Brianite
A sodium calcium magnesium phosphate found in silicate inclusions of an iron meteorite.
Key facts
- Formula
- Na2CaMg(PO4)2
- Family
- Phosphates
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- First described
- the Dayton iron meteorite, 1960s
Brianite was described in the 1960s from the Dayton iron meteorite of Ohio. It is named after Brian Mason, the New Zealand-born curator at the Smithsonian who classified thousands of meteorites. It is known only from meteorites.
What it is
Brianite is a phosphate rich in sodium. Its formation needs phosphorus, sodium and a modest amount of oxygen together.
Where it is found
It occurs in phosphate-rich inclusions in the Dayton iron, a nickel-rich iron with unusual minerals, alongside panethite and other phosphates.
How it is recognised
It is colourless and identified by microprobe analysis.
Did you know?
Brian Mason classified many of the Antarctic meteorites found by the United States in the 1970s and 1980s.
Dayton has yielded several minerals new to science.