Myrmekite
A mixture of two or more distinct mineral species
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About Myrmekite
A symplectic intergrowth of plagioclase feldspar (commonly oligoclase) and vermicular quartz, generally replacing potassium feldspar; formed during the later stages of consolidation in an igneous rock or during a subsequent period of plutonic activity. The quartz occurs as elongate strings or blobs.
Unique Identifiers
Mindat ID:
55154
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:1:55154:6
Common Associates
Associations Based on Photo Data:
| 2 photos of Myrmekite associated with Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
| 2 photos of Myrmekite associated with Quartz | SiO2 |
| 2 photos of Myrmekite associated with Pyroxene Group | ADSi2O6 |
Other Information
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 Myrmekite
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References for Myrmekite
Reference List:
Tronquoy, René (1912) Origine de la myrmékite. Bulletin de Minéralogie, 35 (4) 214-223 doi:10.3406/bulmi.1912.3518
Hills, Edwin Sherbon (1933) An Unusual Occurrence of Myrmekite, and its Significance. Geological Magazine, 70 (7) 294-301 doi:10.1017/s001675680009628x
Spencer, Edmondson (1945) Myrmekite in graphic granite and in vein perthite. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 27 (189) 79-98 doi:10.1180/minmag.1945.027.189.02
Augustithis, S. S. (1962) Non-eutectic, graphic, micrographie and graphic-like "myrmekite" structures and textures. Beiträge zur Mineralogie und Petrographie, 8 (6). 491-498 doi:10.1007/bf01082097
Phillips, Evan R. (1964) Myrmekite and Albite in some Granites of the New England Batholith, new south Wales. Journal of the Geological Society of Australia, 11 (1) 49-60 doi:10.1080/00167616408728558
Hubbard, Fred H. (1966) Myrmekite in charnockite from south-west Nigeria. American Mineralogist, 51 (5-6) 762-773
Shelley, D. (1967) Myrmekite and myrmekite-like intergrowths. Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society, 36 (280) 491-503 doi:10.1180/minmag.1967.036.280.03
Hubbard, Fred. H. (1967) Exsolution Myrmekite. Geologiska Föreningen i Stockholm Förhandlingar, 89 (4) 410-422 doi:10.1080/11035896709448381
Garg, N. K. (1967) Myrmekite in charnockite from Southwest Nigeria: a discussion. American Mineralogist, 52 (5-6) 918-919
Hubbard, Fred H. (1967) Myrmekite in charnockite from Southwest Nigeria: a reply. American Mineralogist, 52 (5-6) 920-923
Phillips, Evan R., Ransom, D. M. (1968) The proportionality of quartz in myrmekite. American Mineralogist, 53 (7-8) 1411-1412
Shelley, David (1969) The proportionality of quartz in. myrmekite: A discussion. American Mineralogist, 54 (5-6) 982-983
Ransom, D. M., Phillips, Evan R. (1969) The proportionality of quartz in myrmekite: A reply. American Mineralogist, 54 (5-6) 984-987
Hubbard, Fred H. (1969) The proportionality of quartz in myrmekite: A contribution to the discussion. American Mineralogist, 54 (5-6) 988-989
Ransom, D. M., Phillips, Evan R. (1969) The proportionality of quartz in myrmekite: A reply. American Mineralogist, 54 (5-6) 984-987
Widenfalk, Lennart (1969) Electron micro-probe analyses of myrmekite plagioclases and coexisting feldspars. Lithos, 2 (3) 295-309 doi:10.1016/s0024-4937(69)80021-6
BARKER, DANIEL S. (1970) Compositions of Granophyre, Myrmekite, and Graphic Granite. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 81 (11) 3339 doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1970)81[3339:cogmag]2.0.co;2
Bhattacharyya, C. (1971) Myrmekite from the Charnockitic Rocks of the Eastern Ghats, India. Geological Magazine, 108 (5) 433-438 doi:10.1017/s0016756800056478
Widenfalk, Lennart (1972) Myrmekite-like intergrowths in larvikite feldspars. Lithos, 5 (3) 255-267 doi:10.1016/0024-4937(72)90074-6
Phillips, Evan R. (1972) Myrmekite from the charnockitic rocks of the Eastern Ghats, India—a discussion. Geological Magazine, 109 (4) 371-372 doi:10.1017/s0016756800037791
Shul'diner, V.I. (1972) The problem of myrmekites. International Geology Review, 14 (4) 354-358 doi:10.1080/00206817209475705
PHILLIPS, EVAN R. (1972) Compositions of Granophyre, Myrmekite, and Graphic Granite: Discussion. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 83 (1) 249 doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1972)83[249:cogmag]2.0.co;2
