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Letter. Terrestrial analogs of martian sulfates: Major and minor element systematics of alunite-jarosite from Goldfield, Nevada

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Published/Copyright: March 31, 2015
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American Mineralogist
From the journal American Mineralogist Volume 91 Issue 7

Abstract

Alunite and jarosite from Goldfield, Nevada, show spectacular relationships between early alunite and later jarosite. In some cases, jarosite overgrows alunite with the same crystallographic orientation and sharp contacts. Electron microprobe analyses of these phases show that they fall in the alunitejarosite quadrilateral defined by alunite, KAl3(SO4)2(OH)6; natroalunite, NaAl3(SO4)2(OH)6; jarosite, KFe3 3+(SO4)2(OH)6; and natrojarosite, NaFe33+(SO4)2(OH)6. A large compositional gap occurs between alunite-natroalunite and jarosite-natrojarosite. This gap has no crystal chemical basis because Al and Fe3+ can readily substitute for each other in octahedral site coordination. We believe the “on-off switch” behavior between early alunite and later jarosite is caused by an oxidant entering the system, oxidizing Fe2+ in solution to Fe3+, raising the Eh and possibly oxidizing H2S to lower the pH, and thus stabilizing jarosite relative to alunite. The activity of Fe (as Fe2+) increased in the solution because of prolonged alunite crystallization but could not readily enter the crystal structure until it was oxidized to Fe3+. The jarosite overgrowths show striking oscillatory zoning of Na- and K-rich bands. This reflects up to an order of magnitude change in the fluid K/Na ratio. These textures are interpreted to represent rapid growth and kinetic control of delivery of free Na and K to the crystal-fluid interface. This could be due to some combination of Na and K diffusion rates in the solution and complex ion breakdown involving Na and K.

Keywords : Jarosite; Mars; electron microprobe; terrestrial analogs
Received: 2006-3-6
Accepted: 2006-3-27
Published Online: 2015-3-31
Published in Print: 2006-7-1

© 2015 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston

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  5. Behavior of H2O molecules in the channels of natrolite and scolecite: A Raman and IR spectroscopic investigation of hydrous microporous silicates
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https://doi.org/10.2138/am.2006.2257
Keywords for this article
Jarosite; Mars; electron microprobe; terrestrial analogs

Articles in the same Issue

  1. The origin of jadeitite-forming subduction-zone fluids: CL-guided SIMS oxygen-isotope and trace-element evidence
  2. Mineralogical characterization of the blue pigment of Michelangelo's fresco “The Last Judgment”
  3. Microstructure and magnetism in the ilmenite-hematite solid solution: A Monte Carlo simulation study
  4. Enhanced mass transfer through short-circuit diffusion: Growth of garnet reaction rims at eclogite facies conditions
  5. Behavior of H2O molecules in the channels of natrolite and scolecite: A Raman and IR spectroscopic investigation of hydrous microporous silicates
  6. Sound velocities and elastic constants of ZnAl2O4 spinel and implications for spinel-elasticity systematics
  7. The role of water in the synthesis of glaucophane
  8. On the connected porosity of mineral aggregates in crystalline rocks
  9. The reaction talc + forsterite = enstatite + H2O revisited: Application of conventional and novel experimental techniques and derivation of revised thermodynamic properties
  10. Ba(NpO2)(PO4)(H2O), its relationship to the uranophane group, and implications for Np incorporation in uranyl minerals
  11. High-pressure phase transitions and hydrogen incorporation into MgSiO3 enstatite
  12. High-pressure Raman spectroscopic studies of hydrous wadsleyite II
  13. Carbonate reduction by Fe-S-O melts at high pressure and high temperature
  14. Cancrinite: Crystal structure, phase transitions, and dehydration behavior with temperature
  15. On the structure of palygorskite by mid- and near-infrared spectroscopy
  16. Free energy of formation of zircon and hafnon
  17. In-situ AFM study of smectite dissolution under alkaline conditions at room temperature
  18. Angular dependence of potassium K-edge XANES spectra of trioctahedral micas: Significance for the determination of the local structure and electronic behavior of the interlayer site
  19. Mössbauer characterization of upper mantle ferrikaersutite
  20. The crystal structure of piergorite-(Ce), Ca8Ce2(Al0.5 Fe3+ 0.5)Σ1(□,Li,Be)2Si6B8O36(OH,F)2: A new borosilicate from Vetralla, Italy, with a modified hellandite-type chain
  21. Native gold and native copper grains enclosed by olivine phenocrysts in a picrite lava of the Emeishan large igneous province, SW China
  22. Comprehensive chemical analyses of a cordierite from Kiranur, South India, and of an ilvaite from Serifos, Greece: Two new microprobe reference samples
  23. Vibrational spectroscopy of brucite: A molecular simulation investigation
  24. Letter. Terrestrial analogs of martian sulfates: Major and minor element systematics of alunite-jarosite from Goldfield, Nevada
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