The most common metal sulfide mineral is pyrite (FeS2). When exposed to surface weathering, pyrite, as well as other metal sulfides, reacts with the oxygen in air in the presence of water, forming an acidic ferrous sulfate solution:
The resulting “ Acid Rock Drainage ” (see entry) is produced by numerous chemical and microbiological processes within a complex hydrogeological environment. For details, see entry “ Sulfide Mineral Oxidation .” In aquatic settings, pyrite oxidation may result in the remobilization and subsequent enrichment of sedimentary sulfide iron. Please refer to entry “ Iron Sulfide Formation ” for further reading.
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Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (2011). Pyrite Oxidation. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_170
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