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Formula: V4+O(SO4)
Sulphate, vanadium-bearing mineral
Crystal System: Orthorhombic
Specific gravity: 3.36 measured, 3.294 calculated
Hardness: 3 to 4
Streak: White
Colour: Light green
Luminescence: Not fluorescent under UV
Environments
Pauflerite occurs as a sublimate at volcanic fumaroles, associated with
shcherbinaite
(HOM).
Localities
The type locality is the Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia.
Five oxosulphate hydrates of tetravalent vanadium are known:
stanleyite, minasragrite,
orthominasragrite,
anorthominasragrite and
bobjonesite. These minerals are of
secondary origin and form as a result of the alteration of
primary vanadium
minerals. Pauflerite is a new (in 2005) mineral species found in fumaroles of the Great Fissure Tolbachik
Eruption (GFTE). In contrast to the hydrous sulphates of V4+ mentioned above, pauflerite has formed in
a “dry” high-temperature fumarole environment, which accounts for its anhydrous character.
The temperature of the gases at the sampling site was about 500 to 600°C. Several light green prismatic crystals of
pauflerite up to 0.1 mm in size were found associated with
shcherbinaite and other sulphates
(CM 45.4.921-927).
Pauflerite from the Tolbachik Volcanic Field -
Image
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