ABSTRACT The Dabie orogen has been primarily studied through metaigneous rocks, whereas metasedimentary rocks remain poorly constrained in metamorphic evolution and protolith ages. This study presents petrography, mineral chemistry, phase equilibrium modelling, and geochronology of two representative metasedimentary rocks. Jadeite quartzite records four metamorphic stages (M1, M2, M3, and M4) with pressure and temperature (P-T) of 3.25–3.33 GPa/595–647 °C; 2.51–2.73 GPa/493–543 °C; 1.0–1.1 GPa/629–691 °C; and <0.8 GPa/317 ± 43 °C, respectively. However, the epidote-biotite-plagioclase gneiss records only retrograde metamorphism. Zircon and rutile U-Pb dating yields two age clusters: 234–225 Ma for ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism (UHPM) and 204–203 Ma for retrogression. Detrital zircon age spectra, with a youngest population at ~440 Ma, indicate Paleozoic deposition. Integrated with protolith ages of the Susong Complex and Foziling Group, these metasedimentary rocks of the Dabie orogen are interpreted as Paleozoic sediments deposited along the northern passive margin of the Yangtze Plate. Compared with P-T-t paths of UHPM rocks, the studied units record a complex exhumation path marked by initial decompression with cooling, subsequent decompressional heating, and late-stage decompressional cooling, highlighting the critical role of metasedimentary rocks in resolving the tectonic architecture of the Dabie orogen.

Geobacter bacteria use conductive pili and redox-active outer membrane vesicles to mediate metal transformations critical to the effectiveness of bioremediation and energy technologies. Mechanistic knowledge into these processes primarily comes from studies with Geobacter sulfurreducens grown in media closely formulated to mirror the mineral chemistry of contaminated sites. Here we show that, although subtle differences in the media's cationic strength did not measurably change permeability, they reprogrammed outer membrane-peptidoglycan crosslinks tomodulate vesiculation and envelope functions impacting growth efficiency and mineralization. Cations that strongly bind and neutralize peptidoglycan carboxylates to prevent cell wall distortions, such as sodium and uranyl ions, controlled the extent of envelope remodeling and cell bias toward pili-driven uraniummineralization or membrane adsorption and release in vesicles. These findings identify cation chemistry as a key regulator of outer membrane vesiculation and the reprogramming of envelope functions ultimately determining the reproducibility of laboratory studies and effectiveness of bioremediation and energy-harvesting applications.

We investigate the magma plumbing system of the 2.8-ka Saruana Lava at Chokai volcano, northern Honshu, based on mineral chemistry and textures. The Saruana Lava is a 0.6 km 3 basaltic andesite containing mafic enclaves with porphyritic and equigranular textures. Whole-rock compositions define linear trends on Harker diagrams, with Ni decreasing to near-zero concentrations at ~60 wt% SiO₂. Phenocrysts include olivine, plagioclase, augite, orthopyroxene, titanomagnetite, and rare amphibole. Olivine shows only normal zoning, whereas plagioclase and pyroxenes exhibit both normal and reverse zoning. Crystals are classified into felsic antecrysts, mafic antecrysts, and autocrysts based on zoning patterns, mineral chemistry, and inclusion assemblages. Felsic antecrysts, forming the cores of reversely zoned crystals, originated from an andesitic crystal mush stored in the mid-crust. Thermobarometric estimates indicate crystallization at approximately ~850 °C and mid-crustal pressures, consistent with a partially molten mush reservoir. Mafic antecrysts include Fo85–88 olivine with spinel derived from primitive basalt magma. Equigranular mafic enclaves represent crystal accumulation in basalt magma at deeper crustal levels prior to interaction with the felsic system, consistent with amphibole-based pressure estimates. Reverse zoning records partial dissolution of mush-derived crystal cores followed by overgrowth in basalt magma. These textures indicate rapid thermal interaction between hot basalt and a cooler felsic crystal mush, resulting in simultaneous partial melting of mush minerals and crystallization in the mafic magma. Diffusion profiles in olivine constrain the recharge-to-eruption timescale to weeks to months. The Saruana Lava preserves a crystal-scale record of basalt recharge into a felsic crystal mush and the development of a chemically and texturally heterogeneous magma prior to lava emplacement. • Phenocrysts were classified to reconstruct stages of basalt recharge and crystal mush interaction. • Thermal diffusion promoted resorption of mush-derived crystals and overgrowth in basalt magma. • Equigranular enclaves record deep crystal accumulation in basalt magma (~900 MPa). • Diffusion profiles constrain the recharge-to-eruption timescale to weeks to months. • Zoning patterns and glass compositions document the development of a chemically heterogeneous magma.

