Mineral Database

Mineral Database
Mineralogy of Wales

Taenite

Crystal System: Cubic
Formula: (Fe,Ni)
Status of Occurrence: Confirmed Occurrence
Distribution: Rare
Chemical Composition: Nickel-iron alloy with 27 to 65 % nickel content.
Method(s) of Verification: Pontllyfni meteorite - EMPA (Graham et al., 1977)
Geological Context:
  • Igneous
Introduction: taenite is found in metalliferous meteorites and may be associated with other alloys of iron, nickel and cobalt (especially kamacite) and sulphides. Ataxite meteorites are almost entirely composed of taenite.
Occurrence in Wales: the Welsh occurrence of taenite is related to one of very few meteorite falls actually recovered from Wales. The meteorite fell on April 14th, 1931 at 11:53am on Coch-y-Bug Farm, Pontllyfni, Gwynedd and a fragment of 5 oz was recovered (King, 1932). For more data on this event, (see About Mineralogy section, meteorite page).
Key Localities:
  • Coch-y-Bug Farm, Pontllyfni, Gwynedd: taenite is present in this forsterite chondrite meteorite, along with daubreelite, troilite and taenite, as inclusions varying from 100 µm to 1 mm across. The sulphides and metals make up 46 wt% of the meteorite, and are intergrown with olivine and orthopyroxene (Graham et al., 1977).
References:
  • Graham, A.L., Easton, A.J. & Hutchison, R., 1977 Forsterite chondrites; the meterorites Kakangari, Mount Morris (Wisconsin), Pontlyfni, and Winona.  Mineralogical Magazine, 41, 201-210.
  • King, A., 1932 The meteorite of 1931 April 14.  Journal of the British Astronomical Association, vol 42, 328-332.