Phillips, Evan R., Ransom, D. M., Vernon, R. H. (1972) Myrmekite and muscovite developed by retrograde metamorphism at Broken Hill, New South Wales. Mineralogical Magazine, 38 (297) 570-578 doi:10.1180/minmag.1972.038.297.05
Ashworth, J. R. (1972) Myrmekites of Exsolution and Replacement Origins. Geological Magazine, 109 (1) 45-62 doi:10.1017/s0016756800042266
Phillips, E.R., Carr, G.R. (1973) Myrmekite associated with alkali feldspar megacrysts in felsic rocks from New South Wales. Lithos, 6 (3) 245-260 doi:10.1016/0024-4937(73)90085-6
Shelley, David (1973) Myrmekites from the Haast Schists, New Zealand. American Mineralogist, 58 (3-4) 332-338
Phillips, Evan R. (1973) Myrmekites from the Haast Schists, New Zealand: A discussion. American Mineralogist, 58 (7-8) 802-803
Shelley, David (1973) Myrmekites from the Haast Schists, New Zealand: A reply. American Mineralogist, 58 (7-8) 804
Makhlayev, L.V. (1973) In reference to the genesis of myrmekites. International Geology Review, 15 (2) 179-182 doi:10.1080/00206817309475871
Phillips, Evan R. (1973) Myrmekites from the Haast Schists, New Zealand: A discussion. American Mineralogist, 58 (7-8) 802-803
Phillips, Evan R. (1973) Myrmekites of exsolution and replacement origins—a discussion. Geological Magazine, 110 (1) 74-80 doi:10.1017/s001675680004735x
Phillips, Evan R. (1974) Myrmekite — one hundred years later. Lithos, 7 (3) 181-194 doi:10.1016/0024-4937(74)90029-2
Phillips, Evan R., Stone, Ian J. (1974) Reverse zoning between myrmekite and albite in a quartzofeldspathic gneiss from Broken Hill, New South Wales. Mineralogical Magazine, 39 (306) 654-657 doi:10.1180/minmag.1974.039.306.03
HIBBARD, M. J. (1979) Myrmekite as a marker between preaqueous and postaqueous phase saturation in granitic systems. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 90 (11) 1047 doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1979)90<1047:maambp>2.0.co;2
Phillips, Evan R. (1980) On polygenetic myrmekite. Geological Magazine, 117 (1) 29-36 doi:10.1017/s0016756800033070
PHILLIPS, EVAN R. (1980) Myrmekite as a marker between preaqueous and postaqueous phase saturation in granitic systems: Discussion and reply. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 91 (11) 672 doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1980)91<672:maambp>2.0.co;2
HIBBARD, M. J. (1980) Myrmekite as a marker between preaqueous and postaqueous phase saturation in granitic systems: Discussion and replyC. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 91 (11) 673 doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1980)91<673:maambp>2.0.co;2
Nold, John L. (1984) Myrmekite in Belt Supergroup metasedimentary rocks-northeast border zone of the Idaho Batholith. American Mineralogist, 69 (11-12) 1050-1052
Wirth, R.; Voll, G. (1987) Cellular intergrowth between quartz and sodium-rich plagioclase (myrmekite) - an analogue of discontinuous precipitation in metal alloys. Journal of Materials Science, 22 (6). 1913-1918 doi:10.1007/bf01132916
Hopson, R. Forrest, Rarnseyer, Karl (1990) Cathodoluminescence microscopy of myrmekite. Geology, 18 (4) 336 doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<0336:cmom>2.3.co;2
Collins, Lorence G., Hopson, R. Forrest, Ramseyer, Karl (1990) Comment and Reply on "Cathodoluminescence microscopy of myrmekite". Geology, 18 (11) 1163 doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1990)018<1163:carocm>2.3.co;2
Vernon, R.H. (1991) Questions about myrmekite in deformed rocks. Journal of Structural Geology, 13 (9). 979-985 doi:10.1016/0191-8141(91)90050-s
Mathavan, V. (1991) The Origin of Myrmekites in the Granitic Rocks of Ambagaspitiya, Sri Lanka. Journal Geological Society of India, 38 (3). 319-325 doi:10.17491/jgsi/1991/380310
Castle, Robert O., Lindsley, Donald H. (1993) An exsolution silica-pump model for the origin of myrmekite. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 115 (1) 58-65 doi:10.1007/bf00712978
Garcia, Daniel, Pascal, Marie-Lola, Roux, Jacques (1996) Hydrothermal replacement of feldspars in igneous enclaves of the Velay granite and the genesis of myrmekites. European Journal of Mineralogy, 8 (4) 703-718 doi:10.1127/ejm/8/4/0703
Hippertt, João F., Valarelli, José V. (1998) Myrmekite: constraints on the available models and a new hypothesis for its formation. European Journal of Mineralogy, 10 (2) 317-332 doi:10.1127/ejm/10/2/0317