Ti-poor high-Al and high-Cr podiform chromitites in the Ngape ophiolite, myanmar: constraints from mineral chemistry and Re-Os isotopes

Integrated geochronological, isotopic (Sr, Nd and Pb) and mineral chemistry investigations of Oligocene intrusive rocks and their link to magmatic-hydrothermal ore systems, Yenice (Biga Peninsula), Türkiye

Structural framework and mineral chemistry of Co–Ni–Fe–bearing arsenide mineralization in the Bou Froukh cobalt district (western Bou Azzer–El Graara inlier, Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men, with bone representing the predominant metastatic site. Progress in treating bone metastatic disease is hindered by lack of preclinical models that faithfully recapitulate the bone microenvironment while reducing animal use. Biomaterial-based platforms offer a powerful alternative, enabling controlled reconstruction of bone composition, metabolic cues, and tumour-matrix interactions. A defining feature of PCa progression is citrate-centred metabolic reprogramming. While healthy prostate epithelial cells accumulate and secrete citrate, aggressive PCa cells import and oxidise it to sustain growth. Given the citrate-rich nature of prostate tissue and bone, we hypothesised that bone-derived citrate may be exploited by metastatic PCa cells to support bone colonisation. We developed a bone-mimetic platform by functionalising hydroxyapatite nanocrystals with citrate (HA-Nc-Cit) and incorporating them into collagen-based 3D matrices within a microfluidic chip. HA-Nc-Cit were characterised and citrate release quantified. Metastatic PCa cells were analysed for migration, viability, clonogenicity, metabolic reprogramming, and citrate transporter expression. HA-Nc-Cit released physiologically relevant citrate levels. Citrate exposure enhanced migration of androgen-independent PC3 cells and, within collagen type I-enriched matrices, increased clonogenicity, upregulated plasma membrane citrate transporter, suppressed glycolysis, and promoted lactate fermentation and mitochondrial biogenesis, without affecting respiratory chain or lipid metabolism. Citrate buffering supported PC3 clonal survival under acidic stress mimicking tumour acidification. In conclusion, citrate-functionalised HA-Nc promotes bone tropism of aggressive PCa by enhancing migratory potential, modulating tumour metabolism, and buffering extracellular acidification, underscoring the value of biomaterial-based models for studying bone-tumour interactions and guiding therapeutic development. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: PCa often spreads to bone, but current models fail to capture the complexity of bone environment, limiting progress in treatment development. In this study, we created a 3D bone-mimicking system by binding citrate, a key bone metabolite, to hydroxyapatite nanocrystals mimicking bone mineral and embedding them in collagen-based matrices. This platform shows how citrate not only fuels PCa cells but also buffers the acidic conditions they create, making bone more prone to tumour growth. Unlike traditional models, such biomaterial-based approach combines mineral chemistry, metabolism, and pH regulation in a controlled setting. This work introduces a tool to study bone-tumour interactions and guide future therapies for metastatic PCa.

Geodynamics of the Southern Central Asian orogenic belt: Insights from the mineral chemistry of pyroxenites in the Liuyuan ophiolite

