One metamorphic and four magmatic aegirines, together with two end-member aegirines synthesized at atmospheric pressure and different temperatures, were investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The limited compositional differences allow the polyhedral volumes to be almost constant in all the aegirines investigated( VM1 ≈ 11.0 Å3; VM2 ≈ 26.3 Å3; VT ≈ 2.21 Å3). However, differences in polyhedral distortions are responsible for the cell-volume variations, reflected mainly in the change of a and β cell parameters. Cell volume is only partly related to the composition of these aegirines: with increasing formation temperature, an increase in the unit-cell volume of ~1.2 Å3 is observed, while a significant contraction of the cell volume occurs during high-pressure formation. As the difference in cell volume between the two synthetic aegirines is ascribed to the different conditions of synthesis temperature, the same interpretation could be adopted for the differences observed in natural aegirines.

A new hydrated zinc aluminium phosphate mineral has the composition ZnAl2(PO4)2(OH)2.3H2O. It has been named kleemanite. It occurred rarely both as veinlets 1–2 mm thick, and as thin layers on surfaces of cracks and small cavities in one section of the iron ore deposit at Iron Knob, South Australia. Chemical, X-ray, thermal analysis, and optical data are given.

Primary almandine and spessartine-rich garnet and zinnwaldite phenocrysts occur along with feldspar (plagioclase and sanidine) phenocrysts, in the rhyolite of Profitis Ilias, which is located on the SE coast of the island of Chios, Greece. The distinctive mineralogical composition of this rhyolite is described. Although formed in the back-arc tectonic environment of the Aegean volcanic arc, the Profitis llias rhyolite shows significant trace element compositional differences when compared with typical arc or back-arc volcanic rocks of the area. It shows extreme depletion in Sr and Ba and enrichment in Nb and Mn, and has much more affinity with A-type granites and particularly Li-mica granites.

Apparently, both zinnwaldite and spessartine-rich garnet can be generated as primary phases from a granite melt enriched in volatile constituents at low P–T. This granite melt could be the residual product of an un-exposed, earlier formed, typical back-arc granite of the area, enriched in volatile constituents from a subcrustal source above the active mantle of the eastern Aegean area.

The extensive and deep faulting in the broad eastern Aegean lithosphere section would have facilitated the rapid ascent of that volatile-enriched granite melt, the parent of the Profitis Ilias rhyolite.

CALC-GRANULITES at Garividi are intruded by microcline granites and pegmatites. At the contacts fluorapatite, fluorian allanite, ferroan sahlite, and epidote occur; rarely, the epidote is associated with a partly metamict allanite, an analysis of which is given, also X-ray data for the unheated and heated mineral.

