The mineral found in a Russian volcano is never seen before.

Although a volcano is generally regarded by us as a source of destruction, this fiery phenomenon also leads to creation. Russian researchers in their new study stumbled upon one of these creations: a mysterious mineral that had never been seen before. It is a very attractive and vibrant bluish green crystallized material. The research team called it petrovite.

Discovery of a new mineral

The team discovered the mysterious new mineral atop Tolbachik volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula. The history of the eruptions of this volcano dates back several thousand years, but it made itself known in two events. One such event was the “Great Tolbachik Fissure Eruption” during 1975-1976 and a smaller one during 2012-13.

The eruption during the first event was so massive that it led to the formation of several cinder cones in the volcanic region. The landscape became rocky and was a rich source of never-before-seen mineral and fumarole deposits. The Tolbachik volcanic region is known for the 130 type section minerals that have recently been found here, including petrovite. Petrovite is a sulfate mineral that looks like a globular aggregate of tabular crystals with gases between them.

The newly discovered mineral was found in 2000, near the second cinder cone formed by the 1975 eruption and has been stored for later analysis. Even though it’s been a few years, new analysis has found that this particular mineral has a strange molecular structure never seen before. The Cu atom in Petrovite is attached to 7 oxygen atoms, which is very unusual. Lead researcher and crystallographer Stanislav Filatov of the University of St. Petersburg explains: “This type of connection is seen in a handful of compounds and also in saranchinaite.

Unusual crystal structure

Saranchinaite is also another mineral discovered a few years ago in Tolbachik and also has its own particular color. In the case of petrovite, crystallization is thought to occur by direct precipitation from volcanic gases. It forms as bluish microscopic crystalline crusts around a delicate pyroclastic substance. Chemically, the crystal structure of petrovite is unique although it resembles saranchinaite, from which it is assumed to be formed.

The petrovite molecular network has atoms of oxygen, sodium sulfur and copper. This network of atoms has pores that show interconnected lanes through which sodium ions can move freely. Because of such behavior and replicating the network in a laboratory, the team believes it can lead to vital applications in materials science. In particular, it may allow us to develop new methods for producing cathodes for batteries and electrical equipment.

Filatov states: “Right now, the main problem with such an application is the small amount of a transition element, copper, in the crystal network of the mineral. This problem can be solved by developing a compound that has an identical structure to petrovite in a laboratory. “The results of this study are published in Mineralogical magazine.