Three New Minerals Discovered in the Southwestern U.S.

• Geologists have discovered three new mineral species—raydemarkite, virgilluethite, and stunorthropite—at Cookes Peak, Luna County, New Mexico. The findings were published in The Canadian Journal of Mineralogy and Petrology, pushing the global count of known mineral species to 5,998.

• Cookes Peak (8,404 ft) is known for its granodiorite-rich geological structure.

• Environmental and geological conditions in the region allowed the unique crystallization of these minerals.

• The site continues to yield rare geological discoveries, making it a hotspot for mineralogical research.

• Formula: MoO₃·H₂O

• Fine needle-like crystals, ~1 mm long, flexible due to hydrogen bonding.

• Structurally composed of MoO₅ octahedra chains.

• Natural counterpart of a synthetic compound made in 1903.

• Chemically similar to raydemarkite but has a monoclinic sheet structure, like tungstite.

• Helps understand sheet-like molybdenum structures in nature.

• Appears as milky, stubby blades.

• Chemically distinct; contributes to mapping natural molybdenum mineral diversity.

• Unlike biology, mineral species are rare—less than 6,000 known globally.

• Each new discovery advances our understanding of Earth's structure, chemistry, and formation history.

• These minerals offer insights into crystallization and transformation processes under natural conditions.

• Molybdenum-based minerals (like raydemarkite and virgilluethite) are key in:

• Battery technology

• Sensors

• Hydrogen production

• Studying their natural formation:

• Validates synthetic lab models

• Reveals crystal growth behavior

• Aids in environmental studies and resource economics.