Why Did This Rock Start Burning? The Science Will Shock You!

A very intriguing discovery while checking out an old mine site! It was clear someone had been working the area recently, as there were freshly broken Pyrrhotite rocks left on the surface. Pyrrhotite, an iron sulfide mineral, is well known for its tendency to undergo pyrophoric oxidation — reacting so rapidly with oxygen that it can actually generate enough heat to ignite itself.

It had rained heavily the day before, which likely accelerated the oxidation process. When I arrived, I found a piece of Pyrrhotite on the surface smoking on its own. My theory is that the rock was experiencing pyrophoric oxidation, producing enough heat through rapid iron sulfide oxidation to effectively burn spontaneously — a natural example of ore roasting happening right in the field!
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This video is produced by Dan Hurd, Prospector, Miner, Teacher and YouTuber, as part of his YouTube channel based on educational videos about gold mining, gold panning, prospecting, rock hounding, and mineral collecting.
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