Antofagastaite

antofagastaite

sideronatrite

amarillite

aubertite

Antofagasta is located within the Atacama desert, home to other minerals that occur in extremely arid environments, such as beautiful deep green atacamite, and, in the animal kingdom, the guanaco with its gentle nature and long-lashed eyes.

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Formula: Na2Ca(SO4)2.1.5H2O
Hydrated sulphate
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 2.42 measured, 2.465 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless
Luminescence: Not fluorescent under UV
Environments

Hydrothermal environments
Fumeroles

Localities

At the type locality, the Coronel Manuel Rodríguez mine, Mejillones peninsula, Mejillones, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta, Chile, antofagastaite was found in the oxidation zone of sulphide – quartz veins in the extremely arid climate. Associated minerals include sideronatrite, metasideronatrite, aubertite, gypsum, ferrinatrite, glauberite, amarillite and an unidentified iron phosphate. Antofagastaite occurs as transparent, colourless, vitreous prismatic crystals up to 0.5 × 1 × 5 mm3, typically combined in open-work aggregates up to 1 cm across (MM 83.6.781-790).

At the Arsenatnaya fumarole, Second scoria cone, Northern Breakthrough, Great Fissure eruption, Tolbachik Volcanic field, Milkovsky District, Kamchatka Krai, Russia, antofagastaite occurs together with syngenite and blödite (MM 83.6.781-790).

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