zn-Pb-Ni) systems, for which by-product recovery during refining is critical to the current supply of CRMs such as Te, Ge, In, Ga, Sb, and Bi. Research and development in metallurgical processing have increased the efficiency of metal recovery, allowing for the efficient extraction of lower metal grades. Despite these advancements, inefficiency still exists in the delineation of CRM resources and an efficient mining approach to their recovery. Mineralogical controls on CRMs stemming from processes such as exsolution and recrystallization can have a profound effect on the tenor of ore and gangue minerals.

This session invites submissions covering a wide range of mineral deposit systems featuring anomalous CRMs, both as primary resource streams (i.e. REEs) and anomalous by-products of base-metal systems. We encourage submissions on studies featuring new micro-analytical-geochemical advances providing insight on the genesis and concentration of CRMs across varied terrains and ore-deposit models.

Daniel Vollprecht, Augsburg University, Germany, daniel.vollprecht@uni-a.de Cyrill Grengg, Graz University of Technology, Austria, cyrill.grengg@tugraz.at Mario Tribaudino, Turin University, Italy, mario.tribaudino@unito.it

Keynote: Alessandro Pavese

Mineralogy and circular economy get in touch when materials interact with the environment during their production and use, and, eventually, during their recycling or disposal when they become a waste.
Mineral wastes & by-products (e.g. slags, ashes, dusts, construction & demolition wastes, excavated materials) represent the largest stream of secondary raw materials; their mineralogy and interaction with aqueous solutions determines their recyclability, which can be enhanced by tailoring their physicochemical properties during production. For instance, the release of contaminants in solutions and the hydraulic reaction/reactivity regulate the utilization of mineral wastes as inorganic binders. In this context, the utilisation of inorganic wastes and by-products for the production of alternative cement-based construction materials, such as alkali-activated materials and geopolymers, exhibits high potential to increase material circularity and to produce low-CO2- building materials.
This session addresses mineralogical contributions to the circular economy, ranging from environmental studies such as the migration of contaminants, to resource-oriented investigations approaching the recovery of metals from secondary raw materials and the utilization of wastes and by-products as a whole, especially in construction industry or agriculture, to close anthropogenic material cycles.

Dr. Patrick Krolop (LKAB, patrick1.krolop@lkab.com), Marek Dosbaba (Tescan Orsay Holding, marek.dosbaba@tescan.com), Dominique Brising (Boliden, dominique.brising@boliden.com)

This session is supported by LKAB

Keynote: Alan Butcher

Process Mineralogy bridges geology and mineral processing and is the practical application of mineralogical knowledge to aid characterisation of ores and gangue in their natural state, and to predict and optimise how an ore can best be mined and processed. The mineralogy and texture of an ore dictates behaviour during processing, possible product characteristics and highlights potential environmental ramifications. The characterisation of complex primary ores, optimisation of comminution, mineral concentration, flotation, and handling of mining waste and environmental regulations poses current and future challenges for the mining industry. Different techniques are used across the mining value chain. Developments and innovation provoked a notable increase of applications to address these issues. Therefore, this session aims to gather contributions addressing challenges and solutions for problems posed by the industry, making use of practical approaches such as orebody characterisation, SEM-based materials characterisation, enhanced sampling and data analysis, waste handling and geometallurgy.

Alessandra Costanzo, University of Galway (alessandra.costanzo@universityofgalway.ie), Brendan Laurs The Gemmological Association of Great Britain, brendanlaurs@gmail.com, Emmanuel Fritsch University of Nantes (Emmanuel.Fritsch@cnrs-imn.fr); Isabella Pignatelli, Université de Lorraine, France - isabella.pignatelli@univ-lorraire.fr; Lee Groat, University of British Columbia, Canada - groat@mail.ubc.ca Thomas Hainschwang, GGTL Liechtenstein- Gemlab (Liechtenstein) - thomas.hainschwang@ggtl-lab.org; Giovanna Agrosí, Universita di Bari, Italy - giovanna.agrosi@uniba.it

