Farringtonite
A magnesium phosphate found in pallasites, formed where phosphorus from metal met olivine.
Key facts
- Formula
- Mg3(PO4)2
- Family
- Phosphates
- Crystal system
- Monoclinic
- First described
- the Springwater pallasite, 1961
Farringtonite was described in 1961 from the Springwater pallasite, found in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is named after Oliver Farrington, a meteorite curator at the Field Museum in Chicago. It has been found on Earth only in a few unusual settings.
What it is
Farringtonite is a simple phosphate of magnesium. It forms when phosphorus, dissolved in iron metal, is oxidised and combines with magnesium from olivine.
Where it is found
It occurs at the boundaries between metal and olivine in some pallasites, with other phosphates such as stanfieldite.
How it is recognised
It is colourless to waxy yellow and identified by its chemistry.
Did you know?
Pallasite phosphates record the oxidation of phosphorus at the core–mantle boundary of their parent bodies.
Oliver Farrington wrote one of the first catalogues of North American meteorites.