Sulfur: geological information

Sulphur occurs as the free element near volcanoes and hot springs. Many sulphide minerals are known and sulphur is widely distributed in minerals such as iron pyrites, galena, sphalerite, cinnabar, stibnite, gypsum, Epsom salts, celestite, and barite. Sulphur occurs in natural gas and crude oil. It is also present in meteorites.

Jupiter's moon Io owes its colours to various forms of sulphur. A dark area near the crater Aristarchus on the moon may be a sulphur deposit.

Abundances of sulfur in various environments


Location ppb by weight ppb by atoms
Universe 500000 20000
Sun 400000 10000
Meteorite (carbonaceous) 41000000 22000000
Crustal rocks 420000 270000
Sea water 928000 179000
Stream 4000 130
Human 2000000 390000


cartogram depicting abundance of elements in the earth's crust

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