Keynote: Jeff Harris

As the demand for gem materials increases, numerous deposits have been exploited and new gem varieties discovered. The rising demand for coloured gemstones and diamonds and the growing acceptance of gem materials in their synthetic forms are also contributing to the industry’s growth. This session aims to present the latest advances in gem material analysis in relation to crystallography, mineralogy, petrology and gemmology. It will emphasise both fundamental and applied studies, including all types of techniques (e.g. chemical analysis, spectroscopic and microscopic) used in the characterisation of natural and laboratory-grown gem materials. This session will welcome contributions spanning gem deposit genesis, the identification of treatments, synthetics and simulants, country-of-origin determination, colour-causing mechanisms, analysis of impurities and defects, and crystal growth mechanisms pertaining to gem materials. Research related to laboratory-grown gems and comparisons with their natural counterparts are also welcome.

Sabine Klein, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum, Sabine.Klein@bergbaumuseum.de Andreas Kronz, University of Göttingen, akronz@gwdg.de Thomas Rose, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, thomas.rose@daad-alumni.de Katrin Westner, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum, Katrin.Westner@bergbaumuseum.de

Keynote: Alexandra Rodler-Rørbo

Natural and processed geomaterials (i.e. metals, stone, glass, ceramic) were widely used and traded by ancient societies. Archaeometry, i.e. the scientific analysis of such materials, therefore is closely connected to earth sciences due to the methods applied (e.g. radiogenic and stable isotope systems and trace element patterns) and the existence of thematic links, such as the provenance of raw materials, and the environmental impact of human activities. The specific questions in archaeometric research and requirements of the precious and often unique material studied stimulates innovation in sampling and analytical techniques, which however may also generate novel challenges. FAIR (findable, accessible, reusable, interoperable) open-source data repositories become increasingly important in all disciplines and currently are developed in several national and worldwide initiatives. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of archaeometry, this will certainly be one of the most pressing and challenging tasks in the years and decades to come. We would like to encourage all scientists who contribute with their research to the mentioned topics to participate in this session.

Dr Casey Bryce, University of Bristol, casey.bryce@bristol.ac.uk; Dr John Moreau, University of Glasgow, john.moreau@glasgow.ac.uk; Christine Heim University of Cologne Institut of Geology und Mineralogy christine.heim@uni-koeln.de; Gerhard Franz Technical University Berlin Institute of Applied Geochemistry gerhard.franz@tu-berlin.de

This session is supported by the Geomicrobiology Network of the Mineralogical Society

Keynote: Richard Kimber

(Micro)organisms control or mediate processes involving metal mobilisation or precipitation and biomineral formation. Our knowledge about microbial mineralization processes through time and space is still limited, due to the enormous diversity of metabolisms, the huge complexity of microbial communities, and the great variety of potential habitats. A key to ancient environmental reconstructions from Early Earth times onwards would be the unambiguous identification and inter¬pretation of such biological fingerprints.
Aiming at understanding these processes and the formation of biomaterials, we invite contributions that address specific biominerals, biosignatures or effects of the metabolic activity in the vicinity of the respective organisms at the sub-µm-resolution scale and insights into morphology – chemistry relations:
(i) Characterization of biominerals, especially formed in extreme habitats
(ii) Minerals coupled to microbial metabolism, and problems to demonstrate biogenicity
(iii) Microbe-mineral interaction including isotopic fractionation processes and related experiments
(iv) New analytical, spectroscopic and/or in situ techniques and method developments to spatially resolve small-scale and heterogenous structures of natural samples

Giovanni De Giudici - University of Cagliari- gbgiudic@unica.it; Karen Hudson-Edwards- University of Exeter - K.Hudson-Edwards@exeter.ac.uk; Juraj Maizlan - Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena- Juraj.Majzlan@uni-jena.de; Kevin Rosso - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - kevin.rosso@pnnl.gov

This session is supported by the International Mineralogical Association.

