Abstract
The detailed crystallography of natural pyrite framboids has been determined for the first time using electron backscatter diffraction techniques. The crystallographic ordering of microcrystals correlates positively with morphological ordering; the crystallographic orientations are random in morphologically disordered framboids and are almost ordered in morphologically ordered framboids. Morphologically ordered framboids involve two types of systematic misorientations across the microcrystal boundaries: low-angle (ca. <20°) and high-angle (ca. 70.90°) misorientations. The low-angle misorientation probably reflects slight physical misalignment of microcrystals in the packing structure, whereas the high-angle misorientation is considered to result from the dichotomy of the pyrite microcrystals having fourfold morphological symmetry but only twofold crystallographic symmetry about <100>. Thus, the crystallographic orientation of microcrystals is not uniform, even in highly ordered framboids. This suggests that the self-organization of microcrystals in pyrite framboids is not crystallographically controlled, for example by sequential replication of existing microcrystals, since this would not result in high lattice misorientation angles between adjacent microcrystals. Presumably, the self-organization process is a consequence of the aggregation of multiple equidimensional and equimorphic microcrystals that have nucleated in a fixed volume. We suggest that the regular arrangement of microcrystals occurs by the physical rotation (reorientation) of individual microcrystals, driven by the reduction in surface free energy between neighbors.
© 2015 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Electronic article. Getting the inside story: using computed X-ray tomography to study inclusion trails in garnet porphyroblasts
- Structure of framboidal pyrite: An electron backscatter diffraction study
- The mineralogical microstructure of shells: PART 2.1 The iridescence colors of abalone shells
- Electron probe (Ultrachron) microchronometry of metamorphic monazite: Unraveling the timing of polyphase thermotectonism in the easternmost Wyoming Craton (Black Hills, South Dakota)
- New mineral occurrences and mineralization processes: Wuda coal-fire gas vents of Inner Mongolia
- Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis of natural diamonds: First steps in identification of mineral inclusions in situ
- Speciation and distribution of sulfur in a mollusk shell as revealed by in situ maps using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the S K-edge
- Experimental study on diamond dissolution in kimberlitic and lamproitic melts at 1300-1420 °C and 1 GPa with controlled oxygen partial pressure
- Validation of LA-ICP-MS fluid inclusion analysis with synthetic fluid inclusions
- Etch pit coalescence, surface area, and overall mineral dissolution rates
- Crystal chemistry of the elbaite-schorl series
- Morphology of nanomagnetite crystals: Implications for formation conditions
- Fragmentation phenomena in populations of magmatic crystals
- Kinetics of Fe2+-Mg order-disorder in P21/c pigeonite
- First-principles studies on the elastic constants of a 1:1 layered kaolinite mineral
- Quantum mechanical calculations of trans-vacant and cis-vacant polymorphism in dioctahedral 2:1 phyllosilicates
- The stability and Raman spectra of ikaite, CaCO3·6H2O, at high pressure and temperature
- Model pyroxenes III: Volume of C2/c pyroxenes at mantle P, T, and x
- The kinetics and mechanisms of goethite and hematite crystallization under alkaline conditions, and in the presence of phosphate
- High-resolution 17O MAS NMR spectroscopy of forsterite (α-Mg2SiO4), wadsleyite (β-Mg2SiO4), and ringwoodite (γ-Mg2SiO4)
- Comparative study of equilibrated and unequilibrated eucrites: Subsolidus thermal histories of Haraiya and Pasamonte
- Origin and internal evolution of the Li-F-Be-B-P-bearing Pinilla de Fermoselle pegmatite (Central Iberian Zone, Zamora, Spain)
- Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of spinels from the San Carlos Volcanic Field, Arizona: Spinel as a geothermometer
- Letter. Direct observations of pseudomorphism: compositional and textural evolution at a fluid- solid interface
- Letter. Carbon oxides in cordierite channels: Determination of CO2 isotopic species and CO by single crystal IR spectroscopy
- Comment on Melluso et al. (2003) Reported data and interpretation of some wollastonite- and melilite-bearing rocks from the Central Apennines of Italy
- Reply to stoppa et.al. 2005. Wollastonite- anorthite- gehlenite-, and fassaite-bearing rocks: Igneous petrological oddity or paralavas?
