jarosite

[jar-uh-sahyt, juh-roh-sahyt]

noun

1. a yellowish or brownish mineral, a hydrous sulfate of potassium and iron, KFe 3 (SO4 ) 2 (OH) 6 , occurring in small crystals or large masses.

jarosite

/ ˈdʒærəˌsaɪt /

noun

1. a yellow to brown secondary mineral consisting of basic hydrated sulphate of iron and potassium in masses or hexagonal crystals. Formula: KFe 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6

Word History and Origins

Origin of jarosite¹

1850–55; named after Barranco Jaroso (in Almería, Spain); -ite ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of jarosite¹

C19: from Barranco Jaroso, in Almeria, Spain + _-ite ¹

Example Sentences

The sulfate deposit, made mainly of jarosite, a hydrous sulfate, was interpreted to have formed when the blanket of volcanic pyroclastic materials came to rest on a glacier and reacted chemically with the ice.

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A yellow-brown mineral called jarosite—rare on Earth but abundant on Mars—has been identified deep in an Antarctic ice core.

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The discovery made headlines, because jarosite needs water to form, along with iron, sulfate, potassium, and acidic conditions.

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Another idea was that the jarosite was born within massive ice deposits that might have blanketed the planet billions of years ago.

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As ice sheets grew over time, dust would have accumulated within the ice—and may have been transformed into jarosite within slushy pockets between ice crystals.

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