Tausonite is the rare naturally occurring mineral form of strontium titanate: chemical formula: SrTiO3. It occurs as red to orange brown cubic crystals and crystal masses.

Tausonite
General
CategoryOxide mineral
Formula
(repeating unit)
SrTiO3
IMA symbolTau[1]
Strunz classification4.CC.35
Crystal systemCubic
Crystal classHexoctahedral (m3m)
H-M symbol: (4/m 3 2/m)
Space groupPm3m
Unit cella = 3.9 Å; Z = 1
Identification
ColorRed, red-brown, orange, dark gray
Crystal habitCubic and octahedral crystals, granular, massive
CleavageNone
FractureConchoidal
TenacityBrittle
Mohs scale hardness6-6.5
LusterAdamantine
DiaphaneityTranslucent to opaque
Specific gravity4.88
Optical propertiesIsotropic
Refractive indexn = 2.40
References[2][3][4]

It is a member of the perovskite group.

It was first described in 1982 for an occurrence in a syenite intrusive in Tausonite Hill, Murun Massif, Olyokma-Chara Plateau, Sakha Republic, Yakutia, geologically part of the Aldan Shield, Eastern-Siberian Region, Russia.[2] It was named for Russian geochemist Lev Vladimirovich Tauson (1917–1989).[4] It has also been reported from a fenite dike associated with a carbonatite complex in Sarambi, Concepción Department, Paraguay.[3] and in high pressure metamorphic rocks along the Kotaki River area of Honshu Island, Japan.[2]

References

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  1. ^ Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine. 85 (3): 291–320. Bibcode:2021MinM...85..291W. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43. S2CID 235729616.
  2. ^ a b c Tausonite on Mindat.org
  3. ^ a b Tausonite in the Handbook of Mineralogy
  4. ^ a b Tausonite data on Webmineral