Three new isostructural minerals, alexkuznetsovite-(La), ideally La2Mn(CO3)(Si2O7), alexkuznetsovite-(Ce) Ce2Mn(CO3)(Si2O7) and biraite-(La) La2Fe2+(CO3)(Si2O7), were discovered in polymineralic nodules from the Mochalin Log REE deposit, South Urals, Russia. The new minerals form anhedral grains up to 0.3 mm × 0.4 mm [alexkuznetsovite-(La)], 0.5 mm × 0.9 mm [alexkuznetsovite-(Ce)] and 0.2 mm × 1.2 mm [biraite-(La)] embedded in granular aggregates consisting of different REE minerals [allanite-(Ce)/-(La), bastnäsite-(Ce)/-(La), fluorbritholite-(Ce), perbøeite-(Ce)/-(La), percleveite-(Ce)/-(La) and törnebohmite-(Ce)/-(La)]. All three new species are brown to dark brown, translucent in thin fragments, with white streak, vitreous lustre and Mohs’ hardness of ~5. Dcalc = 4.713 [alexkuznetsovite-(La)], 4.687 [alexkuznetsovite-(Ce)] and 4.682 [biraite-La)] g⋅cm–3. Their empirical formulae, calculated on the basis of 2 Si and 10 O apfu, are: alexkuznetsovite-(La): (La0.98Ce0.89Nd0.10Pr0.05)Σ2.02Mn2+0.50Fe2+0.29Ca0.12Mg0.03(CO3)0.94(HCO3)0.06 (Si2O7); alexkuznetsovite-(Ce): (Ce0.96La0.78Nd0.16Pr0.07)Σ1.97Th0.01Mn2+0.50Fe2+0.33Ca0.14Mg0.02(CO3)0.93(HCO3)0.07(Si2O7); and biraite-(La): (La0.95Ce0.87Nd0.08Pr0.04)Σ1.94Th0.01Ca0.12Fe2+0.44Mn2+0.38Mg0.07(CO3)0.88(HCO3)0.12(Si2O7). The new minerals are monoclinic, P21/c and Z = 4. The unit-cell parameters of alexkuznetsovite-(La)/alexkuznetsovite-(Ce)/biraite-(La) are: a = 6.5642(3)/6.5764(4)/6.5660(10), b = 6.7689(3)/6.7685(4)/6.7666(11), c = 18.7213(10)/18.7493(15)/18.698(3) Å, β = 108.684(6)/108.672(8)/108.952(16)° and V = 788.00(7)/790.66(10)/785.7(2) Å3. The crystal structures are solved from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data; R = 0.0628 [alexkuznetsovite-(La)], 0.0589 [alexkuznetsovite-(Ce)] and 0.1193 [biraite-(La)]. A new biraite group is defined; it includes isostructural biraite-(Ce) and the three new minerals described herein. The rootname alexkuznetsovite is given in honour of the Russian mineral collector Alexey M. Kuznetsov (born 1962) who provided samples in which all three new minerals were found. The Levinson's suffix-modifier -(La) or -(Ce) indicates the predominance of La or Ce among REE in the mineral. Biraite-(La) is named as an analogue of biraite-(Ce) with La prevailing among REE.

Uranium contents ranging from 0.03–1.18 ppm have been determined by delayed neutron activation analysis in a suite of 19 ultrabasic xenoliths (mostly of the common garnet lherzolite type) from the kimberlites of southern Africa. Consideration of these and previous data lead us to conclude that the U content of uncontaminated garnet lherzolite in the uppermost mantle is on average roughly 0.04–0.05 ppm, levels which are sufficient to account for the observed U contents of fresh basalts. Higher U contents in mantle-derived ultrabasic xenoliths are the result of secondary alteration processes, most probably related to infiltration metasomatism stemming from contact with kimberlitic or carbonatitic magma fractions. This introduced U is concentrated along the boundaries of the primary mineral grains and is mostly readily removed by acid leaching. A partial analysis is given for a secondary uraniferous calcium phosphate phase observed in kelyphitic rims around garnets.

Hexaferrum, defined as an hcp Fe mineral containing varying amounts of Ru, Os, or Ir (Mochalov et al. 1998) was re-examined in the light of new analyses of similar alloys from the Loma Peguera and Loma Larga chromitites, in the central part of Loma Caribe peridotite, Cordillera Central of the Dominican Republic, together with a review of the phase chemistry in the Fe–Ni–Ir and Fe–Ru–Ir systems. We conclude that the hcp (Fe,Ir) mineral corresponds to the ε-phase of Raub et al. (1964) and should be differentiated from hexaferrum [(Fe,Os) and (Fe,Ru)] because it is separated by one to two miscibility gaps and therefore is not a continuous solid solution with Fe.

Panskyite, Pd9Ag2Pb2S4, is a new mineral (IMA2020–039) discovered in the platinum-group element mineralisation of the Southern Kievey ore occurrence of the Fedorova–Pana layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It forms tiny anhedral grains (of 0.5 to 10 μm in size) in the interstices of rock-forming silicates, often forming tiny inclusions in base-metal sulfides (millerite, chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite) and complex intergrowths with other platinum group minerals (zvyagintsevite, laflammeite, vysotskite, thalhammerite, unnamed phase Pd9Ag2(Tl,Pb)2S4 and others). In plane-polarised light, panskyite is creamy white with weak bireflectance, weak pleochroism and distinct anisotropy with brown to grey rotation tints; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values for panskyite in air (R1, R2 in %) are: 43.8, 44.1 at 470 nm; 44.4, 44.7 at 546 nm; 45.6, 45.8 at 589 nm; and 47.2, 47.2 at 650 nm. Twelve electron-microprobe analyses of panskyite gave an average composition: Pd 55.61, Ag 12.36, Pb 23.50, Fe 0.21, Ni 0.24 and S 7.17 total 99.09 wt.%, corresponding to the formula (Pd9.05Fe0.07Ni0.07)Σ9.19Ag1.98Pb1.96S3.87 based on 17 atoms; the average of nine analyses on the synthetic analogue is: Pd 57.02, Ag 14.17, Pb 21.81 and S 7.44, total 100.44 wt.%, corresponding to Pd9.07Ag2.22Pb1.78S3.93. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula, is 9.81 g/cm3. The mineral is tetragonal, space group I4/mmm, with a = 7.973(3), c = 9.139(3) Å, V = 581.0(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The crystal structure was solved from the single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data of synthetic Pd9Ag2Pb2S4. Panskyite is isostructural with thalhammerite (Pd9Ag2Bi2S4). The mineral name is for the locality, the Pansky massif of the Fedorova–Pana layered intrusion in the Kola Peninsula, Russia.

