By the end of 2006, the CNMNC will handle about 60 new-mineral proposals, approximately the same number as in the previous few years (64 proposals in 2005; 59 in 2004, 70 in 2003, 67 in 2002) in batches of, on average, five proposals per month. Members will also have deliberated on five proposals involving mineral nomenclature revisions, the most substantial being a new nomenclature system for the pearceitepolybasite group and for minerals in the monazite group. In addition, members approved the discreditation of about 130 minerals and names on the Commission’s listing of ’grandfathered, questionable and non-approved’ minerals.
- Sulfosalt (Chairman: Yves MOELO, France)
- Pyrochlore (Chairman: Scott ERCIT, Canada)
- Tourmaline (Chairman: Milan NOVAK, Czech Republic)
- Alunite (Chairman: Peter BAYLISS, Australia)
- Epidote (Chairman: Thomas ARMBRUSTER, Switzerland)
- Amphibole (Chairpersons, Frank HAWTHORNE and Roberta OBERTI, Canada)
- Unnamed minerals (Chairman: Jeffrey DE FOURESTIER, Canada)
- Aenigmatite (Chairman: Dr Ed GREW, USA).
Three of these subcommittees finalised their reports in 2006:
- Members approved both the Epidote and Unnamed Minerals reports and these have been submitted for publication.
- The Sulfosalts report is now published by Yves Moelo, Emil Makovicky, and the IMA CNMNC Sulfosalt Subcommittee 2008 : Revision of sulfosalt definition and nomenclature. A review of sulfosalts systematics. European Journal of Mineralogy, 20, 1.
- After a long period of chairmanship under Bernard Leake, the Amphibole Subcommittee was re-established in 2006 under Frank Hawthorne and Roberta Oberti.
- The Tourmaline report will be completed before the end of the year.
- The Aenigmatite group subcommittee was established following the IMA meeting in Kobe