Teesdale puddles - nano-mineral schwertmannite thin-film floaters

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For decades I've seen beautiful iridescent films floating on puddles on the fells of Weardale & Teesdale, and in puddles in scrap-yards. Some of these films were from oil or fuel spillage. I'd always thought the colourful films on the fell's puddles was from hydrocarbons being released from decaying vegetable matter (oils leaching from peat). However, some films brake up into rafts, and are completely different to a fuel or oil spillage.

I've now found out that they are caused by microbial action, and consist of the mineral -

schwertmannite Fe³⁺₁₆O₁₆(OH,SO₄)_12-13·10-12H₂O

I.D. of the mineral was suggested on Mindat, on this thread, which has links to further info.

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