Eight spinel single-crystal samples belonging to the spinel sensu stricto-magnesiocoulsonite series (MgAl₂O₄-MgV₂O₄) were synthesized and crystal-chemically characterized by X‑ray diffraction, electron microprobe and optical absorption spectroscopy. Site populations show that the tetrahedrally coordinated site (T) is populated by Mg and minor Al for the spinel sensu stricto compositions, and only by Mg for the magnesiocoulsonite compositions, while the octahedrally coordinated site (M) is populated by Al, V³⁺, minor Mg, and very minor amounts of V⁴⁺. The latter occurs in appreciable amounts in the Al-free magnesium vanadate spinel, T(Mg)M(Mg_0.26V³⁺_1.48V⁴⁺_0.26)O₄, showing the presence of the inverse spinel VMg₂O₄. The studied samples are characterized by substitution of Al³⁺ for V³⁺ and (Mg²⁺+V⁴⁺) for 2V³⁺ described in the system MgAl₂O₄-MgV₂O₄-VMg₂O₄.

The present data in conjunction with data from the literature provide a basis for quantitative analyses of two solid-solution series MgAl₂O₄-MgV₂³⁺O₄ and MgV₂³⁺O₄-V⁴⁺Mg₂O₄. Unit-cell parameter increases with increasing V³⁺ along the series MgAl₂O₄-MgV₂O₄ (8.085–8.432 Å), but only slightly increases with increasing V³⁺ along the series VMg₂O₄-MgV₂O₄ (8.386–8.432 Å). Although a solid solution could be expected between the MgAl₂O₄ and VMg₂O₄ end-members, no evidence was found. Amounts of V⁴⁺ are nearly insignificant in all synthetic Al-bearing vanadate spinels, but are appreciable in Al-free vanadate spinel.

An interesting observation of the present study is that despite the observed complete solid-solution along the MgAl₂O₄-MgV₂O₄ and MgV₂O₄-VMg₂O₄ series, the spinel structure seems to be unable to stabilize V⁴⁺ in any intermediate members on the MgAl₂O₄-Mg₂VO₄ join even at high oxygen fugacities. This behavior indicates that the accommodation of specific V-valences can be strongly influenced by crystal-structural constraints, and any evaluation of oxygen fugacities during mineral formation based exclusively on V cation valence distributions in spinel should be treated with caution. The present study underlines that the V valency distribution in spinels is not exclusively reflecting oxygen fugacities, but also depends on activities and solubilities of all chemical components in the crystallization environment.

Iron-bearing oxy-dravite was thermally treated in air and hydrogen atmosphere at 800 °C to study potential changes in Fe, Mg and Al ordering over the octahedrally coordinated Y and Z sites and to explore possible applications to intersite geothermometry based on tourmaline. Overall, the experimental data (structural refinement, Mössbauer, infrared and optical absorption spectroscopy) show that heating Fe-bearing tourmalines results in disordering of Fe over Y and Z balanced by ordering of Mg at Y, whereas Al does not change appreciably. The Fe disorder depends on temperature, but less on redox conditions. The degree of Fe³⁺–Fe²⁺ reduction is limited despite strongly reducing conditions, indicating that the f_O2 conditions do not exclusively control the Fe oxidation state at the present experimental conditions. Untreated and treated samples have similar short- and long-range crystal structures, which are explained by stable Al-extended clusters around the O1 and O3 sites. In contrast to the stable Al clusters that preclude any temperature-dependent Mg–Al order– disorder, there occurs Mg diffusion linked to temperaturedependent exchange with Fe. Ferric iron mainly resides around O²⁻ at O1 rather than (OH)⁻, but its intersite disorder induced by thermal treatment indicates that Fe redistribution is the driving force for Mg–Fe exchange and that its diffusion rates are significant at these temperatures. With increasing temperature, Fe progressively disorders over Y and Z, whereas Mg orders at Y according to the order–disorder reaction: ^YFe + ^ZMg → ^ZFe + ^YMg. The presented findings are important for interpretation of the post-crystallization history of both tourmaline and tourmaline host rocks and imply that successful tourmaline geothermometers may be developed by thermal calibration of the Mg– Fe order–disorder reaction, whereas any thermometers based on Mg–Al disorder will be insensitive and involve large uncertainties.

