Poughite
A valid IMA mineral species
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About Poughite
Dr. Frederick Harvey Pough
Formula:
Fe3+2(TeO3)2(SO4)(H2O)2 · H2O
Colour:
Dark yellow, honey-yellow, lemon-yellow, brownish yellow, greenish yellow
Hardness:
2½
Specific Gravity:
3.758
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Name:
Named in 1968 by Richard Venable Gaines in honor of Dr. Frederick Harvey Pough (June 26, 1906 Brooklyn, New York, USA - April 7, 2006 Rochester, New York, USA), American mineralogist, curator of Mineralogy of the American Museum of Natural History, director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and author of Petersen's Field Guide to Minerals.
This page provides mineralogical data about Poughite.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
3273
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:3273:1
Similar Names
| Houghite | A variety of Hydrotalcite | Mg6Al2(OH)16[CO3] · 4H2O |
IMA Classification of Poughite
Approved
IMA Formula:
Fe3+2(Te4+O3)2S6+O4·3H2O
Approval year:
1966
First published:
1968
Classification of Poughite
4.JN.10
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
N : Tellurites with additional anions, with H2O
4 : OXIDES (Hydroxides, V[5,6] vanadates, arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites, iodates)
J : Arsenites, antimonites, bismuthites, sulfites, selenites, tellurites; iodates
N : Tellurites with additional anions, with H2O
34.8.1.1
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
8 : Compound Selenites, Tellurites and Sulfites
34 : SELENITES, TELLURITES AND SULFITES
8 : Compound Selenites, Tellurites and Sulfites
28.3.24
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
28 : Selenites, Selenates, Tellurites, and Tellurates
3 : Tellurites
Mineral Symbols
As of 2021 there are now IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols (abbreviations) for each mineral species, useful for tables and diagrams.
| Symbol | Source | Reference for Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Pgh | IMA–CNMNC | Warr, L.N. (2021). IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols. Mineralogical Magazine, 85(3), 291-320. doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.43 |
Pronunciation of Poughite
Pronunciation:
| Play | Recorded by | Country |
|---|---|---|
| Jolyon Ralph | United Kingdom |
Physical Properties of Poughite
Transparency:
Translucent
Colour:
Dark yellow, honey-yellow, lemon-yellow, brownish yellow, greenish yellow
Hardness:
2½ on Mohs scale
Cleavage:
Perfect
{010}, perfect; on {101}, good.
{010}, perfect; on {101}, good.
Density:
3.758 g/cm3 (Measured) 3.775 g/cm3 (Calculated)
Optical Data of Poughite
Type:
Biaxial (-)
RI values:
nα = 1.72(1) nβ = 1.985(1) nγ = 1.990(1)
2V:
Measured: 15° to 20°, Calculated: 14°
Max. Birefringence:
δ = 0.270
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Based on recorded range of RI values above.
Interference Colours:
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
The colours simulate birefringence patterns seen in thin section under crossed polars. They do not take into account mineral colouration or opacity.
Michel-Levy Bar The default colours simulate the birefringence range for a 30 µm thin-section thickness. Adjust the slider to simulate a different thickness.
Grain Simulation You can rotate the grain simulation to show how this range might look as you rotated a sample under crossed polars. Each grain retains its interference colour (retardation) while its brightness falls to black at extinction and reaches a maximum between extinction positions.
Surface Relief:
Very High (positive)
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
Relative to Canada balsam mounting medium (n ≈ 1.537).
This shows the grain boundary and Becke line effect under plane-polarised
light, based on the contrast between this mineral's average refractive
index and the mounting medium. It does not take into account mineral
colouration.
In focus
Interference Figure:
This shows the idealized biaxial acute bisectrix (Bxa) interference figure
- the conoscopic view for a grain cut perpendicular to the acute bisectrix, using
this mineral's 2V. The two small white dots mark the melatopes - the points
where the two optic axes emerge - and are shown only when they fall within the
field of view. The coloured bands are isochromatics, and the dark bands are
isogyres.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Rotate the stage: at 0°/90° the isogyres form a cross through the melatopes; at 45° they pull apart into curved hyperbolas. That splitting on rotation - absent in a uniaxial figure - is the standard diagnostic test for telling biaxial minerals from uniaxial ones. If 2V is large, the melatopes may fall outside the field of view, as they often do at the microscope too.
