a = 14.077 Å, b = 6.509 Å, c = 11.054 Å; β = 105.6°; Z = 4
Identification
Color
Green, pale green, greenish blue, bluish green, colorless
Crystal habit
Encrustations and capillary efflorescences; rarely as equant pseudo-octahedral, prismatic or tabular crystals
Cleavage
{001} Perfect, {110} Distinct
Fracture
Conchoidal
Mohs scale hardness
2
Luster
Vitreous
Streak
White
Diaphaneity
Subtransparent to translucent
Specific gravity
1.89 – 1.9
Optical properties
Biaxial (+)
Refractive index
nα = 1.470 – 1.471 nβ = 1.477 – 1.480 nγ = 1.486
References
[2][3][4][5]
Melanterite is a mineral form of hydrous iron(II) sulfate: FeSO4·7H2O. It is the iron analogue of the copper sulfate chalcanthite. It alters to siderotil by loss of water. It is a secondary sulfate mineral which forms from the oxidation of primary sulfide minerals such as pyrite and marcasite in the near-surface environment. It often occurs as a post mine encrustation on old underground mine surfaces. It also occurs in coal and lignite seams exposed to humid air[3] and as a rare sublimate phase around volcanic fumaroles.[5] Associated minerals include pisanite, chalcanthite, epsomite, pickeringite, halotrichite and other sulfate minerals.[5]
Melanterite is a mineral form of hydrous iron(II) sulfate: FeSO4·7H2O. It is the iron analogue of the copper sulfate chalcanthite. It alters to siderotil...
replacement of the copper ion by either manganese as jokokuite, iron as melanterite, or magnesium as pentahydrite. Other names include blue stone, blue vitriol...
found in certain bodies of salt water. It occurs in association with melanterite, gypsum, halotrichite, pickeringite, alunogen, rozenite, and mirabilite...
pyrite, marcasite, halotrichite, pickeringite, epsomite, potash alum, melanterite and gypsum. The crystallochemical formula, can be written as: [Al(H2O)6]2(SO4)3...
glauconite, melanterite, and celadonite can also give soil a green color. Glauconite soils form from select marine sedimentary rocks, while melanterite soils...
sublimate. It is associated with jarosite, KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6, and cuprian melanterite (pisanite), (Fe2+,Cu2+)SO4·7H2O, at Quetena, Chile. Warr, L.N. (2021)...
United States, and is named for its zinc content and its resemblance to melanterite. Warr, L.N. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical...
R (February 2006). "Alpersite (Mg,Cu)SO4·7H2O, a new mineral of the melanterite group, and cuprian pentahydrite: Their occurrence within mine waste"...
humidity at less than 21 °C (70 °F) as an alteration of copper-free melanterite, which is a post mine alteration product of pyrite or marcasite. It also...
hydrates. III. The determination of the crystal structure of FeSO4(H2O)7 (melanterite)". Acta Crystallographica. 17 (9): 1167–1174. doi:10.1107/S0365110X64003000...
hydrous iron sulfate forms a white powder consisting of the mineral melanterite, FeSO4·7H2O. This disintegration of marcasite in mineral collections...
minerals that can be produced by reactions with pyrite include anhydrite, melanterite, rozenite, jarosite, and alunite. The reactions have generated a heave...
fumaroles and in caves. It occurs with kalinite, alunogen, epsomite, melanterite, copiapite and gypsum. It was first described in 1844 for an occurrence...
sulfates (szomolnokite and possibly kieserite), hydroxylated iron sulfates (melanterite and hydronium jarosite), and possibly anhydrous iron sulfates (mikasaite)...
hydrate mineral with formula: FeSO4·5H2O which forms by the dehydration of melanterite. Copper commonly occurs substituting for iron in the structure. It typically...
also commonly forms crystals with gypsum in a ghost crystal pattern. Melanterite can also be found forming with blue, hair-like crystals extending through...
oxidation of pyrite. It also occurs rarely with fumaroles. It occurs with melanterite, alunogen, fibroferrite, halotrichite, botryogen, butlerite and amarantite...
making it a secondary mineral. It is associated with gypsum, wulfenite, melanterite, halotrichite, molybdite, molybdenite, jordisite, and other oxidized...
pyrite-manganese ores at Chvaletice. It was found in association with melanterite (it can form by partial dehydration), Mg-jokouite, Mg-ilesite, rozenite...
Cornarius J. Basileae: Froben. pp. 454–455. Book V: Minerals, description of melanterite (50 AD) and chalcanthite (70 AD). Naturalis Historia [The Natural History]:...
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