Natropalermoite, ideally Na2SrAl4(PO4)4(OH)4, the Na-analogue of palermoite, is a new mineral from the Palermo No. 1 mine, Groton, New Hampshire, USA. Associated minerals are palermoite, eosphorite and quartz. Natropalermoite crystal sare prismatic with striations parallel to the direction of elongation (the a axis) up to 200 μm × 50 μm × 45 μm in size. The mineral is colourless, transparent with a white streak and vitreous lustre and is visually indistinguishable from palermoite. It is brittle with subconchoidal fracture and has a Mohs hardness of 5.5. Cleavage is perfect on {001}, fair on {100} and no parting was observed. The calculated density is 3.502 g cm–3. Natropalermoite is biaxial (–), α = 1.624(1), β = 1.641(1), γ = 1.643(1) (589nm), 2Vmeas = 43(4)°, 2Vcalc = 38°. An electron microprobe analysis yielded an empirical formula (based on 20 O apfu) of (Na1.69Li0.31)∑2.00(Sr0.95Mg0.04Ca0.02Ba0.01)∑1.02(Al3.82Mn0.03Fe0.03)∑3.88(P1.01O4)4(OH)4.

Natropalermoite is orthorhombic, space group Imcb, a = 11.4849(6), b = 16.2490(7), c = 7.2927(4) Å, V = 1360.95(17) Å3, Z = 4. Natropalermoite is isotypic with palermoite, but substitution of the larger Na for Li results in substantial increase of the b cell parameter. Four of the seven Na–O distances are longer than their equivalents in palermoite, resulting in a more regular 7-fold coordination polyhedron about Na. The eight strongest peaks in the calculated X-ray powder diffraction are [dcalc(Å),Irel%, (hkl)]: [3.128, 100, (321)], [4.907, 68, (121)], [3.327, 48, (022)], [4.689, 45, (220)], [3.078, 45, (202)], [2.453, 38, (242)], [2.636, 35, (411)], [2.174, 35, (422)].

Gurzhiite, ideally Al(UO2)(SO4)2F⋅10H2O, is a new uranyl sulfate mineral from the Bykogorskoe U deposit, Northern Caucasus, Russia. It occurs as fine-grained aggregates forming veinlets up to 50 cm long in cracks of the brecciated rock. Gurzhiite aggregates are composed of small bladed crystals up to 0.1 mm across. Associated minerals include khademite and quartz. Gurzhiite is pale yellow in crystals, lemon yellow in aggregates, transparent with a vitreous lustre and a white streak. It is brittle and has an irregular fracture. Cleavage is good on {001}. The new mineral exhibits a bright yellow–green fluorescence under both longwave and shortwave UV radiation. Mohs hardness is ~2. Dmeas = 2.52(3) g/cm3 and Dcalc = 2.605 g/cm3. The mineral is biaxial (–) with α = 1.528(3), β = 1.538(2), γ = 1.544(3) (589 nm); 2Vmeas= 80(10)° and 2Vcalc = 75.1°. The empirical formula calculated on the basis of 21(O + F) atoms per formula unit (apfu) is Al0.92Zn0.05Fe3+0.03Na0.03U0.95S2.00O9.85F0.99⋅10.16H2O. Gurzhiite is triclinic, with space group P$\bar{1}$, a = 7.193(2), b = 11.760(2), c = 11.792(2) Å, α = 67.20(3), β = 107.76(3), γ = 89.99(3)°, V = 867.7(4) Å3 and Z = 2. The five strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I, %)(hkl)] are: 10.24(100)(001); 5.40(14)($\bar{ 1}\bar{1}$1); 5.11(54)(002); 3.405(11)($\bar{2}$11); and 3.065(11)($\bar{1}\bar{1}$3). The crystal structure of gurzhiite is based upon uranyl sulfate chains of the same type as in bobcookite and svornostite. Between the chains are two types of Al-octahedra – Al1(H2O)6 and Al2F2(H2O)4. The entire structure stability is maintained by a complex network of H bonds. The new mineral honours Russian mineralogist and crystallographer Dr. Vladislav V. Gurzhiy in recognition for his contributions to uranium mineralogy and crystallography.