Keynote: Patricia Dove

Biominerals in recent decades have received growing interest from a large interdisciplinary scientific community for their information richness on environmental change. Biominerals have played a pivotal role in biogeochemical cycle of elements in the geological record. Thus, understanding biomineralization processes in many different environments allows us to deepen our knowledge of risks to natural systems driven by anthropic activities, and of the possible resilience of the environment to change. Moreover, investigating biominerals allows the development of technologies for environmental sustainability, and offers diverse and fairly numerous examples to devise useful biobased materials.

This session is intended to strengthen the collaborative interaction among environmental mineralogists and is open to the whole scientific community interested in biominerals, sustainability and related technology development. The session seeks to feature studies on biominerals at the molecular scale, the interface between minerals and organisms, the kinetics of (bio)mineral growth, communities of microbial and other organisms that individually or collectively drive biomineral processes. Moreover, this session invites contributions on biobased-environmental-technologies such as wetland systems, water treatment and bio-metallurgy. Finally, investigations on biominerals relevant to health are also welcome.

Michael Stock, Trinity College Dublin, stockm@tcd.ie; Swetha Venugopal, Trinity College Dublin, venugops@tcd.ie

The chemical and isotopic systematics of fluid release from active volcanic systems are powerful tools for investigating hydrogeology, temperature, pressure and redox conditions of volcanic, geothermal and ore depositional systems. The utility of fluid and gas geochemistry spans a wide array of applications, from early indicators of volcanic unrest, investigating the controls on magmatic ore formation, and to better understand  the source of geothermal and hydrothermal systems.

The goal of this session is to bring together scientists from a broad range of disciplines (e.g. experimental petrology, economic geology, melt inclusion studies, volcano-gas and fluid geochemistry) to elucidate processes of mass and energy transfer in active magmatic systems with implications for hazard mitigation, magmatic evolution, and mineral exploration. Key topics of interest include novel approaches to improve volatile budget estimations, constraining the behaviour of volatiles at depth, as well as transport of major oxides and economic metals between magma, gas, and ore deposition.

Silvio Ferrero, (Universitá di Cagliari), silvio.ferrero@unica.it; Jannick Ingrin (Universite de Lille, jannick.ingrin@univ-lille.fr;
Yaakov Weiss (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), yakov.weiss@mail.huji.ac.il; Alessia Borghini, (AGH- Krakow), alessia.borghini@uni-potsdam.de; Rosario Esposito (Universitá degli studi Milano Bicocca), rosario.esposito@unimib.it; Marta Berkesi, (Institute of Earth Physics and Space Sciences), berkesi.marta@epss.hu

Keynote: Stefan Farsang. Sulphur speciation in magmatic fluids: facts and artefacts

Fluids and melts are among the main agents responsible for the changes the Earth undergoes through geological times. As these changes are often extremely elusive, it is only when fluids and melts  are trapped in minerals and preserved as inclusions that we can truly target and understand them. Fluid and melt inclusions studies are the ultimate crossover between geological fields of study, as portions of preserved fluids in minerals are found everywhere, from  sedimentary basins to mountain ranges, from magmatic systems to deeply subducted crustal rocks, from ore deposits to mantle xenoliths. Studies on inclusions efficiently contribute to our knowledge on lithosphere-scale volatile cycles from subsurface to the lithosphere/asthenosphere boundary. Morevoer, hydrogen, noble gases and halogens also occur in mineral phases, albeit in very low concentrations – a fact which makes their quantification a very challenging task.

This session aims to bring together ‘inclusionists’ from the broad spectrum of Earth sciences to display the most recent advancements of fluid, melt and multiphase inclusion studies and to promote fruitful contaminations across the different disciplines of the geological sciences. Quantitative data on volatile partitioning and diffusion in minerals, melts and fluids are also a full component of this session. We encourage submission to any analytical, experimental and computational studies that address these issues.

