Marcasite

FeS2
c 2001-2005 Mineral Data Publishing, version 1

Crystal Data: Orthorhombic. Point Group: 2/m 2/m 2/m. Crystals typically tabular
on {010}, also pyramidal, prismatic, and, rarely, capillary; curved faces common. Stalactitic,reniform, fine-granular massive; cockscomb and spearhead shapes due to twinning on {101}.
Twinning: Common and repeated on {101}; less common on {011}. Intense twin lamellae
development observed in polished section.
Physical Properties:
Cleavage: {101}, rather distinct; {110} in traces. Tenacity: Brittle.
Hardness = 6–6.5 VHN = 915–1099 (200 g load). D(meas.) = 4.887 D(calc.) = 4.875
Optical Properties: Opaque. Color: Tin-white on fresh surface, pale bronze-yellow,
darkening on exposure, iridescent tarnish. Streak: Grayish or brownish black. Luster: Metallic.
Pleochroism: [100] creamy white; [010] light yellowish white; [001] white with rose-brown tint.
Anisotropism: Very strong, yellow through pale green to dark green.
R1 –R2 : (400) 40.4–44.5, (420) 41.9–45.4, (440) 43.4–47.3, (460) 44.3–50.1, (480) 45.2–52.8, (500)46.3–54.8, (520) 47.7–56.1, (540) 48.9–56.3, (560) 49.5–55.9, (580) 49.6–55.2, (600) 49.5–54.8, (620)
49.2–58.4, (640) 48.7–53.8, (660) 47.9–52.9, (680) 47.2–51.9, (700) 46.6–51.2
Cell Data:

Space Group: P nnm. a = 4.436

b = 5.414

c = 3.381

Z=2

X-ray Powder Pattern: Webb City, Missouri, USA.
2.70 (100), 1.755 (90), 3.43 (60), 2.41 (60), 2.32 (60), 1.911 (50), 1.094 (50)
Chemistry:
FeCuAsS
rem.

(1)
46.53
trace53.300.20

(2)
46.55

(3)
46.55

trace
53.05

53.45

Total 100.03
99.60
100.00(1) Joplin, Missouri, USA; remainder is SiO2 . (2) Jasper, Wyoming, USA. (3) FeS2 .
Polymorphism & Series:
Mineral Group:

Dimorphous with pyrite.

Marcasite group.

Occurrence: Typically formed under low-temperature highly acidic conditions, both insedimentary environments (shales, limestones, and low rank coals) and in hydrothermal veins
formed by ascending solutions.
Association:

Pyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, sphalerite, fluorite, dolomite, calcite.

Distribution: From numerous localities world-wide. In the USA, at Joplin, Jasper Co.,Missouri; Picher and Cardin, Ottawa Co., Oklahoma; and Baxter Springs and Galena, CherokeeCo., Kansas; in Wisconsin, at Mineral Point, Iowa Co., and Racine, Racine Co. In the Czech
Republic, from Vintı́řov, Litmice, Most, Osek, and other places. In Germany, at Clausthal,in the Harz Mountains, and Freiberg and Annaberg, Saxony. In France, at Cap Blanc-Nez,Pas-de-Calais. From England, in the chalk at Kent, and between Folkestone and Dover; atTavistock, Devon. In Mexico, in the Santa Eulalia district, Chihuahua. From Llallagua, Bolivia.
In the Oppu mine, Akita Prefecture, Japan.
Name:

A word of Arabic or Moorish origin, early applied to pyrite and other substances.

References: (1) Palache, C., H. Berman, and C. Frondel (1944) Dana’s system of mineralogy,(7th edition), v. I, 311–315. (2) Brostigen, G., A. Kjekshus, and C. Rømming (1973) Compoundswith the marcasite type crystal structure VIII. Redetermination of the prototype. Acta Chem.
Scand., 27, 2791–2796. (3) Dódony, I., M. Pósfai, and P.R. Buseck (1996) Structural relationshipbetween pyrite and marcasite. Amer. Mineral., 81, 119–125. (4) Berry, L.G. and R.M. Thompson(1962) X-ray powder data for the ore minerals. Geol. Soc. Amer. Mem. 85, 102. (5) Criddle, A.J.
and C.J. Stanley, Eds. (1993) Quantitative data file for ore minerals, 3rd ed. Chapman & Hall,London, 354.
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