stishovite - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about stishovite Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
3,581,260,013 visitors served.
forum Join the Word of the Day Mailing List For webmasters
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

stishovite

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.

stishovite

Highest density, highest pressure polymorph (substance with the same chemical composition but different crystal structure) of silica, SiO2, in which the crystal structure is the same as that of the mineral rutile, titanium dioxide. Rare in nature it is found primarily near meteor impact craters. It is thought to be a rare constituent of the lower mantle.
How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link 		Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

Mentioned in?  References in periodicals archive?   Hutchinson browser?   Full browser?
 
Its atoms aggregate in forms as common as quartz crystals and as exotic as coesite and stishovite, minerals formed by the intense pressures generated when extraterrestrial objects such as comets and asteroids strike Earth's surface (SN: 6/15/02, p.
Multifaceted mineral: intense heat, pressure bear new form of silica by Perkins, S. / Science News
Some of these forms -- like stishovite, a phase of quartz produced under extremely high pressure -- are "generally considered indisputable evidence [of an impact] when found near the surface," Melosh says.
Impact crater may lie beneath Lake Huron by Stolzenburg, William / Science News
1989 Paleobiology * The discovery of extraterrestrial amino acids (135: 356) and the rare mineral stishovite (135: 132) in rocks from the Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary provided further evidence that a large body collided with Earth 65 million years ago, causing the mass extinctions that occurred around that time.
Science News of the year by Science News
 
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Terms of Use | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc.
Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.