Mineraalirühma

Mineraalirühma refers to a classification system used for minerals, grouping them based on their dominant anion or anionic group. This system is a fundamental aspect of mineralogy, providing a logical framework for understanding the vast diversity of mineral substances. The primary mineraalirühma include native elements, sulfides, sulfosalts, oxides, hydroxides, carbonates, nitrates, borates, phosphates, arsenates, vanadates, silicates, and organic minerals.

Each mineraalirühma is characterized by the presence of a specific chemical radical or element that plays a key role in the mineral's structure and properties. For instance, the silicate group is the largest and most diverse, defined by the presence of the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron (SiO4) as its fundamental building block. Minerals within the same mineraalirühma often share similar physical and chemical characteristics, such as cleavage, hardness, and optical properties, which can be attributed to their shared anionic components and structural arrangements.

This classification is crucial for mineral identification and for studying geological processes. By understanding which mineraalirühma a mineral belongs to, geologists and mineralogists can infer its likely formation environment, its potential occurrence with other minerals, and its economic significance. The mineraalirühma system is continuously refined as new mineral species are discovered and characterized, reflecting the ongoing progress in the field of mineralogy.