Sulphate efflorescent minerals from El Jaroso Ravine, Sierra Almagrera-An SEM and Raman spectroscopic study

Two sulphate efflorescent evaporite mineral samples from Jaroso, Spain have been studied by scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. SEM by comparison with known minerals shows the evaporite mineral is a mixture of halotrichite and jarosite, whilst the oxidised mineral is predominantly jarosite. SEM characterises the halotrichite as long narrow crystals and the jarosite as distorted rhombohedral crystals. Raman spectra of the sulphates of K, Mg, Fe(II), Fe(III) are compared with the spectra of halotrichite, jarosite and the two sulphate efflorescent samples. The efflorescent sample was proven by Raman spectroscopy to be a mixture of halotrichite and jarosite and the oxidised efflorescent sample to be jarosite and a complex mixture of sulphates.