Two new isostructural minerals radekškodaite-(La) (CaLa5)(Al4Fe2+)[Si2O7][SiO4]5O(OH)3 and radekškodaite-(Ce) (CaCe5)(Al4Fe2+)[Si2O7][SiO4]5O(OH)3 were discovered in polymineralic nodules from the Mochalin Log REE deposit, South Urals, Russia. Radekškodaite-(La) is associated with allanite-(Ce), allanite-(La), bastnäsite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(La), ferriallanite-(Ce), ferriallanite-(La), ferriperbøeite-(La), fluorbritholite-(Ce), törnebohmite-(Ce) and törnebohmite-(La). Radekškodaite-(Ce) is associated with ancylite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(La), lanthanite-(La), perbøeite-(Ce) and törnebohmite-(Ce). The new minerals form isolated anhedral grains up to 0.35 × 0.75 mm [radekškodaite-(La)] and 1 mm × 2 mm [radekškodaite-(Ce)]. Both minerals are greenish-brown with vitreous lustre. Dcalc = 4.644 [radekškodaite-(La)] and 4.651 [radekškodaite-(Ce)] g cm–3. Both minerals are optically biaxial (+); radekškodaite-(La): α = 1.790(7), β = 1.798(5), γ = 1.825(8) and 2Vmeas = 60(10)°; radekškodaite-(Ce): α = 1.798(6), β = 1.806(6), γ = 1.833(8) and 2Vmeas = 65(10)°. Chemical data [wt.%, electron-microprobe; FeO:Fe2O3 by charge balance; H2O by stochiometry; radekškodaite-(La)/radekškodaite-(Ce)] are: CaO 3.40/2.74, La2O3 27.68/22.23, Ce2O3 20.39/24.30, Pr2O3 0.94/1.48, Nd2O3 1.71/3.18, ThO2 0.23/0.24, MgO 0.85/1.04, Al2O3 10.35/10.84, MnO 0.64/0.69, FeO 2.55/2.76, Fe2O3 3.12/2.57, TiO2 0.13/0.04, SiO2 26.03/26.10, F 0.10/0.09, H2O 1.62/1.63, –O=F –0.04/–0.04, total 99.70/99.89. The empirical formulae based on O28(OH,F)3 are: radekškodaite-(La): (Ca0.98Th0.01La2.75Ce2.01Nd0.16Pr0.09)Σ6.00(Al3.28Fe3+0.63Fe2+0.57Mg0.34Mn0.15Ti0.03)Σ5.00Si7.00O28[(OH)2.91F0.09]; radekškodaite-(Ce): (Ca0.79Mn0.16Th0.01Ce2.39La2.20Nd0.30Pr0.14)Σ5.99(Al3.43Fe2+0.62Fe3+0.52Mg0.42Ti0.01)Σ5.00Si7.00O28[(OH)2.92F0.08]. Both minerals are monoclinic, P21/m; the unit-cell parameters [radekškodaite-(La)/radekškodaite-(Ce)] are: a = 8.9604(3)/8.9702(4), b = 5.7268(2)/5.7044(2), c = 25.1128(10)/25.1642(13) Å, β = 116.627(5)/116.766(6)°, V = 1151.98(7)/1149.68(11) Å3 and Z = 2/2. The crystal structures are solved based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data; R = 0.0554 [radekškodaite-(La)] and 0.0769 [radekškodaite-(Ce)]. Both minerals belong to the epidote–törnebohmite polysomatic series and represent first members of ET2-type: their structure consists of regular alternating modules, one slab of the epidote (E) structure and two slabs of törnebohmite (T). The rootname radekškodaite is given in honor of the Czech mineralogist Radek Škoda (born 1979), Associate Professor at Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic. The suffix-modifier -(La) or -(Ce) indicates the predominance of La or Ce among REE in the mineral.

