Lawsonite
/ˈlɔːsən.aɪt/noun
A pale-colored calcium–aluminum silicate mineral that commonly forms in rocks altered under high-pressure, relatively low-temperature conditions.
Did you know?Lawsonite is an important carrier of water into subduction zones, potentially transporting it hundreds of kilometers into Earth’s interior before breaking down under greater heat and pressure.
Etymological Timeline
Latin Antiquity
Latin
Laurentius
“A personal name meaning “of Laurentum,” traditionally associated with laurel.”
Late Latin to Medieval Europe
Latin / Old French
Laurence
“The personal name derived from Laurentius, later becoming Lawrence in English.”
Medieval England
Middle English
Lawrensone
“A patronymic surname meaning “son of Lawrence.””
19th Century
English
Lawson
“The shortened hereditary surname borne by the American geologist Andrew Cowper Lawson.”
1895
English / Mineralogy
lawsonite
“A newly recognized mineral named in honor of Andrew C. Lawson, associated with its discovery and study in California.”
Modern English
English
lawsonite
“A hydrous calcium–aluminum silicate used by geologists as an indicator of high-pressure metamorphism and subduction.”
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