This study presents a mineralogical and geochemical investigation of Egyptian black sand deposits to constrain their provenance, depositional controls, and economic potential. Representative samples were collected from the Mediterranean North Coast (Dieba, Damietta, Rosetta, and Balteem) and from the Southern Sinai (Abu Zenima and Nebq). A multidisciplinary approach was applied, integrating mineral separation, grain counting, mineralogical examination using SEM-EDS, mineral chemistry, and bulk geochemistry, along with remote sensing data for Southern Sinai. The results indicate that North Coast black sands are multi-cycle sediments derived mainly from the Nile system and upgraded by coastal reworking. In contrast, Southern Sinai deposits represent first-cycle sediments controlled by local drainage and aeolian processes. Total heavy minerals (THMs) show variable contents averaging ~ 8% in Southern Sinai and ~ 15% along the North Coast, with economic heavy minerals (EHMs) forming ~ 60% and ~ 25% of THMs, respectively. EHMs are dominated by ilmenite (38–56%), magnetite (15–32%), zircon (5–19%), rutile (4–15%), and minor monazite (0‒6%). Mineral chemistry of EHMs, together with geochemical signatures of their host sands indicates polygenetic provenance, involving contributions from mafic–ultramafic, granitoid, metamorphic and sedimentary sources. EHM fractions contain significant contents of rare earth elements (∑REEs: 0.8–3.7 kg/ton), primarily hosted in monazite. Preliminary reserve estimates indicate higher economic potential along the North Coast (0.04‒0.1 million tons/km2 per 1 m depth), while Southern Sinai occurrences are smaller but locally enriched (0.03‒0.14 million tons/km2 per 1 m depth). These findings highlight the significance of Egyptian black sands as promising resources for Fe–Ti oxides, zircon, and REEs.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-026-53761-4.

Pegmatites are a major source of lithium (Li), a critical metal enabling the transition from a fossil fuel-based energy sector to a sustainable, renewable energy future. The Greenbushes Li deposit in Western Australia is the world’s largest single source of Li, and many other geological environments across Australia are highly prospective for pegmatite-hosted Li deposits. The recent Li rush has highlighted that downstream industries underestimate the complexity of pegmatite-hosted Li deposits, particularly regarding the wide range of Li-bearing minerals present in a single pegmatite. This paper presents an overview of Li-pegmatite mineral assemblages from various regions across Australia, including the southwestern part of Western Australia (WA), hosting Greenbushes, the Eastern Yilgarn Craton (Londonderry), the Pilbara Craton (Pilgangoora, King Col), Queensland’s Georgetown Inlier (Buchanan’s Creek) and the Dorchap Pegmatite Swarm in Victoria. Mineral assemblages from said localities are examined using publicly available hyperspectral drill core analyses (HyLogger3™). These findings are compared with those of Greenbushes drill core C3DD0024, supported by whole-rock geochemistry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Reflectance spectral characteristics of Li-bearing, gangue and alteration minerals are evaluated across the visible near-infrared (VNIR), shortwave infrared (SWIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) wavelength ranges to identify suitable unmixing and feature extraction algorithms for inferring relative mineral abundances and mineral chemistry. Newly developed algorithms—most notably the spodumene abundance index, show a significant correlation with XRD validation and whole-rock geochemistry, demonstrating their effectiveness for mineral detection. Furthermore, the distribution of other Li-bearing minerals, such as petalite and eucryptite, was mapped across the study sites using reference library spectra. The applied hyperspectral mineral abundance and composition indices provide key insights into mineral assemblages and their variations by (1) tracing variations of mineral assemblages within pegmatites and country rocks at centimetre scale, (2) showing that spodumene is predominantly associated with quartz ± plagioclase (without K-feldspar), whereas petalite is mostly associated with quartz and K-feldspar in the absence of plagioclase, (3) confirming that most white mica in pegmatites exhibits an Al-rich composition, (4) demonstrating that phengitic alteration halos around pegmatites are narrow and (5) indicating that chlorite ± biotite ± epidote alteration is common in mafic–ultramafic and metasedimentary wallrocks. The algorithms and workflows provided in this study offer significant potential for expanding applications to large-scale hyperspectral drill core datasets, furthering the understanding of pegmatite genesis, supporting Li-exploration and guiding metallurgical processes by characterising Li-host minerals.

