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Goethite

Big Photo

Serra da Mina, Cercal (Cercal do Alentejo), Santiago do Cacém, Setúbal District, Portugal
© Martins da Pedra

Show Goethite Photos (1068)
Formula:
α-Fe
3+
 
O(OH)
System:OrthorhombicColour:brownish black, ...
Hardness:5 - 5½
Name:
For German poet, novelist, playwrighter, philosopher and geoscientist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832).


Diaspore Group.

Classification of Goethite

IMA status:Approved
Strunz 8th edition ID:4/F.06-30
Nickel-Strunz 10th (pending) edition ID:4.FD.10

4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
F : Hydroxides (without V or U)
D : Hydroxides with OH, without H2O; chains of edge-sharing octahedra
Dana 8th edition ID:6.1.1.2

6 : HYDROXIDES AND OXIDES CONTAINING HYDROXYL
1 : XO(OH)
Hey's CIM Ref.:7.20.5

7 : Oxides and Hydroxides
20 : Oxides of Fe
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Type Occurrence of Goethite

Type Locality:Hollertszug Mine, Herdorf, Siegerland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
Year of Discovery:1806

Occurrences of Goethite

Geological Setting:Common weathering product, primary hydrothermal mineral, bog and marine environments.

Physical Properties of Goethite

Lustre:Adamantine, Silky, Metallic, Dull
Diaphaneity (Transparency):Opaque
Colour:brownish black, yellow-brown, reddish brown
Streak:yellowish brown, orange-yellow, ocher-yellow
Hardness (Mohs):5 - 5½
Hardness (Vickers):VHN100=667 kg/mm2
Tenacity:Brittle
Cleavage:Perfect
{010}; {100} less perfect.
Fracture:Irregular/Uneven
Density (measured):4.27 - 4.29 g/cm3
Density (calculated):4.18 g/cm3

Crystallography of Goethite

Crystal System:Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):mmm (2/m 2/m 2/m) - Dipyramidal
Cell Parameters:a = 4.608Å, b = 9.956Å, c = 3.0215Å
Ratio:a:b:c = 0.463 : 1 : 0.303
Unit Cell Volume:V 138.62 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:4
Morphology:Prismatic [001] and striated [001]; also flattened into tablets or scales on {010}. Velvety aggregates of capillary crystals to acicular [001] and long prismatic forms often radially grouped. Massive, reniform, botryoidal, stalactitic. Bladed or columnar. Compact or fibrous concretionary nodules. Oolitic.
Crystal Atlas:
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Goethite no.4 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)
Goethite no.29 - Goldschmidt (1913-1926)

About Crystal Atlas

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X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
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Radiation - Copper Kα
Data Set:
Horizontal Axis: ° to ° Vertical Axis: % Source Data: Filtered Data: Peaks:
Data courtesy of RRUFF project at University of Arizona, used with permission.
X-Ray Powder Diffraction:
d-spacingIntensity
4.98 (12)
4.183 (100)
2.693 (35)
2.450 (50)
2.253 (14)
2.190 (18)

Optical Data of Goethite

Type:Biaxial (-)
RI values: nα = 2.260 - 2.275 nβ = 2.393 - 2.409 nγ = 2.393 - 2.409
2V:Calculated: 20°
Maximum Birefringence:δ = 0.133 - 0.134

Chart shows birefringence interference colour range (at 30µm thickness) and does not take into account mineral colouration.
Surface Relief:Very High
Dispersion:relatively strong r>v
Pleochroism:Visible
Comments:X = red b/yellow b = clear yellow
Y = red a/yellow c = brown-yellow
Z = red c/yellow a = orange-yellow

Chemical Properties of Goethite

Formula:
α-Fe
3+
 
O(OH)
Essential elements:Fe, H, O
All elements listed in formula:Fe, H, O
Common Impurities:Mn

Relationship of Goethite to other Species

Member of Group:
Diaspore Group:
M
3+
 
O(OH)
Related Minerals - Nickel-Strunz Grouping):

- +
4.FD.05Spertiniite
Cu(OH)
 