Josua J. Pakulla (Institute for Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, German), jpakull1@uni-koeln.de; Desiree L. Roerdink (Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Norway) Desiree.Roerdink@uib.no; Jaganmoy Jodder (Centre for Planetary Habitability (PHAB), University of Oslo, Norway) jaganmoy.jodder@geo.uio.no, 
 

Keynote: K. Hoernle

In the past few decades, geochemical proxies have been instrumental in examining spatiotemporal variations preserved in the geological rock record from different geodynamic settings. Elemental and isotope studies on sedimentary and igneous rocks have provided important clues related to the formation of the Earth’s earliest crust, diverse tectonic regimes through deep time, mantle processes, and the evolution of the oceans and atmosphere. Major transitions in our Earth’s evolution have been linked to the co-evolution of Earth and life throughout the Precambrian. Thus, knowing the timescales and temporal chemical evolution of (chemical) sediments and igneous rocks may shed light on geological processes in Earth’s history that remain enigmatic such as the onset of subduction, the timescales and effectiveness of mantle homogenization, or the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere and oceans. Here we invite results from geochemical, petrological, geobiological, and geodynamical studies that will shed light on the temporal and spatial changes in Earth’s evolution during the Precambrian as well as Phanerozoic times. These may cover large processes such as the formation of Earth’s crust or core formation, chemical heterogeneities in Earth’s upper and lower mantle, and the state of early oceans and atmosphere. We also encourage research related to variations in pH and redox potential during sedimentation, paleosol formation, and biogeochemical cycling.

Antonio Acosta-Vigil, Instituto Andaluz de ciencias de la tierra, acostavigil@hotmail.com; Melanie J. Sieber, University of Potsdam, melanie.sieber@uni-potsdam.de; 1) Luca Toffolo, Universitá degli Studi di Milano (Italy), luca.toffolo@unimi.it 2) Melanie Sieber, Universität Potsdam (Germany), mesieber@uni-potsdam.de 3) Giulia Consuma, University of Western Australia (Australia), giulia.consuma@uwa.edu.au 4) Jesse Walters, Goethe Universität (Germany), thegeojesse@gmail.com

Keynote speaker 1: Patrizia Fumagalli. Distribution of hydrous carbonate liquid in dunite: an experimental study

Keynote 2: Francesco Giuntoli

Keynote 3: (EMU Medallist talk): José Alberto Padrón Navarto. Redox Dehydration in Subduction Zones

abstract for session 26

COH fluids, volatile-rich silicate and carbonatitic melts are key agents transporting heat and mass between mantle and crust, producing the geochemical differentiation of Earth, triggering the genesis of ores, and controlling the deep cycle of volatiles such as CO2 and H2O through geologic time.

Such fluids and melts play a profound role in various tectonic settings. For instance, fluids released from the subducted slab metasomatize the mantle wedge to eventually produce arc magmas, which let continental crust grow. Thus, subduction zones are considered as the main locus for the growth of continental crust. In addition, magmatism in collisional orogens and anorogenic intraplate settings are important for the growth and differentiation of continental crust. Fluids also modulate the exchange and recycling of material, such as carbon, between Earth’s mantle reservoirs and surface. As an example, carbonatitic melts are often associated with continental rift-related settings.

All these processes triggered by COH fluid and melts are strongly dependent on their chemical and physical properties. Over the last years much progress has been made to characterize the origin and main properties of deep, CO2 bearing fluids and melts, such as their volatile and trace element content, to better link surface observations to processes at depth.

