earth science

Kanoite

Kanoite is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Kanoite rather than just read about it. In short: Kanoite is a light pinkish brown silicate mineral that is found in metamorphic rocks. It is an inosilicate and has a chemical formula of (Mg,Mn2+)2Si2O6.

Key takeaways

Kanoite belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Kanoite to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Kanoite from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Kanoite is a light pinkish brown silicate mineral that is found in metamorphic rocks. It is an inosilicate and has a chemical formula of (Mg,Mn2+)2Si2O6. It is a member of pyroxene group and clinopyroxene subgroup.

Crystallography Kanoite crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system. Its Hermann–Mauguin Symbol is 2/m. Under this crystal system, the three axes of the crystal are all different in length. The a and the b axes are perpendicular, and b and c axes are perpendicular. The a and c axes make an oblique shape. The axial ratio for kanoite is a:b:c =1.0894:1:0.5884 and the cell dimensions are: a = 9.73, b = 8.93 and c = 5.26 Å with Z = 4. Kanoite has a 2-fold axis and a mirror plane. Kanoite is birefringent. It occurs as a mineral has 3 different indices of refraction. When the light passes through the Kanoite medium, the light splits due to unequal reflection from the crystal faces. As kanoite is birefringent, it is also anisotropic. In an anisotropic mineral, the velocity of light differs as the direction of the crystal changes.

Discovery and occurrence Kanoite is a rare mineral which was found in Tatehira mine, Kumaishi, Oshima Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan in 1977. In the type locality kanoite occurs along a joint that cuts a pyroxmangite-cummingtonite metamorphic rock in a manganese ore deposit. The region has undergone contact metamorphism as magma intruded the area. It was named to honor Hiroshi Kano, a petrology professor at Akita University in Japan. It has also been reported from Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, the Semail Ophiolite in Oman, and the Balmat–Edwards zinc district, Saint Lawrence County, New York.

References

Gnos, E., Armbruster, T., and Nyfeler, D. (1996) Kanoite, donpeacorite and tirodite: Mn-Mg-silicates from a manganiferous quartzite in the United Arab Emirates. European Journal of Mineralogy, 8, 251-261. Kobayashi, H. (1977) Kanoite, (Mn2+;Mg)2[Si2O6], a new clinopyroxene in the metamorphic rock from Tatehira, Oshima Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan. The Journal of the Geological Society of Japan, 83, 537-542. Arlt, T. and Armbruster, T. (1997) The temperature dependent P21/c-C2/c phase transition in the clinopyroxene kanoite MnMg[Si2O6]: a single-crystal X-ray and optical study. European Journal of Mineralogy, 9, 953–964. Akimoto, S. and Syono, Y. (1972) High pressure transformations in MnSiO3. American Mineralogist, 57, 76–84. Mineral Data Publishing, 2001, “Kanoite.” http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/kanoite.pdf. Accessed 21 October 2010. Ralph, Jolyon and Chau, Ida, 5 November 2010, “Kanoite.” http://www.mindat.org/min-2154.html. Accessed 1 November 2010. Barthelmy, David, 1997-2010, “Kanoite Mineral Data.” http://www.webmineral.com/data/Kanoite.shtml. Accessed 7 November 2010. Weisstein, Eric, 1996-2007, “Birefringence.” http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/Birefringence.html. Accessed 7 November 2010.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Kanoite

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Kanoite claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Kanoite before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Kanoite ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Kanoite

In research: Kanoite appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Kanoite in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Kanoite is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Clinopyroxene subgroup, Magnesium minerals, Manganese(II) minerals, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Kanoite outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Kanoite in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Kanoite means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Kanoite out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Kanoite in simple terms?

Kanoite is a light pinkish brown silicate mineral that is found in metamorphic rocks. It is an inosilicate and has a chemical formula of (Mg,Mn2+)2Si2O6.

Why does Kanoite matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Kanoite?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Kanoite.