Theoretical and Systematics Mineralogy
Advances in crystal chemistry and mineral systematics
Co-Conveners
Frédéric BRE Hatert, University of Liège
Ferdinando Bosi, Sapienza University of Rome
Mineral systematics and crystal chemistry are foundational to the mineral sciences, forming the conceptual and methodological backbone of modern mineralogy. They provide the essential framework for classifying, naming, and understanding minerals, as well as elucidating their roles in the formation of both terrestrial and extraterrestrial bodies. Crystal chemistry is central to interpreting mineral genesis, stability fields, and paragenetic sequences, while mineral systematics has far-reaching implications for materials science, planetary exploration, and environmental mineralogy.
Within the CNMNC framework, continual improvement of agreed-upon conventions is essential to accommodate the ever-growing number of approved mineral species. Since the establishment of the IMA, over 4,000 new species have been recognized, many exhibiting novel structural topologies and unexpected chemistries. Over the past two decades, advances in high-resolution diffraction, spectroscopy, crystallographic modelling, and computational and theoretical approaches have revolutionized our ability to characterize complex crystal structures and chemical compositions, including poorly ordered minerals. These developments have greatly enhanced our capacity to identify minerals and unravel the intricate relationships among their structural, compositional, and physical properties.
This session provides a multidisciplinary forum to present recent progress in refining mineral crystal chemistry and systematics, and their intersections with applied mineralogy, geosciences, and materials science. It addresses challenges posed by the continuous discovery of mineral species with unprecedented structural and chemical features, and examines their broader scientific implications. Key topics include advances in the study of mineral solid solutions and their synthetic analogues, as well as insights into order–disorder phenomena and structural modulation revealed by cutting-edge analytical methods. The integration of experimental data with modelling approaches, including density functional theory, intelligent modelling techniques, and chemical bonding analyses, offers powerful tools for predicting structural stability and properties across diverse environmental conditions.
Contributions from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, as well as those bridging mineralogy, crystallography, geochemistry, and related disciplines, are encouraged to foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Discussions will also address data standardization, database interoperability, and the significance of these developments for planetary science and materials research.
By bringing together experts from diverse backgrounds, this session aims to define future directions in mineral sciences, providing a platform for dialogue, innovation, and progress, while exploring the broader implications of these advances, from constraining Earth’s composition to guiding the discovery of novel functional materials.
