WGNHS
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey

Variscite

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Variscite. From the mineral collection of Brigham Young University Department of Geology, Provo, Utah, Mineral Specimens 1167. Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey Denver Library Photographic Collection. (Photo by Andrew Silver.)

Formula: AlPO4.2H2O  Orthorhombic

Description:

Variscite from Clay Canyon, Fairfield, Utah. From the mineral collection of Brigham Young University Department of Geology, Provo, Utah, Mineral Specimens 1162. Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey Denver Library Photographic Collection. (Photo by Andrew Silver.)

Variscite occurs as a groundwater precipitate in aluminum- rich rocks. It is found associated with other phosphate minerals such as apatite, wavellite and crandallite.

DODGE COUNTY: Microscopic colorless to pale pink to yellowish grains of variscite have been identified in oolites from the Mayville iron formation as exposed in outcrops and in old iron mines (sec. 1,12,13 T.11N. R.16E.). (Hawley and Beavan, 1934).

JACKSON COUNTY: Variscite is reported as “finely crystallized material” with wavellite in nodules and veins in the Eau Claire Formation sandstones exposed along East Snow Creek Road (NE NW NW sec. 23 T.22N. R.4W.), about 4 miles north of Black River Falls. (Falster, 1984).