What is "goethite"

goethite \goethite\ n. (Miner.) an oxide of iron.

Syn: gothite.

n. (context mineral English) An iron oxyhydroxide that is the main constituent of rust.

n. a red or yellow or brown mineral; an oxide of iron that is a common constituent of rust [syn: gothite]

Goethite (FeO(OH)), named after the German polymath and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), an iron bearing hydroxide mineral of the diaspore group, is found in soil and other low-temperature environments. Goethite has been well known since ancient times for its use as a pigment (brown ochre). Evidence has been found of its use in paint pigment samples taken from the caves of Lascaux in France. It was first described in 1806 based on samples found in the Hollertszug Mine in Herdorf, Germany.

In 2003, nanoparticulate authigenic goethite was shown to be the most common diagenetic iron oxyhydroxide in both marine and lake sediments.