Efficient processing of complex ores is often hampered by an incomplete understanding of the spatial distribution of critical mineralogical properties. Here, we introduce a machine learning-based framework that addresses this gap. Using the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARSpline) method, we develop predictive models for converting standard geochemical assays into mineralogical properties - a process we term Element-to-Mineral-Properties Conversion (EMPC). Applied to the Koashva apatite-nepheline deposit (Kola Peninsula, Russia), our approach yields reliable predictions (r typically > 0.85 for major minerals and > 0.6 for key trace elements in apatite) for mineral composition and ore mineral chemistry using only bulk-rock P2O5, Al2O3, and TiO2. These predictions enable the construction of the first 3D block models of mineral composition and mineral chemistry for this deposit. By integrating these models with conditional geometallurgical criteria, we identify and spatially delineate zones of refractory ore (containing > 6 vol% pyroxenes and > 1 vol% "liebenerite") and areas yielding low-grade apatite concentrate (where apatite contains > 6.5 wt% SrO + REE2O3). This work establishes a generalizable, data-driven pathway for geometallurgical modeling, transforming historical exploration data into a critical decision-making tool for optimizing mine planning and mitigating processing challenges.

Reply to the comment by Rollinson et al. on “Evidence of hydrous magmatism and magma mixing in Sittampundi Anorthosite complex, Southern Granulite Terrain, India: Inferences from petrography and mineral chemistry”

The cataclysmic eruption of Hunga volcano (Tonga-Kermadec arc system) on 15 January 2022, the most powerful explosive volcanic event of the 21st century, underscores the critical need to constrain the pre-eruptive magmatic conditions governing arc volcanoes with shallow marine calderas. In this study, we present results from isobaric-isothermal crystallization experiments conducted on a basaltic andesite representative of primitive magmas at Hunga volcano. Experimental runs were performed at pressures of 200 and 300 MPa, over a temperature range of 1000–1130 °C, melt water contents of 0.6–6.4 wt%, and oxygen fugacities between +0.7 and + 3.4 log units relative to the nickel‑nickel oxide buffer. Temperature and melt-water content are the primary controls on modal phase assemblages and compositional trends in the experimental charges, exerting a dominant influence on the cotectic crystallization of clinopyroxene and plagioclase, as well as on the stability of orthopyroxene and abundance of magnetite. By integrating experimental data with thermodynamic modeling, orthopyroxene-clinopyroxene thermometry, and plagioclase-based hygrometry, we document that both pre-2022 and 2022 eruptive products at Hunga volcano reflect the differentiation of basaltic andesitic to andesitic magmas at pre-eruptive temperatures of ~1050–1130 °C and melt-water contents up to ~3 wt%. Under the investigated experimental conditions, however, extensive crystallization of plagioclase and magnetite at ~1000 °C drives the host basaltic andesitic melt toward more evolved dacitic compositions. Dacites have not been reported at Hunga volcano, but they occur in low-temperature, magnetite-bearing phenocryst assemblages on other Tongan islands, particularly in the northern part of the arc. Collectively, our experimental-thermodynamic approach provides compelling evidence for polythermal and polybaric plumbing systems at intra-oceanic arc volcanoes, highlighting the pivotal role of phase stability and mineral chemistry in controlling the differentiation pathways of magmas and the transition from tholeiitic to calc-alkaline affinity.

Iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) were both foundational to early metabolism, yet their biological trajectories diverged as Earth’s surface redox state changed. Here, we integrate mineral chemistry network analysis, protein metal-site coordination-sphere analysis, and curated redox comparisons to test how geochemistry and metalloprotein architecture co-evolved. Mineral network analyses show broader electronegativity variation and network diversity for Fe-bearing minerals through time relative to Ni-bearing minerals. In structural analyses of protein metal centers in a combined Fe/Ni protein structure set, it is shown that Fe- and Ni-associated environments differ in amino-acid composition, hydropathy structure, and cysteine representation. The greater chemical diversity and electronegativity variation in Fe minerals mirror the higher redox and structural versatility of Fe-binding proteins. The presence of Fe in a broader range of mineral and protein environments demonstrates the chemical adaptability of the metal, from the anoxic Archean to oxidative Earth surface conditions following the Great Oxidation Event. Iron, with its broad redox potential range in Fe-oxidoreductases, has a central role in both anaerobic and aerobic metabolisms. Nickel, by contrast, is less widespread in biology. Today, Ni is predominantly employed in deeply branching anaerobic pathways and by proteins with narrower redox potential ranges. Our results show that evolutionary processes, constrained by metal chemistry, habitually utilize Fe as a redox generalist while retaining Ni in specialized roles. The divergent paths of Ni and Fe, from rocks to proteins, demonstrate the intimate relationship between planetary geochemistry and metabolic origins on Earth and suggest that Fe/Ni geochemistry may inform habitability assessments in extraterrestrial environments when interpreted within specific planetary environmental contexts.