The Environment Agency Guidance on Requirements for Authorisation (GRA) of a geological disposal facility (GDF) requires a demonstration that "the possibility of a local accumulation of fissile material such as to produce a neutron chain reaction is not a significant concern." A neutron chain reaction that is just self-sustaining is also known as critical.

Waste packages can be designed to ensure that criticality is impossible during the transport and operational phases of a GDF, and for a significant period post-closure. Over longer times, however, packages may degrade, and groundwater flows could lead to a localized accumulation of fissile material. Hence, even though the initial distribution of materials would need to change substantially, criticality cannot be ruled out completely.

This paper describes how an accumulation of fissile material could, hypothetically, lead to a critical configuration; how such a system could evolve; what the local consequences could be; and how the engineered and geological barriers could be affected. The conclusion from studies to date is that, even for large (and very unlikely) fissile accumulations, the consequences of a post-closure criticality event are not a significant concern.

The diffusivity and diffusion mechanisms of hydrogen together with with deuterium and lithium, parallel to the c axis of quartz, were investigated experimentally at 800°C, 0.1 GPa with the activity of H2O or 2H2O ≈ 1 [2H is used throughout this work to describe deuterium rather than D, to avoid confusion with the diffusion coefficient, D]. The pH was set using mixtures of H2O (or 2H2O) and HCl. Three types of experiment were conducted: (1) H-in/Li-out; (2) 2H-in/H-out; and (3) 2H-in/H + Li out, using three different natural quartz crystals as starting materials. Profiles of H, 2H and Li were measured using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). H, 2H and Li are charge-compensated by Al3+ replacing Si4+, or by excess O2–. The total atomic concentration of monovalent cations appears to remain constant over the duration of the experiments. The resulting diffusion profiles are different for the three experimental designs and three starting materials, and some show complex shapes inconsistent with simple diffusion. A multi-site diffusion–reaction model is developed, with the theory based on previous models that have been derived mainly on the basis of conductivity measurements. In these models, the monovalent cations move away from their charge-balancing ion then diffuse rapidly to another site. The mobility of the monovalent cations is described by both a diffusion coefficient and an equilibrium constant that enables dissociation of the immobile charge-balanced defects. This model can describe complex step-shaped profiles formed in H-in/Li-out experiments, profiles with local maxima ('humped’ profiles) in 2H-in/H + Li out experiments, and error function-shaped profiles in 2H-in/H-out and previously published Li-in/H-out experiments. Our data provide support for models previously proposed for quartz. Studies of the lengths and forms of diffusion profiles from such experiments provide a useful complement to assertions from conductivity experiments.