This session aims to bring together scientists from a broad range of disciplines to discuss the origin, nature and processes involving COH fluids and volatile-rich silicate and carbonatitic melts. We welcome contributions based on, but not limited to, field observation, petrology, geochemistry, experimental petrology, and  numerical and thermodynamic modeling. In particularly, we invite discussion on (i) major and trace element composition of deep fluids, (ii) petrological records of CO2 bearing fluids and melts (e.g. melt/fluid inclusions, metasomatised xenoliths, and multicomponent mineral fluid/melt systems), (iii) implications on crustal growth and differentiation, ore deposit genesis, and deep volatile cycles; and (iv) the establishment and applications of novel analytical techniques, computational models, and interdisciplinary approaches.

abstract for session 28

In subduction environments fluids produced by mineral decomposition can contain variable proportions of C, H, S, halogens and other volatile species. These compounds play a pivotal role in regulating the mass transfers between the crust and the mantle: They are responsible for a variety of geological processes that include metamorphism, metasomatism, metal mobilization, redox transformations, and production of volcanic gaseous emissions. Feedbacks between these processes control the extent to which volatiles are released, exchanged and stored between Earth’s geochemical reservoirs on geologic timescales. Addressing these points is critical to quantifying fluid-mediated tectonometamorphic processes, the distribution and resource potential of arc-related ore deposits, and evolution of Earth’s climate. In this session contributions providing multi-scale insights on the cycle of C, H, S, halogens and other volatile species through field studies, experiments and modeling are equally encouraged.

Emma Tomlinson, Trinity College Dublin, tomlinse@tcd.ie; Caterina Melai, Trinity College Dublin, melaic@tcd.ie

Keynote: Sonja Aulbach. The continental subduction factory as a precursor to long-term volatile storage in continental lithospheric mantle

The density, rheology and melting behaviour of the mantle is strongly influenced by key parameters: mineralogy, mineral composition, redox state, and volatile abundance. Changes in these parameters, and the reactions by which they occur, are critical for understanding mantle heterogeneity and evolution. In this session, we invite contributions that provide insight into reactions in the lithospheric mantle, convecting mantle and transition zone from the Archaean to the present day. This includes, but is not limited to, geochemical analysis of mantle derived samples and mantle-derived melts, as well as experimental studies and thermodynamic modelling. Particular topics of interest include: (1) solid state diffusion and metasomatism in the upper mantle; (2) processes at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary; (3) assimilation and reaction during magma ascent; (4) mantle melting and differentiation; and (5) redox reactions in the deep mantle. We also welcome contributions that address the question of how and why these processes have varied over time.

Sylvie Demouchy (Chair), CNRS, Lab. Magas & Volcans, Université Clermont Auvergne (France), sylvie.demouchy@uca.fr, Davide Novella (Co-convenor), Department of Geosciences, University of Padova (Italy), Michael Jollands, (Co-convenor), Gemological Institute of America, 50 W. 47th St, New York, NY 10036, (USA).

Keynote: Nathalie Bolfan-Casanova

Water and its derived species (H+, OH-, H2) are major players in controlling the genesis of magma, as well as its mobility, viscosity and eruptivity. At the atomic scale, water/hydrogen also impacts the viscosity of mantle rocks and minerals, in addition to affecting their electrical conductivity, ionic diffusivities or seismic properties, and thus geodynamics. In crustal domains, water/hydrogen is also a key actor of oceanic crust, impacting the dynamics of subduction, as well as the thermal profile and redox state of the down-going slab. Continental crust, with its mineralogical diversity, remains an important reservoir of water/hydrogen, and providing information on the potential evolution of the primitive Earth. Finally, mineral inclusions in diamonds have provided unique windows into the deep Earth, allowing us to gain further knowledge on the nature and extent of the deep-water cycle. This session invites contributions (experimental, numerical, petrological, field-based and analytical) describing water/hydrogen storage and mobility, and studies which shed new light on crustal, magmatic or mantle processes and Earth’s volatiles budget at large, to better decipher our invisible ocean.

