Yaroshevskite, Cu9O2(VO4)4Cl2, a new mineral from the Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia

Scientists have discovered yaroshevskite, a new mineral with the ideal formula Cu9O2(VO4)4Cl2, found in sublimates from the Yadovitaya fumarole at Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. This opaque, black mineral forms prismatic crystals and exhibits unique structural characteristics, including corrugated layers of copper-oxygen squares connected via vanadium oxide tetrahedra and chlorine ions. The discovery was made through electron microprobe analysis and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing a triclinic crystal structure with no observed pleochroism or bireflectance. Yaroshevskite's composition includes significant amounts of copper, vanadium, and chlorine, with trace elements such as zinc, iron, arsenic, and molybdenum. The mineral is named in honor of Russian geochemist Alexei A. Yaroshevsky for his contributions to geochemistry.

Pekov, I. V., Zubkova, N. V., Zelenski, M. E., Yapaskurt, V. O., Polekhovsky, Yu. S., Fadeeva, O. A., & Pushcharovsky, D. Yu. (2013). Yaroshevskite, Cu₉O₂(VO₄)₄Cl₂, a new mineral from the Tolbachik volcano, Kamchatka, Russia. Mineralogical Magazine, 77(1), 107–116. https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2013.077.1.10