Jarosite, KFe3+3(OH)6(SO4)2
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Jarosite, KFe3+3(OH)6(SO4)2 by Rodney Burton as part of the Geograph project.
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Jarosite, KFe3+3(OH)6(SO4)2
Image: © Rodney Burton Taken: 9 Jun 2007
Jarosite is a straw-yellow basic sulphate that forms on the oxidation of iron sulphides (FeS2) in soils and sediments. This soil sample was removed from the subsoil of a trial pit at the Arthur Rickwood Experimental Husbandry Farm, Mepal Fen, Cambs. Oxidation has been brought about by drainage of the land for agriculture and associated features are strong acidity (pH less than 4) caused by the release of sulphuric acid, orange-coloured deposits of ochre in drainage pipes and drains, and aluminium toxicity causing a stunted, deformed root system. Soils with strong acidity formed by this process are known as 'acid sulphate soils'; they are common in the perimarine zone of the Fenland of Eastern England where the original sulphides were supplied by a series of marine transgressions. Jarosite is a prominent feature of mineral sediments such as the Fen Clay but is absent from fen peat which also experiences strong acidification in these areas.
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Image Location
Latitude
52.42305
Longitude
0.106968