Sulgetakse

Sulgetakse is a fictional mineral species described in mineralogy literature as a sulfur-rich hydrosulfate-sulfide mineral. It is used as a case study in hydrothermal rock formation and mineral classification, helping to illustrate how complex sulfur-bearing minerals are identified and described.

The name combines the element sulfur with a fictional locality-derived toponym, Getakse, chosen to reflect the mineral’s sulfur-rich character and its purported origin. The naming convention mirrors real-world practices in which new minerals are named for chemical features and discovery sites.

Sulgetakse was first described in 1987 by a field team led by Dr. Elena Vaskov during mapping of hydrothermal veins in the Getakse region. The description emphasized its variable composition and the context of high-temperature fluid interactions that produce sulfur-bearing minerals in metamorphosed terranes.

Composition and structure are consistent with a monoclinic crystal system. Crystals are typically small, up to about 2–4 mm, with colors ranging from pale yellow to brown and a vitreous to resinous luster. Hardness is about 3.5–4 on the Mohs scale, and density is near 3.2 g/cm³. The empirical formula is given as approximately (Fe2+, Mg)S2O5(OH)6, with possible substitutions for iron and magnesium and minor trace elements. The structure is described as containing chains of edge-sharing octahedra linked with sulfur-oxide groups.

Occurrence and formation are attributed to quartz-bearing hydrothermal veins within metamorphosed ultramafic rocks, forming under sulfur-rich fluid conditions at temperatures around 250–350°C. It is commonly associated with minerals such as pyrrhotite, calcite, and chlorite.

In science and education, sulgetakse is discussed for its sulfur redox chemistry and potential implications for battery materials and catalysis, while remaining primarily a subject of theoretical and instructional study rather than an industrial commodity.