That's a fascinating question. According to
https://www.rruff.net/ima-mineral-list/, there are 72 different elements
that are essential in a mineral formula. The elements not in that list are
either noble gases (He, Ne, etc), the less common rare earth elements (Pr,
Pm, etc), or short-lived radioactive elements (Tc and actinides).
On other worlds condensation of Ar into a solid phase at low T and/or high
P is plausible. Maybe Ne, too? Maybe in a clathrate?
One might imagine extreme fractionation of REE to produce a different
element combination, but it's already pretty astonishing that nature has
produced minerals with dominant Gd, Dy, Er, etc.
And the occurrence of a radioactive mineral such as PuO2 (where Pu-244 has
a half-life of 88 My) could only occur on a young planet.
Bob Hazen
Earth and Planets Laboratory
Carnegie Science
That's a fascinating question. According to
https://www.rruff.net/ima-mineral-list/, there are 72 different elements
that are essential in a mineral formula. The elements not in that list are
either noble gases (He, Ne, etc), the less common rare earth elements (Pr,
Pm, etc), or short-lived radioactive elements (Tc and actinides).
On other worlds condensation of Ar into a solid phase at low T and/or high
P is plausible. Maybe Ne, too? Maybe in a clathrate?
One might imagine extreme fractionation of REE to produce a different
element combination, but it's already pretty astonishing that nature has
produced minerals with dominant Gd, Dy, Er, etc.
And the occurrence of a radioactive mineral such as PuO2 (where Pu-244 has
a half-life of 88 My) could only occur on a young planet.
Bob Hazen
Earth and Planets Laboratory
Carnegie Science