Isabella Pignatelli, Université de Lorraine <isabella.pignatelli@univ-lorraine.fr>, Berthold Stoeger, Technical University Vienna, <bstoeger@mail.tuwien.ac.at>, Sergey Aksenov, Russian Academy of Science <aks.crys@gmail.com>, Elena Belokoneva, Moscow State University <elbel@geol.msu.ru>, Emil Makovicky, Copenhagen University <emilm@ign.ku.dk>, Massimo Nespolo, Université de Lorraine <massimo.nespolo@univ-lorraine.fr>

Modular structures are built by modules (blocks, rods, layers) which differ  either in the chemistry or in the crystallographic orientation/position. They include polytypes and OD structures, incommensurately modulated structures and superstructures, polysomatic and homologous series, cell-twins, as well as twins and epi/syntaxies. The structure-building principle allows fine tuning of both structure and chemical composition and represents one of the most outstanding mechanisms by which Nature produces a wide range of minerals from a relatively limited number of building blocks. The understanding of the features of these minerals represents a challenge both for the experimental mineralogist and for the theoretician and opens a huge horizon for crystal engineering.

Bob Hazen (rhazen@carnegiscience.edu), Barb Dutrow (dutrow@lsu.edu), Gerhard Franz (gefra548@gmail.com); and Jesse Walters (thegeojesse@gmail.com)

Keynotes: Horst Marschall, Bob Hazen

There will be a special issue of Mineralogical Magazine in honour of Ed, comprising presentations made during this session and those offered by others. The guest editors will be Gerhard Franz, Bob Martin, and Jesse Walters.

Throughout his remarkable career, Ed Grew has deciphered and shared the deep-time stories locked in rocks and minerals. In works of meticulous scholarship and deep insight, Ed has revealed the rich context and varied processes of mineral formation in deposits from Greenland to the Antarctic, from metamorphics of Tajikistan to his beloved Maine pegmatites. He is the world’s authority on the minerals of lithium, beryllium, and boron, including pioneering studies on their mineral evolution and ecology. His work on metamorphic minerals, notably the garnet group and sapphirine-surinamite groups, are classic contriutions. In short, Ed Grew’s influence on the mineralogical community has been lasting and profound. This session in honor of Ed Grew’s long and distinguished career welcomes a wide range of contributions that touch on the varied aspects of his research, including (but not limited to) complex pegmatites, the geology and mineralogy of Antarctica, metamorphic minerals, the minerals of rare elements, mineral evolution and ecology, and varied aspects of petrologic mineralogy.

Shaunna Morrison, Carnegie Institution for Science, smorrison@ciw.edu; Anirudh Prabhu, Carnegie Institution for Science, aprabhu@ciw.edu; Robert Hazen, Carnegie Institution for Science, rhazen@ciw.edu; Marko Bermanec, University of Bern, marko.bermanec@gmail.com

This session is supported by the Geochemistry Group.

Keynote: Anirudh Prabhu

Complex systems in Earth and planetary science, including the information-rich mineralogical, geochemical, and petrological materials and environments therein, are multivariate and multidimensional by nature. As the amount of mineralogical and geochemical data grow exponentially, so do the possible applications of advanced analytics,modeling, and visualization. The development of robust, accessible data resources coupled with cutting-edge multivariate modeling and visualization techniques is pushing the frontiers of integrative Earth, planetary, and life science. We propose a session that covers two topics: 1) Resources for data-driven science in geochemistry, petrology, and mineralogy (e.g., databases, algorithms,models, software). 2) Applications and results of data science and data-driven studies in geochemistry, petrology, and mineralogy. We welcome submission from a broad range of scientific questions and applications, from deep-time to modern processes, including Earth and/or planetary atmospheric interaction with surface materials, mineral evolution and ecology, proteomics, co-evolution of the geosphere and biosphere, comparative planetology, origins of life, and paleobiology.

Frédéric Hatert, University of Liège, Belgium (fhatert@uliege.be) Marco Pasero, Universitá di Pisa, Italy (marco.pasero@unipi.it)

Keynote: Ferdinando Bosi

This session is organized by the IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC). All communications concerning the definiton of new mineral species are welcome, as well as those dealing with the characterization of minerals by classical investigation techniques (crystal structure analysis, chemical analyses, spectroscopic techniques). The session also aims to discuss all topics related to mineral nomenclature and to mineral classification.