Dispersion:
relatively strong
Pleochroism:
Strong
Comments:
X = colorless; Y = pale greenish yellow; Z = pale yellow
Chemistry of Poughite
Mindat Formula:
Fe3+2(TeO3)2(SO4)(H2O)2 · H2O
Element Weights:
Crystallography of Poughite
Crystal System:
Orthorhombic
Class (H-M):
mm2 - Pyramidal
Cell Parameters:
a = 9.66(2) Å, b = 14.20(2) Å, c = 7.86(2) Å
Ratio:
a:b:c = 0.68 : 1 : 0.554
Unit Cell V:
1,078.17 ų (Calculated from Unit Cell)
Z:
4
Morphology:
Drusy crusts and small botryoidal rosettes. Crystals are diamond shaped, with a tabular habit similar to that of barite and flattened parallel to (010). Forms include {010}, {101}, {011}, {120}, and {100}.
Comment:
Space Group: P21nb.
Crystal Structure
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Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
Unit Cell | Unit Cell Packed
2x2x2 | 3x3x3 | 4x4x4
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CIF File Best | x | y | z | a | b | c
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Data courtesy of the American Mineralogist Crystal Structure Database. Click on an AMCSD ID to view structure
| ID | Species | Reference | Link | Year | Locality | Pressure (GPa) | Temp (K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0018500 | Poughite | Kampf A R, Mills S J (2011) The role of hydrogen in tellurites: crystal structure refinements of juabite, poughite and rodalquilarite Journal of Geosciences 56 235-247 | 2011 | Tambo mine, Coquimbo Regioin, Chile | 0 | 293 | |
| 0015638 | Poughite | Pertlik F (1971) Die kristallstruktur von poughit, Fe2[TeO3]2[SO4]*3H2O Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen 15 279-290 | 1971 | synthetic | 0 | 293 |
CIF Raw Data - click here to close
X-Ray Powder Diffraction
Powder Diffraction Data:
| d-spacing | Intensity |
|---|---|
| 7.10 Å | (100) |
| 5.74 Å | (100) |
| 3.239 Å | (70) |
| 3.564 Å | (60) |
| 3.336 Å | (60) |
| 3.053 Å | (60) |
| 2.940 Å | (50) |
Comments:
The data are from the type description.
Geological Environment
Paragenetic Mode(s):
| Paragenetic Mode | Earliest Age (Ga) |
|---|---|
| Stage 7: Great Oxidation Event | <2.4 |
| 47a : [Near-surface hydration of prior minerals] | |
| 47b : [Sulfates and sulfites] |
Type Occurrence of Poughite
Co-Type Localities:
General Appearance of Type Material:
Brownish yellow drusy crusts and small botryoidal rosettes.
Place of Conservation of Type Material:
Natural History Museum, Paris, France, number 175.77.
American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA, number 16832.
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, number 109696.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, numbers 128388, 164338–164340.
American Museum of Natural History, New York City, New York, USA, number 16832.
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, number 109696.
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., USA, numbers 128388, 164338–164340.
Geological Setting of Type Material:
Alteration product ina tellurium deposit.
