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Formula: KAlSi3O8
Tectosilicate, high-pressure paramorph of kokchetavite,
microcline, orthoclase and
sanidine
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Specific gravity: 3.975 calculated
Environments
Liebermannite is a relatively new mineral, approved in 2013.
Localities
At the type locality, the Zagami Martian meteorite, Faskari, Katsina, Nigeria, is a Martian-enriched
basaltic shergottite
with abundant black shock veins. It is one of only five Martian meteorite falls (observed during descent) versus ~100 Martian
meteorite finds (not observed during descent)
(https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/maps.13000).
liebermannite is a
shock-generated, high-pressure mineral formed via solid-state transformation of
primary igneous
K-feldspar in a Martian-enriched
basaltic
shergottite meteorite. It has been found in two assemblages;
assemblage 1 with lingunite, silica,
ilmenite, baddeleyite,
augite-pigeonite,
maskelynite and
titaniferous magnetite, and assemblage 2 with silica,
chlorapatite and
baddeleyite
(HOM). Other reported associates include merrillite,
fayalite and apatite
(Mindat).
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