Diopside

Diopside is a calcium-magnesium pyroxene mineral with composition CaMgSi₂O₆. It occurs in igneous and metamorphic rocks and forms a major component of some skarns and mantle rocks.

Pyroxene: Pyroxenes are a group of chain-silicate minerals common in igneous and metamorphic rocks. Diopside is a member of this mineral group, sharing its single-chain silicate structure.
Solid solution: A solid solution is a single crystalline phase whose composition varies through substitution among atoms or ions. Diopside forms compositional series as magnesium and iron substitute for one another.
Skarn: Skarn is a rock formed when chemically active fluids alter carbonate rocks near an igneous intrusion. Diopside is a common calc-silicate mineral in many skarns.
René Just Haüy: René Just Haüy was a French mineralogist whose work helped establish crystallography as a systematic science. Haüy named diopside in the early nineteenth century, drawing on its apparent double appearance.
Diopside-bearing marble: Diopside-bearing marble is metamorphosed carbonate rock containing diopside among its calc-silicate minerals. It illustrates diopside formation during reactions between carbonate minerals and silica-bearing material.
Silicate mineral: A silicate mineral is a mineral whose structure contains silicon-oxygen tetrahedra. Diopside’s structure is built from linked silicon-oxygen tetrahedra.
Crystal structure: A crystal structure is the ordered, repeating arrangement of atoms in a crystalline solid. Its repeating arrangement controls diopside’s physical properties and mineral identification.
Eclogite: Eclogite is a dense, high-pressure metamorphic rock dominated by garnet and omphacite. Diopside-bearing pyroxenes can occur in eclogites and help constrain their mineral chemistry.
Mineral species: A mineral species is a naturally occurring crystalline substance defined by composition and structure. Diopside is recognized as a distinct species by its characteristic chemistry and crystal structure.
Diopside in peridotite: Diopside in peridotite is a clinopyroxene component of ultramafic mantle rock. Its abundance and composition help distinguish mantle peridotite types and melting histories.

Linked from 5 pages