Martin Lee, University of Glasgow, UK; martin.lee@glasgow.ac.uk; Lee White, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK, lee.white@opena.ac.uk; Lydia Hallis, University of Glasgow, UK, Lydia.Hallis@glasgow.ac.uk; Mahesh Anand, Open University, Milton Keynes, UK, mahesh.anand@open.ac.uk; Beverley Tkalcec, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany, tkalcec@em.uni-frankfurt.de

This session is supported by the Mineralogical Society of the UK and Ireland.

Keynote: Luke Daly. Applying correlative microscopy in Solar System Science

This session will focus on recent developments in our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Solar System through sample analysis. Planetary science is in a period of unprecedented opportunities, with samples being recently returned from the Moon by Chang’e-5, and from the asteroids Ryugu and Bennu by the Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions, respectively. At the same time, new meteorites from the Moon, asteroids, and Mars are being recovered. Analysis of these samples using ever more sophisticated techniques can help us to understand how and when the Solar System formed, the creation and destruction of planetesimals during the turbulent early history of the protoplanetary disc, and the role of infalling water- and organic-rich materials in making Earth a habitable world.

Session Chair - Mike Rumsey - M.Rumsey@nhm.ac.uk; Co-conveners - Eloise Gaillou - eloise.gaillou@minesparis.psl.eu; Bastian Joachim-Mrosko, University of Innsbruck, Austria (bastian.joachim@uibk.ac.at); Liz Hide, Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, UK (eah12@cam.ac.uk); Malte Junge, Bavarian State Collection for Mineralogy, Germany (Malte.Junge@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)

Keynote: E. Anderson

abstract for session 35

Mineralogical collections preserved in museums and academic institutions worldwide underpin and preserve many facets of current scientific research. They allow us to revisit, re-analyse and re-interpret our knowledge when new hypotheses and techniques arise.

This session covers all academic aspects of collections-based mineralogy including active research and collections history, alongside new processes, and developments relevant to the creation, growth, management, or exhibition of all mineralogical collections – minerals, rocks, ores, gems or meteorites.

EXAMPLE TOPICS: Type specimens, research only possible due to the historic preservation of collections, research that initiates the growth or creation of collections, new museums, new and novel exhibitions, exhibition development, collections storage/organisation/management/databasing, sampling policy and process, new methods and developments in collections accessibility, new methods and developments for interpreting mineral collections, history of specific collections, general history of mineralogical collections, crystal models, ‘fake’ mineral specimens, general historical mineralogy, new collections facilities, hazard management in collections, collections salvage, the conservation, preservation and preparation of mineralogical specimens, ethical considerations within mineralogical collections, iconic specimens, legal and cultural considerations relevant to the management of mineral collections, decolonisation of collections, curatorship, digitisation, data portals, public outreach and the private collector-public museum interface.

abstract for session 36

Engaging the public in mineralogical and Earth science related topics is of utmost importance to increase the understanding of our subject among the general public and to raise public awareness in addressing urgent social challenges such as climate change, the energy transition and the associated supply of critical raw materials. Public engagement also has an important role to play in inspiring the next generation of scientists, contributing to inclusion and addressing stereotypes in natural science subjects.

In this session we would like to offer a forum for innovative public engagement concepts related to Earth science topics in many different fields, and for a range of different audiences. This may involve but is not limited to: formal learning resources and concepts at schools and Universities, written content in books magazines and blogs, student recruitment and widening participation activities, scientific competitions such as the international Olympics of Earth Sciences, informal and family learning, artist collaborations targeted inclusion programming, community –led projects and field-based activities such as geoparks.  We also strongly encourage to contribute to this session if you use social media or virtual reality formats as a tool to engage the public with Earth Science related topics.