Cesare, B., Marchesi, C., Connolly, J. A. D. (2002) Growth of myrmekite coronas by contact metamorphism of granitic mylonites in the aureole of Cima di Vila, Eastern Alps, Italy. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 20 (1) 203-213 doi:10.1046/j.0263-4929.2001.00351.x
Tsurumi, Junko, Hosonuma, Hiroko, Kanagawa, Kyuichi (2003) Strain localization due to a positive feedback of deformation and myrmekite-forming reaction in granite and aplite mylonites along the Hatagawa Shear Zone of NE Japan. Journal of Structural Geology, 25 (4). 557-574 doi:10.1016/s0191-8141(02)00048-2
MENEGON, L., PENNACCHIONI, G., STÜNITZ, H. (2006) Nucleation and growth of myrmekite during ductile shear deformation in metagranites. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 24 (7) 553-568 doi:10.1111/j.1525-1314.2006.00654.x
Yuguchi, Takashi, Nishiyama, Tadao (2008) The mechanism of myrmekite formation deduced from steady-diffusion modeling based on petrography: Case study of the Okueyama granitic body, Kyushu, Japan. Lithos, 106 (3) 237-260 doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2008.07.017
Efimov, A. A., Flerova, K. V., Maegov, V. I. (2010) The first find of calcic myrmekite (quartz—plagioclase symplektites) in Uralian gabbro. Doklady Earth Sciences, 435 (1) 1450-1455 doi:10.1134/s1028334x10110097
Abart, Rainer; Heuser, David; Habler, Gerlinde (2014) Mechanisms of myrmekite formation: case study from the Weinsberg granite, Moldanubian zone, Upper Austria. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 168 (5). 1074 doi:10.1007/s00410-014-1074-7
De Toni, G.B., Bitencourt, M.F., Nardi, L.V.S. (2016) Strain partitioning into dry and wet zones and the formation of Ca-rich myrmekite in syntectonic syenites: A case for melt-assisted dissolution-replacement creep under granulite facies conditions. Journal of Structural Geology, 91. 88-101 doi:10.1016/j.jsg.2016.08.002
Ceccato, Alberto, Menegon, Luca, Pennacchioni, Giorgio, Morales, Luiz Fernando Grafulha (2018) Myrmekite and strain weakening in granitoid mylonites. Solid Earth, 9 (6). 1399-1419 doi:10.5194/se-9-1399-2018
Cisneros-Lazaro, D. G., Miller, J. A., Baumgartner, L. P. (2019) Role of myrmekite and associated deformation fabrics in controlling development of granitic mylonites in the Pofadder Shear Zone of southern Namibia. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 174 (3) doi:10.1007/s00410-019-1555-9
Song, Yueting, Zhao, Shanrong, Xu, Chang (2021) Crystallographic orientation relationships between quartz and feldspar in myrmekite: a case study in monzodiorite from Meichuan pluton, China. Mineralogical Magazine, 85 (3) 406-415 doi:10.1180/mgm.2021.39
Yuguchi, Takashi, Yuasa, Haruka, Izumino, Yuya, Nakashima, Kazuo, Sasao, Eiji, Nishiyama, Tadao (2022) Micropores and mass transfer in the formation of myrmekites. American Mineralogist, 107 (3) 476-488 doi:10.2138/am-2021-7956
Chakrabarty, Arimita, Karmakar, Shreya, Dutta, Upama, Sanyal, Sanjoy, Sengupta, Pulak (2024) Evidence of fluid-induced myrmekite formation after alkali-feldspar megacrysts: an example from a meta-porphyritic granitoid in Makrohar, Madhya Pradesh, India. Mineralogical Magazine, 88 (3). doi:10.1180/mgm.2023.90
Localities for Myrmekite
Showing 37 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.
Antarctica | |
| Engvik et al. (2024) |
| Engvik et al. (2024) | |
| Engvik et al. (2024) | |
| Engvik et al. (2024) | |
| Thomson (1974) |
Cameroon | |
| Mengou et al. (2025) |
Canada | |
| Breasley et al. (2024) |
| Mvondo et al. (2026) |
Chad | |
| Olivier et al. (2021) |
China | |
| Ma et al. (2025) |
| Fu et al. (2026) |
| Zhang et al. (2017) |
| Meteorlogical Bulletin |
| Zhang et al. (2025) |
Comoros | |
| Strong (1972) +5 other references | |
Czech Republic | |
| Pažout et al. (2026) |
| Dolníček et al. (2023) |
| Krátký et al. (2026) |
Greenland | |
| Harry et al. (1964) |
India | |
| Sahu et al. (2026) |
Ireland | |
| Barros et al. (2022) |
| Barros et al. (2022) | |
Japan | |
| |
Namibia | |
| Swakop Uranium |
| Simpson +5 other references |
New Zealand | |
| Brathwaite et al. (2004) |
Philippines | |
| Giese et al. (1986) |
Poland | |
| Gil et al. (2022) |
Russia | |
| Ganelin (2011) |
| Gvozdev et al. (2020) |
Slovakia | |
| Mikuš et al. (2026) |
South Africa | |
| Maier et al. (2023) |
South China Sea | |
| Lu et al. (2025) |
South Korea | |
| Kim et al. (2005) |
Spain | |
| Fuertes Fuente et al. (1998) |
| González-Jiménez et al. (2026) |
| González-Jiménez et al. (2026) |
Rognstranda, Bamble, Telemark, Norway