Vorlanite

CaUO4
IMA status
  • Approved
IMA symbol
Vrl
IMA approved
2009
Also known as
  • IMA2009-032
  • Vorlaniet

Where it forms, where it's found

Geological setting

Calcareous skarn xenolith in ignimbrite.

Type locality
Xenolith no. 7
  1. Lakargi Mountain
  2. Upper Chegem volcanic caldera (Verkhnechegemskaya caldera)
  3. Chegemsky District
  4. Kabardino-Balkaria
  5. Russia
12recorded occurrences
Source · OpenStreetMap

Radioactivity

Crystallography

Crystal system
Isometric
Space group
#224
Cell parameters
a = 5.3813(2) Å
Crystal structure

Chemical composition

Constituent elements
Mass composition breakdown
ElementAtoms At. mass g/mol Mass g/molMass share
92UUraniumUranium1238.029238.029
69.58%
8OOxygenOxygen415.99963.996
18.71%
20CaCalciumCalcium140.07840.078
11.71%
Total342.103100.00%

Mass share = atoms × atomic mass ÷ molar mass × 100

From IMA formula

Synonyms

  • IMA2009-032
  • Vorlaniet

In other languages

German
IMA 2009-032 · Vorlanit
Italian
vorlanite

Classification

Strunz
10th ed.

4.DL.15

  • 4OxidesClass
  • 4.DMetal: Oxygen = 1:2 and similarDivision
  • 4.DLWith large (+- medium-sized) cations; fluorite-type structuresGroup
  • 4.DL.15VorlaniteSpecies
Dana
8th ed.

05.03.04

  • 05Oxides Containing Uranium or ThoriumClass
  • 05.03AXO4·xH2OType
  • 05.03.04— unnamed intermediate level —Group
  • 05.03.04VorlaniteSpecies

Literature, links & citation

Citations
  1. 2011Galuskin, E. V., Armbruster, T., Galuskina, I. O., Lazic, B., Winiarski, A., Gazeev, V. M., Dzierżanowski, P., Zadov, A. E., Pertsev, N. N., Wrzalik, R., Gurbanov, A. G., Janeczek, J. (2011) Vorlanite (CaU6+)O4—A new mineral from the Upper Chegem caldera, Kabardino-Balkaria, Northern Caucasus, Russia. American Mineralogist, 96 (1) 188-196 doi:10.2138/am.2011.3610 DOI: 10.2138/am.2011.3610
  2. 2012Galuskin, E. V., Galuskina, I. O., Dubrovinsky, L. S., Janeczek, J. (2012) Thermally induced transformation of vorlanite to "protovorlanite": Restoration of cation ordering in self-irradiated CaUO4. American Mineralogist, 97 (5) 1002-1004 doi:10.2138/am.2012.4092 DOI: 10.2138/am.2012.4092
  3. 2013Othmane, G., Allard, T., Menguy, N., Morin, G., Esteve, I., Fayek, M., Calas, G. (2013) Evidence for nanocrystals of vorlanite, a rare uranate mineral, in the Nopal I low-temperature uranium deposit (Sierra Pena Blanca, Mexico) American Mineralogist, 98 (2) 518-521 doi:10.2138/am.2013.4295DOI: 10.2138/am.2013.4295
  4. 2013Galuskin, E. V., Kusz, J., Armbruster, T., Galuskina, I. O., Marzec, K., Vapnik, Y., Murashko, M. (2013) Vorlanite, (CaU6+)O4, from Jabel Harmun, Palestinian Autonomy, Israel. American Mineralogist, 98 (11) 1938-1942 doi:10.2138/am.2013.4548 DOI: 10.2138/am.2013.4548
  5. 2017(2017) Vorlanite. Handbook of Mineralogy. Mineralogical Society of America
Cite this entry
@misc{mineral2026,
  author    = {Mineral Index editorial board},
  title     = {Vorlanite — Mineral Index},
  year      = {2026},
  url       = {https://mineralindex.org/minerals/vorlanite-39569},
  note      = {Accessed 2026-05-11}
}