Relianceite-(K), K4Mg(V4+O)2(C2O4)(PO3OH)4(H2O)10, is a new mineral species from the Rowley mine, Maricopa County, Arizona, USA. It occurs in an unusual bat-guano-related, post-mining assemblage of phases. Other secondary minerals associated with relianceite-(K) are antipinite, dendoraite-(NH4), fluorite, mimetite, mottramite, rowleyite, salammoniac, struvite, vanadinite, willemite, wulfenite and at least one other new mineral. Crystals of relianceite-(K) are sky blue prisms up to ~0.1 mm in length. The streak is very pale blue and lustre is vitreous, Mohs hardness is 2½, tenacity is brittle and fracture is splintery. The calculated density is 2.111 g⋅cm–3. Relianceite-(K) is optically biaxial (+) with α = 1.528(2), β = 1.529(2), γ = 1.562(2) (white light); 2Vmeas = 22(1)°; orientation Z = b; pleochroism: X = colourless, Y = pale blue, Z = pale blue; X < Y ≈ Z. Electron microprobe analysis gave the empirical formula [K2.21(NH4)1.79]Σ4.00Mg0.96(V4+0.95O)2(C2O4)[P1.03O3.03(OH)0.97]4(H2O)10, with the C, N and H contents constrained by the crystal structure. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of NH4 and C2O4. Relianceite-(K) is monoclinic, Pc, with a = 12.404 (7) Å, b = 9.014 (6), c = 13.260 (8) Å, β = 100.803(10)°, V = 1456 (2) Å3 and Z = 2. The structural unit in the crystal structure of relianceite-(K) (R1 = 0.0540 for 3751 Io > 2σI reflections) is a (V4+O)2(C2O4)(PO3OH)4 chain in which VO6 octahedra are bridged by an oxalate group to form [V2C2O12] dimers, PO3OH tetrahedra form a double bridge between the VO6 octahedra of the dimers, and additional PO3OH tetrahedra decorate the chain. Topologically, this is the same chain found in the structure of davidbrownite-(NH4). The MgO(H2O)5 octahedron can be considered a distant decoration on the chain. The chains are linked to each other through an extensive system of K/NH4–O bonds and hydrogen bonds.

A new phyllosilicate mineral, lipuite (IMA2014-085), has been discovered from the N'Chwaning III mine, Kalahari Manganese Fields, Northern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa. It occurs as platy, tabular, or granular crystals and veined agglomerate in association with Mn-bearing sugilite, taniajacoite, pectolite, richterite, norrishite and namansilite. Lipuite is dark red–brown with vitreous lustre, red streak, an estimated Mohs hardness of 5 and the measured density is 2.83(3) g/cm3. It is biaxial (+) and characterised by bright red to dark red colour in thin section with measured refractive indices in white light: α = 1.635(1), β = 1.653(1), γ = 1.670(1) and 2V = 86(2)°. The Raman spectra of lipuite are composed of over 21 bands at 109, 146, 162, 183, 206, 244, 288, 342, 362, 455, 496, 520, 552, 613, 669, 886, 930, 971, 1097, 3487 and 3540 cm–1. The empirical formula from microprobe analyses is (based on total number of cations = 27.5 and structural refinement): K1.12Na8.16(Mn4.77Fe0.07)Σ4.84Mg0.44[Si11.97O30(OH)4](PO4)0.94O2(OH)2·4H2O. The idealised formula is: KNa8Mn3+5Mg0.5[Si12O30(OH)4](PO4)O2(OH)2·4H2O.

Lipuite is orthorhombic, space group Pnnm, a = 9.080(3), b = 12.222(3), c = 17.093(5) Å, V = 1897.0(9) Å3 and Z = 2. The strongest powder X-ray diffraction peaks [d, Å (I) (hkl)] are: 9.965(40)(011), 2.938(33)(310), 2.895(100)(311), 2.777(38)(224), 2.713(53)(320), 2.483(32)(126), 2.086(35)(046) and 1.534(40)(446). The crystal structure of lipuite is characterised by sheets of SiO4 tetrahedra that are linked together along [010] by K+, Na+, Mn3+, Mg2+ and P5+ cations, as well as hydrogen bonds. These tetrahedral sheets consist of 14-membered rings of SiO4 tetrahedra that zigzag along [100]. The two independent Mn3+ cations are both octahedrally coordinated. They form five-membered, edge-shared octahedral clusters between the SiO4 tetrahedral sheets. Lipuite represents a rather unique structure type and its silicate tetrahedral sheets can be considered a derivative of the silicate sheets in mica.

The plagioclase which forms the subject of this investigation was presented by Dr. C. Stansfield Hitchen, director of the Kenya Geological Survey, who has kindly sent the following note of its occurrence:

The Egyptian clays under consideration are obtained from two different localities. The Aswan clays are mainly concentrated in the neighbourhood of Aswan town in Upper Egypt and the Sinai kaolins from the Sinai Peninsula. The Aswan clays, namely: red Aswan clay, white Aswan clay, and siliceous Aswan clay, are transported clays, while Aswan kaolin is a residual clay. The Sinai kaolins are of obscure origin but most probably are transported clays. As is shown later, these are alunite-bearing clays not previously recorded in Egypt.