Named in honor of Oliver Tschauner, a geophysicist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for his significant contributions to mineral physics and to the discovery and characterization of high-pressure minerals.

Type Locality:

ⓘ Shergotty Martian meteorite, Gaya District, Bihar, India

Dimorph of:

Ulvöspinel

A polymorph of ulvöspinel.

Unique IdentifiersHide

Mindat ID:

53238

Long-form identifier:

mindat:1:1:53238:3

IMA Classification of TschauneriteHide

IMA status:

Approved

IMA Formula:

(Fe²⁺)(Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺)O₄

Approval year:

2018

Classification of TschauneriteHide

Strunz-mindat (2026):

4.BB.45

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
B : Metal: Oxygen = 3:4 and similar
B : With only medium-sized cations

Mineral SymbolsHide

As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.

Symbol	Source	Reference for Standard
Tsc	IMA–CNMNC	Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43

Physical Properties of TschauneriteHide

Lustre:

Metallic

Transparency:

Opaque

Colour:

Black

Density:

6.41 g/cm³ (Calculated)

Chemistry of TschauneriteHide

Mindat Formula:

(Fe²⁺)(Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺)O₄

Element Weights:

Element	% weight
Fe	49.961 %
O	28.627 %
Ti	21.412 %

Calculated from ideal end-member formula.

Elements listed:

Fe, O, Ti - search for minerals with similar chemistry

Crystallography of TschauneriteHide

Crystal System:

Orthorhombic

Class (H-M):

mmm(2/m2/m2/m) - Dipyramidal

Space Group:

Cmcm

Setting:

Cmcm

Cell Parameters:

a = 2.708(16) Å, b = 9.216(8) Å, c = 9.103(4) Å

Ratio:

a:b:c = 0.294 : 1 : 0.988

Unit Cell V:

227.2 Å³

X-Ray Powder DiffractionHide

Powder Diffraction Data:

d-spacing	Intensity
2.534 Å	(100)
2.498 Å	(25)
2.304 Å	(27)
2.256 Å	(31)
1.983 Å	(63)
1.855 Å	(33)
1.49 Å	(37)
1.194 Å	(19)

Locality:

Shergotty Martian meteorite, Gaya District, Bihar, India

Geological EnvironmentHide

Paragenetic Mode(s):

Paragenetic Mode	Earliest Age (Ga)
Stage 2: Planetesimal differentiation and alteration	4.566-4.550
6 : Secondary asteroid phases	4.566-4.560

Type Occurrence of TschauneriteHide

Type Locality:

ⓘ Shergotty Martian meteorite, Gaya District, Bihar, India

General Appearance of Type Material:

Lathe-shaped crystals, 1 – 5 µm in size.

Place of Conservation of Type Material:

Deposited in the E. Stolper Martian Meteorite Collection of the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA, thin section Shergotty-1

Geological Setting of Type Material:

In a Fe-, Ti-rich clast within a shock-induced melt pocket, in a highly shocked Martian meteorite.

Associated Minerals at Type Locality:

Augite	Clinopyroxene Subgroup	Feiite	Liuite	Magnetite
'Maskelynite'	Pigeonite	Stishovite	Stöfflerite	Ulvöspinel
Wangdaodeite	Wüstite	Zagamiite

Synonyms of TschauneriteHide

IMA2017-032a

Other Language Names for TschauneriteHide

Dutch:Tschauneriet

German:Tschaunerit

Relationship of Tschaunerite to other SpeciesHide

Member of:

Marokite Supergroup

Other Members of Marokite Supergroup:

Chenmingite	FeCr₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
Ellinaite	CaCr₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
Harmunite	CaFe₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbcm
Marokite	CaMn³⁺₂O₄	Orth.
Wernerkrauseite	Ca(Fe³⁺,Mn³⁺)₂Mn⁴⁺O₆	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
Xieite	Fe²⁺Cr₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)

Common AssociatesHide

Associations Based on Photo Data:

2 photos of Tschaunerite associated with Liuite	FeTiO₃
1 photo of Tschaunerite associated with Feiite	Fe²⁺₂(Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺)O₅
1 photo of Tschaunerite associated with Ulvöspinel	TiFe²⁺₂O₄
1 photo of Tschaunerite associated with Wangdaodeite	FeTiO₃

Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping Hide

4.BB.	Chenmingite	FeCr₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
4.BB.	Thermaerogenite	CuAl₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.	Chukochenite	LiAl₅O₈	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Imma
4.BB.	Elgoresyite	(Mg₅Si₂)O₉	Mon. 2/m : B2/m
4.BB.	Jianmuite	ZrTi⁴⁺Ti³⁺₅Al₃O₁₆	Tet. 4 : I4
4.BB.	Dellagiustaite	V²⁺Al₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.	Garpenbergite	Mn₆◻AsSbO₁₀(OH)₂	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.BB.	Magnéliite	Ti³⁺₂Ti⁴⁺₂O₇	Tric. 1 : P1
4.BB.05	Qandilite	(Mg,Fe³⁺)₂(Ti,Fe³⁺,Al)O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Chromite	Fe²⁺Cr³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Filipstadite	(Fe³⁺_0.5Sb⁵⁺_0.5)Mn₂O₄	Iso.
4.BB.05	Jacobsite	Mn²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Wernerkrauseite	Ca(Fe³⁺,Mn³⁺)₂Mn⁴⁺O₆	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
4.BB.05	Harmunite	CaFe₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pbcm
4.BB.05	Zincochromite	ZnCr₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Deltalumite	(Al_0.67◻_0.33)Al₂O₄	Tet. 42m : P4m2
4.BB.05	Franklinite	Zn²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Cochromite	CoCr₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	'Nichromite'	(Ni,Co,Fe)(Cr,Fe,Al)₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Hercynite	Fe²⁺Al₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Gahnite	ZnAl₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Galaxite	Mn²⁺Al₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Guite	Co²⁺Co³⁺₂O₄	Iso.
4.BB.05	Coulsonite	Fe²⁺V³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Vuorelainenite	Mn²⁺V³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Spinel	MgAl₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Cuprospinel	Cu²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Manganochromite	Mn²⁺Cr₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Magnesiocoulsonite	MgV₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m)
4.BB.05	Trevorite	Ni²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Magnesiochromite	MgCr₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Magnesioferrite	MgFe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Magnetite	Fe²⁺Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.05	Ulvöspinel	TiFe²⁺₂O₄	Iso. m3m(4/m32/m) : Fd3m
4.BB.10	Hausmannite	Mn²⁺Mn³⁺₂O₄	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4₁/amd
4.BB.10	Hetaerolite	ZnMn₂O₄	Tet. 4/mmm(4/m2/m2/m) : I4₁/amd
4.BB.10	Manganostibite	(Mn,Fe)₇SbAsO₁₂	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.BB.15	Titanomaghemite	(Ti⁴⁺_0.5◻_0.5)Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. 432 : P4₃32
4.BB.15	Maghemite	(Fe³⁺_0.67◻_0.33)Fe³⁺₂O₄	Iso. 432 : P4₁32
4.BB.20	Tegengrenite	(Mn³⁺_0.5Sb⁵⁺_0.5)Mg₂O₄	Trig. 3 : R3
4.BB.25	Xieite	Fe²⁺Cr₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m)
4.BB.30	Carmeltazite	ZrAl₂Ti₄O₁₁	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma
4.BB.35	Feiite	Fe²⁺₂(Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺)O₅	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Cmcm
4.BB.40	Maohokite	MgFe₂O₄	Orth. mmm(2/m2/m2/m) : Pnma

Other InformationHide

Health Risks:

No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.

Internet Links for TschauneriteHide

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https://www.mindat.org/min-53238.html
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Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project

References and PDF downloads at RRUFF project

American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database

Handbook of Mineralogy page PDF

Mineral Dealers:

Buy from D. Joyce minerals

References for TschauneriteHide

Reference List:

Hålenius, Ulf, Hatert, Frédéric, Pasero, Marco, Mills, Stuart J. (2018) IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) NEWSLETTER 46. European Journal of Mineralogy, 30 (6) 1181-1189 doi:10.1127/ejm/2018/0030-2819

Ma, C., Beckett, J.R., Prakapenka, V. (2021) Discovery of New High-Pressure Mineral Tschaunerite, (Fe2+)(Fe2+Ti4+)O4, a Shock-Induced, Post-Spinel Phase in the Martian Meteorite Shergotty. 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, held virtually, 15-19 March, 2021. LPI Contribution No. 2548, id.1720.

(2022) Tschaunerite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America

Localities for TschauneriteHide

Showing 1 localities.

This map shows a selection of localities that have latitude and longitude coordinates recorded. Click on the

symbol to view information about a locality. The

symbol next to localities in the list can be used to jump to that position on the map.

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Locality ListHide

- This locality has map coordinates listed.

- This locality has estimated coordinates. ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence. ? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.

- Good crystals or important locality for species.

- World class for species or very significant. (TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species. (FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties). ~~Struck out~~ - Mineral was erroneously reported from this locality. Faded * - Never found at this locality but inferred to have existed at some point in the past (e.g. from pseudomorphs).

All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.

India (TL)

Bihar

Gaya District

ⓘ Shergotty Martian meteorite (TL)

Hålenius et al. (2018) +1 other reference

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