TURGITE

 

The exact nature of the material called turgite is not agreed upon.  Some mineralogists consider turgite to not be mineral, rather it's a mixture of hematite and goethite resulting from goethite alteration.  Others regard turgite as a hydrous hematite mineral (2Fe2O3·H2O).  Regardless, turgite is fascinating and beautiful material.  Turgite often occurs as rainbow-colored iridescent coatings on iron oxide-rich rocks or rocks having surficial iron oxide staining.  It can also occur as irregularly botryoidal masses.

 

 

Turgite on chert ("flint") (field of view 3.2 cm across).

Stratigraphy: Vanport Flint, Allegheny Group, Desmoinesian, upper Middle Pennsylvanian.

Locality: Nethers Flint Quarries, eastern Flint Ridge, east-central Ohio, USA.

 


 

Turgite on chert ("flint") (field of view 2.3 cm across).

Stratigraphy & Locality: same as above.

Specimen owned by Matt Murphy.

 


 

Turgite on chert ("flint") (5.7 cm across at its widest).

Stratigraphy & Locality: same as above.

Specimen owned by Matt Murphy.

 


Turgite on chert ("flint") - closeup of above specimen (field of view 2.25 cm across).

Stratigraphy & Locality: same as above.

Specimen owned by Matt Murphy.

 


 

Turgite on chert ("flint") (field of view 2.8 cm across).

Stratigraphy & Locality: same as above.

 


 

Turgite on chert ("flint") (field of view 2.3 cm across).

Stratigraphy & Locality: same as above.

Specimen owned by Matt Murphy.

 


 

Turgite on chert ("flint") (1.5 cm across).

Stratigraphy & Locality: same as above.

Specimen owned by Nicole Byrd.

 


 

Turgite - botryoidal mass lining a rock cavity from the Mt. Fuji Pocket at Graves Mountain, Lincoln County, Georgia, USA.

 


 

Turgite from the Isle of Elba, Italy (Wayne State University collection, Detroit, Michigan, USA).

 


 

Photo gallery of turgite

 


 

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