Davemaoite

Davemaoite is a high-pressure calcium silicate perovskite. In November 2021, the Davemaoite mineral was found on the earth surface for the first time.

Where was Davemaoite found?

The Davemaoite was found in Botswana. It was found 660 kilometres below the earth’s surface. The Davemaoite sample was preserved within the diamond.

What is special about the discovery of Davemaoite?

The Davemaoite has a crystalline structure that is formed only under high pressure conditions. Such conditions are found only in Earth’s mantle. It is never found in the upper layers of the earth. This is because, when Davemaoite travels to the upper layers of the earth, it breaks down into other minerals. In the case of Botswana, it was intact even in the upper layers of the earth because it was trapped inside a diamond.

What are the physical characteristics of Davemaoite?

• The Davemaoite has a telltale cubic structure.
• It exists only at pressures that are 200,000 times as that of the earth surface
• It exhibits isomerism. Isomerism is the relation of two or more compounds that are made of same number of atoms. But they differ in structural arrangement.
• It was first discovered by Chinese Geologist Ho – Kwang Mao.