Associated Minerals at Type Locality:
Synonyms of Poughite
Other Language Names for Poughite
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 12 photos of Poughite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 5 photos of Poughite associated with Native Tellurium | Te |
| 3 photos of Poughite associated with Zemannite | Mg0.5ZnFe3+(Te4+O3)3 · 4.5H2O |
| 3 photos of Poughite associated with Eztlite | Pb2+2Fe3+3(Te4+ O3)3(SO4)O2Cl |
| 3 photos of Poughite associated with Jarosite | KFe3+3(SO4)2(OH)6 |
| 2 photos of Poughite associated with Native Gold | Au |
| 2 photos of Poughite associated with Emmonsite | Fe3+2(TeO3)3 · 2H2O |
| 1 photo of Poughite associated with Baryte | BaSO4 |
| 1 photo of Poughite associated with Rodalquilarite | Fe2(TeO2OH)3(TeO3)Cl |
| 1 photo of Poughite associated with Mackayite | Fe3+(Te4+2O5)(OH) |
Related Minerals - Strunz-mindat Grouping
| 4.JN. | Tombstoneite | (Ca0.5Pb0.5)Pb3Cu2+6Te6+2O6(Te4+O3)6(Se4+O3)2(SO4)2 · 3H2O |
| 4.JN. | Ozernovskite | Fe3+4(Te4+O4)(Te4+O3)4 · 7H2O |
| 4.JN. | Shenganfuite | PbTe4+3O5(OH)Cl3(H2O) |
| 4.JN.05 | Sonoraite | Fe3+(TeO3)(OH) · H2O |
| 4.JN.15 | Cesbronite | Cu2+3Te6+O4(OH)4 |
| 4.JN.20 | Eztlite | Pb2+2Fe3+3(Te4+ O3)3(SO4)O2Cl |
| 4.JN.30 | Juabite | CaCu10(TeO3)4(AsO4)4(OH)2 · 4H2O |
| 4.JN.35 | Eurekadumpite | (Cu,Zn)16(TeO3)2(AsO4)3Cl(OH)18 · 7H2O |
| 4.JN.40 | Tamboite | Fe3+3(OH)(H2O)2(SO4)(Te4+O3)3(Te4+O(OH)2)(H2O)3 |
| 4.JN.40 | Metatamboite | Fe3+3(OH)(H2O)2(SO4)(Te4+O3)3(Te4+O(OH)2)(H2O) |
Other Information
Notes:
Easily soluble in hydrochloric acid and slowly soluble in hot dilute sulfuric acid. Adding a drop of barium chloride solution to the hydrochloric acid solution of poughite yields a milky white precipitate (baryte), indicating sulfate.
Health Risks:
No information on health risks for this material has been entered into the database. You should always treat mineral specimens with care.
Internet Links for Poughite
mindat.org URL:
https://www.mindat.org/min-3273.html
Please feel free to link to this page.
Please feel free to link to this page.
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References for Poughite
Reference List:
Gaines, Richard V. (1968) Poughite, a new tellurite mineral from Mexico and Honduras. American Mineralogist, 53 (7-8) 1075-1080
Pertlik, F. (1971) Die Kristallstruktur von Poughit, Fe2[TeO3]2[SO4]·3H2O. TMPM Tschermaks Mineralogische und Petrographische Mitteilungen, 15 (4) 279-290 doi:10.1007/bf01082985
II, Hiroyuki, OKADA, Akihiko (1991) Poughite, Frohbergite and Melonite from the Kobetsuzawa Mine, Sapporo, Hokkaido. Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Japan, 20 (3) 89-92 doi:10.2465/gkk1952.20.89
Localities for Poughite
Showing 21 localities.
symbol to view information about a locality.
The Locality List
- This locality has map coordinates listed.
- This locality has estimated coordinates.
ⓘ - Click for references and further information on this occurrence.
? - Indicates mineral may be doubtful at this locality.
- Good crystals or important locality for species.
- World class for species or very significant.
(TL) - Type Locality for a valid mineral species.
(FRL) - First Recorded Locality for everything else (eg varieties).
All localities listed without proper references should be considered as questionable.
Chile | |
| Samples analysed by Dr. Jochen Schlüter (Hamburg University) |
| Gebhard (1995) | |
| maurizio dini - analysed material +1 other reference |
| Alain Hanson collection +2 other references | |
Honduras (TL) | |
| Rocks & Min.:64:48. +1 other reference |
Japan | |
| Ii and Okada (1990) +3 other references |
| Takashi Yamada et al. (1999) +2 other references |
Mexico | |
| Panczner (1987) |
| |
| Braith et al. (2001) | |
| Gaines (1968) +1 other reference |
Russia | |
| Pekov et al. (2026) |
Spain | |
| Sintes et al. (2025) |
USA | |
| Marek Chorazewicz (2026) |
| Desor (06/2021) | |
| ... |
| Eckel et al. (1997) |
| Collected by Bob Housley and Raman ... |
| Kampf et al. (2022) | |
| Northrop et al. (1996) |
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Dique 2, Cerro del Cinto, Rodalquilar, Níjar, Almería, Andalusia, Spain