2
4.FD.10Bracewellite
CrO(OH)
4.FD.10Diaspore
AlO(OH)
4.FD.10Groutite
Mn
3+
 
O(OH)
4.FD.10Guyanaite
CrO(OH)
4.FD.10Montroseite
(V,Fe)O(OH)
4.FD.10Tsumgallite
GaO(OH)
4.FD.15Manganite
Mn
3+
 
O(OH)
4.FD.20Yttrotungstite-(Y)
YW
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
 
3
4.FD.20Yttrotungstite-(Ce)
(Ce,Nd,Y)W
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
 
3
4.FD.20Unnamed (Nd-analogue of Yttrotungstite-(Ce) )
(Nd,Ce, La)W
 
2
O
 
6
(OH)
 
3
4.FD.25Frankhawthorneite
Cu
 
2
[(OH)
 
2
|TeO
 
4
]
4.FD.30Khinite
Pb
2+
 
Cu
2+
3
(TeO
 
6
)(OH)
 
2
4.FD.30Parakhinite
Pb
2+
 
Cu
2+
3
TeO
 
6
(OH)
 
2
Related Minerals - Hey's Index Grouping:

- +
7.20.1Wüstite
FeO
7.20.2Magnetite
Fe
2+
 
Fe
3+
2
O
 
4
7.20.3Maghemite
Fe
 
2
O
 
3
7.20.4Hematite
Fe
 
2
O
 
3
7.20.6Akaganeite
β-Fe
3+
 
O(OH,Cl)
7.20.7Feroxyhyte
Fe
3+
 
O(OH)
7.20.8Lepidocrocite
γ-Fe
3+
 
O(OH)
7.20.9Ferrihydrite
Fe
 
5
O
 
3
(OH)
 
9
7.20.10Amakinite
(Fe
2+
 
,Mg)(OH)
 
2
7.20.11Magnesioferrite
MgFe
3+
2
O
 
4
7.20.12Muskoxite
Mg
 
7
Fe
 
4
O
 
13
·10H
 
2
O
7.20.13Srebrodolskite
Ca
 
2
Fe
 
2
O
 
5
7.20.14Hercynite
FeAl
 
2
O
 
4
7.20.15Brownmillerite
Ca
 
2
(Al,Fe
3+
 
)
 
2
O
 
5

Other Names for Goethite

Synonyms:
α-GoethiteAllchariteChileit (of Breithaupt)Ehrenwerthite (of Cornu)Fullonite
GötheiteGöthiteHydrohematiteMesabiteMinette
Przibramite (of Glocker)Yanthosiderite
Other Languages:
Basque:Goethita
Catalan:Goethita
Croatian:Getit
Czech:Goethit
Dutch:Goethiet
Estonian:Götiit
Finnish:Götiitti
French:Goethite
German:Goethit
Aëtit
α-Goethit
Allcharit
Fullonit
Götheit
Göthit
Haarförminge Brauneisenstein
Haarförminger Brauneisenstein
Mesabit
Nadeleisenerz
Sammetblende
Samtblende
Samteisenerz
Yanthosiderit
Hebrew:גתיט
Hungarian:Goethit
Italian:Goethite
Goetite
Japanese:針鉄鉱
Lithuanian:Getitas
Polish:Goethyt
Portuguese:Goethita
Romanian:Goetit
Russian:Гетит
Serbian (Cyrillic Script):Гетит
Slovak:Goethit
Spanish:Goethita
α-Goethita
Allcharita
Fullonita
Götheita
Göthita
Hierro pardo
Mesabita
Yanthosiderita
Swedish:Goethit
Thai:เกอไทต์
Ukrainian:Ґетит
Varieties:
AlumogoethiteEhrenwerthite

Other Information

Health Warning:No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Industrial Uses:Iron ore

References for Goethite

Reference List:Posnjak and Merwin (1919), American Journal of Science: 47: 311.

Spencer (1919), Mineralogical Magazine: 18: 339.

Goldzstaub (1935), Bulletin soc. min.: 58: 6.

Palache, Charles, Harry Berman & Clifford Frondel (1944), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana Yale University 1837-1892, Volume I: Elements, Sulfides, Sulfosalts, Oxides. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York. 7th edition, revised and enlarged: 680-685.

Canadian Mineralogist (1967): 9: 122.

Internet Links for Goethite

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  • Raman and XRD data at RRUFF project
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    Localities for Goethite

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