Rikkovissa

Rikkovissa is a fictional mineral resource used in Nordic science fiction and world-building. The term is not found in natural science references and is commonly employed as a narrative device to illustrate mineral economics, supply chains, and regional geology within imagined settings.

In most depictions rikkovissa is described as a high-grade nickel–copper sulfide ore with trace cobalt and platinum-group elements. The ore is said to have a distinctive metallic luster that ranges from dark steel to a greenish weathering patina, and it often occurs in irregular disseminations within metamorphic or ultramafic rocks.

Geology and occurrence: In the fictional geography, rikkovissa deposits form in ancient tectonic belts during deep-crust magmatic differentiation. They are typically linked to ultramafic intrusions and associated with minerals such as pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. The proposed geologic age for many deposits is Precambrian to early Paleozoic in the stories.

Extraction and processing: Miners use open-pit methods where geologic mapping indicates disseminated ore. Concentration is achieved by flotation, producing a nickel–copper rich concentrate, which is processed in smelters and refineries to yield pure nickel and copper metal and byproducts like cobalt and PGEs. Environmental considerations are often a plot element.

Economy and culture: Because rikkovissa is limited and geographically concentrated, it features in geopolitics, alliances, and technological rivalries within narrative worlds. It is frequently used to explore supply-chain resilience, strategic reserves, and the ethics of mining in sensitive ecosystems.

See also: ore, mineral, geological resources, world-building, science fiction.