The Carbon Mineral Challenge

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A worldwide hunt for new carbon minerals mineralchallenge.net ROBERT HAZEN CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON DEEP CARBON OBSERVATORY deepcarbon.net DANIEL HUMMER CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON BARBARA LAFUENTE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

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The Deep Carbon Observatory DCO is a global community of multi- disciplinary scientists investigating life, energy, and the fundamentally unique chemistry of carbon in deep Earth DEEP CARBON OBSERVATORY deepcarbon.net

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Mineral Ecology of Carbon: predicting “missing minerals”

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Mineral Ecology Mineral ecology is the study of the diversity and distribution of minerals on Earth

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Mineral Ecology Mineral ecology is the study of the diversity and distribution of minerals on Earth We employ comprehensive mineral data resources and statistical methods

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Mineral Ecology: Data Resources We have data on more than 5000 mineral species rruff.info/ima Hazen et al. (2015a) Canadian Mineral.; Hazen et al. (2015b) Am. Mineral.; Hystad et al. (2015a) Mathema0cal Geoscience; Hystad et al. (2015b) EPSL.

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Mineral Ecology: Data Resources We have data on more than 5000 mineral species rruff.info/ima From more than 135,000 localities Hazen et al. (2015a) Canadian Mineral.; Hazen et al. (2015b) Am. Mineral.; Hystad et al. (2015a) Mathema0cal Geoscience; Hystad et al. (2015b) EPSL. More than 650,000 mineral species + locality mindat.org

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Redwood forest ecosystems Most of the biomass is in redwood trees

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Redwood forest ecosystems Most of the biomass is in redwood trees Almost all diversity is in small, rarer species

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Unsigned documents Most words are common: “a”, “and”, “the”

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Unsigned documents Most words are common: “a”, “and”, “the” Rare words define diversity (and authorship)

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Unsigned documents Most words are common: “a”, “and”, “the” Rare words define diversity (and authorship) One can predict an author’s total vocabulary

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Probability versus locality 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Number of localities Probability

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Probability versus locality 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Number of localities Probability Calcite 25000 localities

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Probability versus locality 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Number of localities Probability Calcite 25000 localities Cinnebar 2500 localities

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Probability versus locality 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Number of localities Probability Cinnebar 2500 localities Calcite 25000 localities Diamond 700 localities

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Probability versus locality 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Number of localities Probability Diamond 700 localities Cinnebar 2500 localities Calcite 25000 localities Bobdownsite 3 localities

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Probability versus locality 0.25 0.20 0.15 0.10 0.05 0.00 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 Number of localities Probability Bobdownsite 3 localities Diamond 700 localities Cinnebar 2500 localities Calcite 25000 localities Hazenite only 1 locality

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Hystad et al. (2015a) Mathematical Geoscience Frequency spectrum observed expected (gigp) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 number of localities (m) number of minerals found in m localities 0 200 400 600 800 1000 The probability that the ith mineral species is found at m localities is given by a Sichel’s Generalized Inverse Gauss-Poission (GIGP)-type distribution function

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Mineral Ecology: Frequency Distributions Hystad et al. (2015a) Mathematical Geoscience Frequency spectrum observed expected (gigp) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 number of localities (m) number of minerals found in m localities 0 200 400 600 800 1000 We can thus predict the probability that the next mineral discovered is a new mineral

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Species Accumulation Curves in Ecology

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Mineral Ecology: Species Accumulation Expected mineral species growth 500000 0 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 number of mineral counts (N) Number of known minerals 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Data as of February 2014 4831 minerals 652,856 counts

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Mineral Ecology: Species Accumulation Expected mineral species growth 500000 0 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 number of mineral counts (N) 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Extrapolated into the future: ~6437 minerals exist on Earth today Number of known minerals

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Mineral Ecology: Species Accumulation Expected mineral species growth 500000 0 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 number of mineral counts (N) 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 We predict that >1500 mineral species have yet to be discovered and described using what are now standard techniques But what are they? Number of known minerals

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Expected carbon mineral species growth 0 1000000 2000000 3000000 number of mineral counts (N) 0 100 200 300 400 500 Carbon Minerals: Frequency Distribution Data as of today 406 carbon minerals 82,922 counts 406 carbon mineral species, known from 82,922 locality data, conform to an LNRE distribution 145 additional carbon mineral species exist on Earth but have yet to be discovered Number of known minerals

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C + O Minerals: Frequency Distribution We predict that 135 of the 145 “missing” carbon mineral species are carbonates 0 1000000 2000000 3000000 number of mineral counts (N) 0 100 200 300 400 500 Data as of today 378 C + O minerals 79,694 counts Expected C + O mineral species growth Number of known minerals

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C Mineral Subsets: Frequency Distribution We predict that 118 of the 145 undiscovered carbon mineral species incorporate hydrogen, while 52 incorporate calcium. 0 100 200 300 0 20000 40000 60000 80000 number of mineral counts (N) 0 50 100 150 0 50000 100000 150000 number of mineral counts (N) Expected C + H mineral species growth Expected C + Ca mineral species growth Data as of today 282 C + H minerals 23,301 counts Data as of today 133 C + Ca minerals 40,280 counts We predict that 118 of the 145 undiscovered carbon mineral species incorporate hydrogen, while 52 incorporate calcium. C Mineral Subsets: Frequency Distribution Number of known minerals Number of known minerals