Six natural, blue colored spinel crystals were studied chemically by electron microprobe and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LAICP-MS) techniques and optically by UV–VIS–NIR–MIR spectroscopy in the range 30,000–2,000 cm−1  to investigate the causes of their blue color hues. The positions of the absorption bands vary only marginally with the principal composition of the samples (gahnite vs. spinel s.s .). Although blue colors in spinels are frequently the result of various electronic processes in Fe cations, we demonstrate by comparison with synthetic Co-bearing samplesthat Co acts as an important chromophore also in natural spinels. Already at concentration levels of a few ppm (e.g.,>10 ppm), cobalt gives rise to absorption bands at ~18,000, 17,000 and 16,000 cm−1  that result in distinct blue coloration. In spinels with insignificant Co contents, different shades of paler blue (from purplish to greenish blue) colors are caused by electronic transitions in TFe2+, MFe2+, MFe3+ and Fe2+–Fe3+  cation pairs.

The deep subseafloor crust is one of the few great frontiers of unknown biology on Earth and, still today, the notion of the deep biosphere is commonly based on the fossil record. Interpretation of palaeobiological information is thus central in the exploration of this hidden biosphere and, for each new discovery, criteria used to establish biogenicity are challenged and need careful consideration. In this paper networks of fossilized filamentous structures are for the first time described in open fractures of subseafloor basalts collected at the Emperor Seamounts, Pacific Ocean. These structures have been investigated with optical microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectrometer, X-ray powder diffraction as well as synchrotron-radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy, and interpreted as fossilized fungal mycelia.Morphological features such as hyphae, yeastlike growth and sclerotia were observed. The fossilized fungi are mineralized by montmorillonite, a process that probably began while the fungi were alive. It seems plausible that the fungi produced mucilaginous polysaccharides and/or extracellular polymeric substances that attracted minerals or clay particles, resulting in complete fossilization by montmorillonite. The findings are in agreement with previous observations of fossilized fungi in subseafloor basalts and establish fungi as regular inhabitants of such settings. They further show that fossilized microorganisms are not restricted to pore spaces filled by secondary mineralizations but can be found in open pore spaces as well. This challenges standard protocols for establishing biogenicity and calls for extra care in data interpretation.

Ion beam analysis has for decades been used as a tool for geochemical analysis of trace elements using both X-rays (particle induced X-ray emission) and nuclear reaction analysis. With the geoanalytical setup at the Lund Ion Beam Analysis Facility, the boron content in geological samples with a spatial resolution of 1 µm is determined through nuclear reaction analysis. In the newly upgraded setup, a single detector has been replaced by a double sided silicon strip detector with 2048 segments. After optimization, boron content in geological samples as low as 1µg g^-1 can be measured.

Water is a key parameter in magma genesis, magma evolution, and resulting eruption styles,because it controls the density, the viscosity, as well as the melting and crystallization behavior of a melt. Theparental water content of a magma is usually measured through melt inclusions in minerals such as olivine, amethod which may be hampered, however, by the lack of melt inclusions suitable for analysis, or postentrapmentchanges in their water content. An alternative way to reconstruct the water content of a magma is touse nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs), such as pyroxene, which take up low concentrations of hydrogenas a function of the magma’s water content. During magma degassing and eruption, however, NAMs maydehydrate. We therefore tested a method to reconstruct the water contents of dehydrated clinopyroxene phenocrystsfrom the Western Canary islands (n=28) through rehydration experiments followed by infrared andM€ossbauer spectroscopy. Employing currently available crystal/melt partitioning data, the results of the experimentswere used to calculate parental water contents of 0.71±0.07 to 1.49±0.15 wt % H2O for WesternCanary magmas during clinopyroxene crystallization at upper mantle conditions. This H₂O range is in agreementwith calculated water contents using plagioclase-liquid-hygrometry, and with previously published datafor mafic lavas from the Canary Islands and comparable ocean island systems elsewhere. Utilizing NAMs incombination with hydrogen treatment can therefore serve as a proxy for pre-eruptive H₂O contents, which weanticipate becoming a useful method applicable to mafic rocks where pyroxene is the main phenocryst phase.