Origin of josephinite

Abstract

Josephinite is a nickel-iron alloy-bearing rock from Josephine County, southwestern Oregon. Josephinite had been thought to be the same as the metallic nickel-iron mineral awaruite (KRlSHNARAO, 1962, 1964; ramdohr, 1950), but recently it has been shown to be a complex assemblage of minerals (BIRD and Weathers, 1975a). Although most samples of josephinite are somewhat altered, least-altered josephinite consists of several nickel-iron alloys, one intergrown with andradite garnet, an iron-cobalt alloy, and minor amounts of iron-nickel arsenides, iron-nickel-copper sulphides, and various unidentified phases. The intergrown metal-garent assemblage is apparently unique to josephinite. Alteration phases include Serpentine minerals and magnetite. © 1979, GEOCHEMICAL SOCIETY OF JAPAN. All rights reserved.