Comment on Kaur et al., Lithos 518–519 (2025) 108309, Evidence of hydrous magmatism and magma mixing in Sittampundi Anorthosite Complex, Southern Granulite Terrain, India: Inferences from petrography and mineral chemistry

Geothermometric insights from pyroxenes group mineral chemistry in Mare Ingenii: tracing lunar volcanism of the region

The hornblende gabbro investigated in this study crops out in northwestern Elazığ, eastern Türkiye, within the Southeastern Anatolian Orogenic Belt (SAOB), where Late Cretaceous ophiolitic, volcanic, plutonic, and metamorphic units are widely exposed. This study examines the petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, Sr–Nd isotopic composition, mineral chemistry, and crystallisation conditions of these gabbroic bodies to constrain their petrogenesis and tectonomagmatic significance. Field observations show that the rock occurs as rounded to sub-rounded blocks with fresh inner cores and altered outer rims. Petrographic and XRD data indicate that the fresh gabbro mainly consists of plagioclase and amphibole, whereas the altered outer rims contain quartz and minor secondary phases. Whole-rock geochemical data classify the samples as low- to medium-K, tholeiitic, and predominantly metaluminous gabbro. Primitive mantle-normalised trace-element patterns display enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements and depletion in high-field-strength elements, whereas chondrite-normalised REE patterns show slight LREE enrichment, relatively flat HREE patterns, and weak Eu anomalies. Sr–Nd isotopic compositions are characterised by positive εNd(T) values (+4.4 to +5.3) and moderately radiogenic initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.704792–0.705344), indicating a predominantly mantle-derived magma source affected by subduction-related modification, with limited crustal contribution. Mineral chemistry data show that amphiboles belong to the calcic amphibole group and plot in the magnesio-hornblende field. Amphibole thermobarometric calculations yielded temperatures of 873–991 °C and pressures of 1.49–3.26 kbar, corresponding to crystallisation depths of 5.1–15.3 km. Overall, the results indicate that the hornblende gabbro was derived from a mafic magma generated from a spinel lherzolite mantle source and crystallised in a subduction-related tectonomagmatic setting.

The Abrolhos Magmatic Province (AMP), situated along the southeastern Brazilian passive margin, comprises a Paleocene–Eocene transitional basalt series of alkaline affinity. Despite the lack of mineral chemistry and thermobarometric estimates, it has long been linked to a classical deep-mantle plume model. This study integrates mineral chemistry, calculations of intensive parameters (P, T, H2O), geochronology, and geochemical modeling to evaluate an alternative explanation for AMP magmatism. Whole-rock and clinopyroxene compositions from different AMP localities are consistent with parental magmas derived from fertile, pyroxenite-enriched mantle sources that melted under ambient mantle potential temperatures (~1300–1400 °C). Inverse petrological modeling using alphaMELTS and MeltPT, together with trace-element systematics, suggests low degrees of partial melting within asthenospheric domains. These results indicate that shallow (upper-mantle) processes and high mantle fertility were important controls on melt generation. New 40Ar/39Ar ages of 24.3–28.4 Ma for southern AMP rocks are also difficult to reconcile with a simple age-progressive evolution of the previously proposed plume model. Taken together, the data support ambient-temperature melting of a fertile mantle as a plausible explanation for Abrolhos magmatism and reduce the need to invoke a classical high-temperature mantle plume as the sole model. Here, we favor a tectonically controlled model, involving localized shallow mantle processes such as edge-driven convection and/or lithospheric delamination as triggers for intraplate magmatism along the South Atlantic margins.