- Comment on Melluso et.al. (2003). The Ricetto and Colle Fabbri wollastonite and melilite-bearing rocks of the central Apennines, Italy
- Reply to Capitanio 2005. Mineralogic and bulk rock composition of Italian wollastonite- and melilite-bearing paralava and clinker: Further evidence of their pyrometamorphic nature
Articles in the same Issue
- Electronic article. Getting the inside story: using computed X-ray tomography to study inclusion trails in garnet porphyroblasts
- Structure of framboidal pyrite: An electron backscatter diffraction study
- The mineralogical microstructure of shells: PART 2.1 The iridescence colors of abalone shells
- Electron probe (Ultrachron) microchronometry of metamorphic monazite: Unraveling the timing of polyphase thermotectonism in the easternmost Wyoming Craton (Black Hills, South Dakota)
- New mineral occurrences and mineralization processes: Wuda coal-fire gas vents of Inner Mongolia
- Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis of natural diamonds: First steps in identification of mineral inclusions in situ
- Speciation and distribution of sulfur in a mollusk shell as revealed by in situ maps using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy at the S K-edge
- Experimental study on diamond dissolution in kimberlitic and lamproitic melts at 1300-1420 °C and 1 GPa with controlled oxygen partial pressure
- Validation of LA-ICP-MS fluid inclusion analysis with synthetic fluid inclusions
- Etch pit coalescence, surface area, and overall mineral dissolution rates
- Crystal chemistry of the elbaite-schorl series
- Morphology of nanomagnetite crystals: Implications for formation conditions
- Fragmentation phenomena in populations of magmatic crystals
- Kinetics of Fe2+-Mg order-disorder in P21/c pigeonite
- First-principles studies on the elastic constants of a 1:1 layered kaolinite mineral
- Quantum mechanical calculations of trans-vacant and cis-vacant polymorphism in dioctahedral 2:1 phyllosilicates
- The stability and Raman spectra of ikaite, CaCO3·6H2O, at high pressure and temperature
- Model pyroxenes III: Volume of C2/c pyroxenes at mantle P, T, and x
- The kinetics and mechanisms of goethite and hematite crystallization under alkaline conditions, and in the presence of phosphate
- High-resolution 17O MAS NMR spectroscopy of forsterite (α-Mg2SiO4), wadsleyite (β-Mg2SiO4), and ringwoodite (γ-Mg2SiO4)
- Comparative study of equilibrated and unequilibrated eucrites: Subsolidus thermal histories of Haraiya and Pasamonte
- Origin and internal evolution of the Li-F-Be-B-P-bearing Pinilla de Fermoselle pegmatite (Central Iberian Zone, Zamora, Spain)
- Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of spinels from the San Carlos Volcanic Field, Arizona: Spinel as a geothermometer
- Letter. Direct observations of pseudomorphism: compositional and textural evolution at a fluid- solid interface
- Letter. Carbon oxides in cordierite channels: Determination of CO2 isotopic species and CO by single crystal IR spectroscopy
- Comment on Melluso et al. (2003) Reported data and interpretation of some wollastonite- and melilite-bearing rocks from the Central Apennines of Italy
- Reply to stoppa et.al. 2005. Wollastonite- anorthite- gehlenite-, and fassaite-bearing rocks: Igneous petrological oddity or paralavas?
- Comment on Melluso et.al. (2003). The Ricetto and Colle Fabbri wollastonite and melilite-bearing rocks of the central Apennines, Italy
- Reply to Capitanio 2005. Mineralogic and bulk rock composition of Italian wollastonite- and melilite-bearing paralava and clinker: Further evidence of their pyrometamorphic nature