Sonolite

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title: "Sonolite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["monoclinic-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-14", "manganese(ii)-minerals", "nesosilicates", "hydroxide-minerals", "fluorine-minerals"] topic_path: "general/monoclinic-minerals" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonolite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox mineral"]

Field	Value
name	Sonolite
category	Silicate minerals
image	Zincite-Manganosite-Sonolite-21568.jpg
imagesize	260px
caption	Sonolite (in bottom left corner) with zincite and manganosite
formula	Mn9(SiO4)4(OH,F)2
IMAsymbol	Snl
strunz	9.AF.55
dana	52.3.2d.3
system	Monoclinic
class	Prismatic (2/m)
(same H-M symbol)
symmetry	P21/b
unit cell	a = 4.87 Å, b = 10.66 Å
c = 14.28 Å
β = 100.3°, Z = 2
color	Red-orange, pinkish brown to dark brown
Colorless in thin section
twinning	Common, singular or lamellar on {101}
mohs	5.5
luster	Vitreous, dull
refractive	nα = 1.765
nβ = 1.778
nγ = 1.787
opticalprop	Biaxial (−)
birefringence	δ = 0.022
2V	75° to 82° (measured)
dispersion	r v
density	3.82–4.00 (measured)
diaphaneity	Transparent to translucent
references
::

| name = Sonolite | category = Silicate minerals | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Zincite-Manganosite-Sonolite-21568.jpg | imagesize = 260px | caption = Sonolite (in bottom left corner) with zincite and manganosite | formula = Mn9(SiO4)4(OH,F)2 | IMAsymbol = Snl | molweight = | strunz = 9.AF.55 | dana = 52.3.2d.3 | system = Monoclinic | class = Prismatic (2/m) (same H-M symbol) | symmetry = P21/b | unit cell = a = 4.87 Å, b = 10.66 Å c = 14.28 Å β = 100.3°, Z = 2 | color = Red-orange, pinkish brown to dark brown Colorless in thin section | habit = | twinning = Common, singular or lamellar on {101} | cleavage = | fracture = | tenacity = | mohs = 5.5 | luster = Vitreous, dull | polish = | refractive = nα = 1.765 nβ = 1.778 nγ = 1.787 | opticalprop = Biaxial (−) | birefringence = δ = 0.022 | 2V = 75° to 82° (measured) | dispersion = r v | pleochroism = | fluorescence= | absorption = | streak = | gravity = | density = 3.82–4.00 (measured) | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = Transparent to translucent | other = | references =

Sonolite is a mineral with formula Mn9(SiO4)4(OH,F)2. The mineral was discovered in 1960 in the Sono mine in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. In 1963, it was identified as a new mineral and named after the Sono mine.

Description

Sonolite is transparent to translucent and is red-orange, pinkish brown to dark brown in color and colorless in thin sections. The mineral has a granular habit or occurs as prismatic to anhedral crystals up to 2.5 cm. Sonolite is the manganese analogue of clinohumite, a dimorph of jerrygibbsite, and a member of the humite group.

The mineral occurs in metamorphosed manganese-rich deposits. Sonolite has been found in association with calcite, chlorite, franklinite, galaxite, manganosite, pyrochroite, rhodochrosite, tephroite, willemite, and zincite.

History

In 1960, Mayumi Yoshinaga was investigating alleghanyite and other manganese orthosilicates in Japan. He discovered a dull, red-brown mineral on the first level ore body of the Sono Mine, and later from a number of other sites. Using samples from ten locations in Japan and one in Taiwan, the mineral was described in 1963 and identified as a new mineral species. It was named sonolite after the mine in which it was first found and the name was approved by the International Mineralogical Association.

Distribution

, sonolite has been found in Austria, France, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States. The type material is held at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US.

References

Bibliography

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. "Sonolite". Mineral Data Publishing.
3. "Sonolite". Webmineral.
4. "Sonolite". Mindat.

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