The northeastern Jiaolai Basin of China hosts significant gold resources (223 t contained Au) and has substantial exploration potential for the identification of new gold mineralization. However, the mineralization in this area differs from most deposits elsewhere in the Jiaodong gold province in terms of mineral assemblages and host rocks, meaning that the genetic processes that formed the Jiaolai Basin mineralization remain controversial. Here, we integrate field observations, petrography, in situ monazite U-Pb and sericite Rb-Sr dating, mineral chemistry, sulfur isotope analysis, and thermodynamic modeling of the Tudui, Longkou, and Houkuang deposits to develop a genetic model for the gold mineralization located within the Jiaolai Basin. The deposits in this area are hosted within Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks and granites and are dominated by disseminated sulfide-hosted Au mineralization controlled by NE-SW−striking faults. Monazite U-Pb and sericite Rb-Sr dating constrain the timing of mineralization to the Early Cretaceous (ca. 120 Ma), synchronous with regional gold mineralization elsewhere within the Jiaodong gold province. The mineralization contains two generations of pyrite: Pyrite-I is medium- to coarse-grained, euhedral to subhedral, and is present as large individual crystals that are commonly replaced by magnetite. Pyrite-II is anhedral to subhedral and coexists with pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, magnetite, and gold. In situ sulfur isotope analysis indicates that δ34S values decrease from Py-I to Py-II (Longkou: 10.6‰ to 8.4‰; Houkuang: 9.5‰ to 6.3‰; Tudui: 7.4‰ to 6.3‰), indicating an increase in oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the ore-forming fluid. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that this increase in fO2, along with the formation of alteration minerals, reduced the solubility of Au(HS)2− complexes within the ore-forming hydrothermal fluid by ∼75%, leading to efficient gold precipitation. The overall heavy sulfur isotope values (6‰−12‰) combined with previously published lead isotope data that yielded values similar to those obtained for gold deposits elsewhere within the Jiaodong region suggest that the mineralization in the study area involved metals and sulfur derived from a subduction-modified region of the lithospheric mantle. These data demonstrate that gold mineralization in the northeastern Jiaolai Basin was contemporaneous with regional ore-forming events and that all of the deposits in this area derived metals and sulfur from similar sources and record identical metal precipitation processes. All of this indicates that the gold mineralization in the northeastern Jiaolai Basin is genetically linked to the regional-scale Early Cretaceous ore-forming system in the wider Jiaodong region.

Hayuliang granitoids are the products of felsic/acidic magmatism in and around Hayuliang locality (study area). It is a part of the Lohit Plutonic Complex (also known as Mishmi massif) which is located at the Trans-Himalayan belt of Arunachal Himalayas. Granodiorites containing magmatic epidotes and plumose quartz provide critical constraints on magma oxidation state and depth of emplacement. The Hayuliang granitoids of Arunachal Pradesh, NE India represent a distinctive suite of calc-alkaline granodiorites characterized by the stable coexistence of epidote and plumose quartz. Petrographic study of granodiorites reveals characteristic plumose extensional fracture patterns and radiating feather-like growths developed on healed microfractures. EPMA spot analyses of multiple plumose domains in granodiorites show high silica contents (SiO2 93-100 wt%), consistent with nearly pure quartz overgrowth. Plumose overgrowths indicate multiple pulses of metasomatism and episodic fluid flow contemporaneous with late-stage cooling and emplacement related stress release. These findings highlight the role of brittle-hydrothermal processes in modifying granitoid textures and provide a micro-structural framework for interpreting episodic fluids activity in shallow magmatic system. EPMA data indicates moderate pistacite contents (Ps 20 -30%), low Ti and Mn, and systematic Fe3+-Al substitution in epidote, consistent with a primary to late magmatic origin. Discrimination diagrams based on epidote mineral chemistry and whole-rock tectonic plots collectively suggest crystallization from oxidize, water-rich I-type magmas emplaced at mid-crustal depths in a convergent margin tectonic settings. Major oxides, trace elements, rare earth elements (REEs), CIPW norms and elemental ratios are used to constrain magma type, petrogenesis and tectonic setting. The aim of the present study is to analyse the petrography, whole rock geochemistry and mineral chemistry of epidote- and plumose quartz- bearing granodiorites by using petrological microscope, XRF and ICPMS to arrive the possible petrogenesis of Hayuliang granitoids.