Moganite is a tectosilicate mineral with the chemical formula siliconoxygen2 (silicon dioxide) that was discovered in 1976. The mineral was initially described as a new form of silica, on the basis of specimens found in the Barranco de Medio Almud ravine. This ravine is in the municipality of Mogán, on the island of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands region of Spain.[Origlieri, M., 1994. "Moganite: a New Mineral – Not!" Lithosphere
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/ref> Subsequent studies allowed the IMA to correct this in 1999, accepting moganite as a mineral species.[
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Moganite has been mainly found in dry locales such as Gran Canaria and Lake Magadi.[ Physically, it has a Mohs hardness of about 6, a dull luster, and a semitransparent gray color.
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Structural information
The main infrared spectroscopy (IR) differences between moganite and α-quartz occur in the wavenumber region below 650 cm−1. Above this wavenumber, the frequencies of Si–O stretching vibrations of moganite are almost identical to those of quartz. Additional moganite bands were recorded near 165, 207, 296, 343, 419, 576, and 612 cm−1.
Structural phase transition
Synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data for moganite from has revealed a reversible phase transition from space group I2/a to Imab at approximately .