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Hydrous Sodium Carbonates Nahcolite NaHCO3 Natron Na2 CO3 .10H2 O Thermonatrite Na2 CO3 .H2 O Trona Na3 (HCO3 )(CO3 ).2H2 O Wegscheiderite Na5 H3 (CO3 )4

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Hydrous Sodium Carbonates Nahcolite NaHCO3 Natron Na2 CO3 .10H2 O Thermonatrite Na2 CO3 .H2 O Trona Na3 (HCO3 )(CO3 ).2H2 O Wegscheiderite Na5 H3 (CO3 )4 Predicted (ICSD): Na2 CO3 .1.5H2 O Na2 CO3 .7H2 O

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Where should we look? Lake Natron, Tanzania Saline lake evaporites; efflorescence/fumarolic on alkali lavas associated with carbonatites

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Known Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Carpathite (C24 H12 ) = Coronene

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Known Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Carpathite (C24 H12 ) = Coronene Kratochvilite (C13 H10 ) = Fluorene

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Known Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Carpathite (C24 H12 ) = Coronene Kratochvilite (C13 H10 ) = Fluorene Ratavite (C14 H10 ) = Anthracene

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Known Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Carpathite (C24 H12 ) = Coronene Kratochvilite (C13 H10 ) = Fluorene Ratavite (C14 H10 ) = Anthracene Idrialite (C22 H14 ) = Pentacene

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Predicted Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Pyrene (C16 H10 )

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Predicted Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Pyrene (C16 H10 ) Chrysene (C18 H12 )

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Predicted Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Pyrene (C16 H10 ) Chrysene (C18 H12 ) Tetracene (C18 H12 )

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Predicted Hydrocarbon Minerals: PAHs Search for these phases in thermally altered coal deposits, such as coal mine fires

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Mineral Ecology We are poised to discover dozens of new carbon-bearing minerals mineralchallenge.net DEEP CARBON OBSERVATORY deepcarbon.net

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The Carbon Mineral Challenge Can we discover new minerals through a deliberate, targeted search?

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The Carbon Mineral Challenge Can we discover new minerals through a deliberate, targeted search? Expand our knowledge of the mineral kingdom Test our predictions of unknown carbon minerals Learn about the unique chemistry of carbon in nature

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Why Carbon?

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Why Carbon? Carbon is abundant on Earth’s surface

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Why Carbon? Carbon is abundant on Earth’s surface Carbon is geologically important White Cliffs of Dover

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Why Carbon? Carbon is abundant on Earth’s surface Carbon is geologically important White Cliffs of Dover Life is based on carbon chemistry

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Why Carbon? Carbon is abundant on Earth’s surface Carbon is geologically important White Cliffs of Dover Life is based on carbon chemistry Carbon is chemically diverse

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Carbon Minerals Rhodochrosite Azurite Zaratite Diamond Idrialite Bastnäsite 406 known carbon minerals approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA)

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Carbon Minerals Rhodochrosite Azurite Zaratite Diamond Idrialite Bastnäsite ? ? 406 known carbon minerals approved by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) 145 undiscovered carbon minerals estimated in our study

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How will we find these minerals?

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How will we find these minerals? Mineralogists at museums and universities Scientific journals Scientific societies Private collectors and vendors Mineral collecting clubs and societies

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The Carbon Mineral Challenge International Advisory Board George Rossman Robert Downs Mark Feinglos Robert Hazen Jeffrey Post Kim Tait Raquel Alonso-Perez George Harlow Adrian Jones Vera Hammer Bin Lian Caloy Arcilla Sabine Verryn The advisory board consists of ~25 mineralogists from every region of the world: Help advertise to scientists and collectors in their region Assist with analysis when an interesting sample is found

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The Carbon Mineral Challenge December 2015 – September 2019 Open to amateur and professional mineral collectors mineralchallenge.net DEEP CARBON OBSERVATORY deepcarbon.net Sponsored by the Deep Carbon Observatory New minerals verified by the International Mineralogical Association DCO will publicly recognize each discovery as it happens, and celebrate all discoveries at finale events in 2019

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Discovery of New Minerals 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 1775 - 1950 1950 - 2015 Frequency Years of discovery 1832 1845 1868 Mineralogy books Technological innovations Raman spectroscopy and online databases

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What is a “New Mineral”? Chemical Composition Crystal Structure C C CaCO3 MnCO3 Diamond Graphite Calcite Rhodochrosite

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How do we characterize a new mineral? Microscope Microprobe X-ray diffraction DATABASES

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Requirements for Approval of a New Mineral NEW MINERAL PROPOSAL AND PROPOSED NAME COMISSION OF NEW MINERALS NOMENCLATURE AND CLASIFICATION(CNMNC) HALF MEMBERS VOTE 2/3 VOTE YES APPROVED!! PUBLISH DESCRIPTION WITHIN 2 YEARS Nickel and Grice (1998) The Canadian Mineralogist