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Formula: Cu2Cl(OH)3
Halide, atacamite group, a monoclinic
paramorph of orthorhombic
atacamite and monoclinic botallackite
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Specific gravity: 3.77 calculated
Hardness: 3
Streak: Green to white
Colour: Green to dark greenish black, greenish blue
Environments
Sedimentary environments
Hydrothermal environments
Clinoatacamite is a secondary alteration product of copper ores
(Webmin).
Localities
At Endeavour 26, Northparkes Mine Project, Goonumbla, Kennedy county, New South Wales, Australia, clinoatacamite occurs
in sheaf-like groups of thin green plates or as densely packed plates forming botryoidal masses
(AJM 10.2.54).
At the Telfer Mine, Rudall River District, East Pilbara Shire, Western Australia, blue-green crystal groups less than 200
microns across of fine-grained clinoatacamite were found on a specimen of
sandstone. The clinoatacamite encrusts
quartz crystals on a vein wall that is also encrusted by
ankerite, iron oxide pseudomorphs
after 1 mm pyrite octohedra, and tufts of fine fibrous
malachite crystals about 200 microns across. Acicular dark green
malachite crystals less than 1 mm long occur in cavities and veins in the sample
(AJM 12.1.35).
At the Sierra Gorda district, Antofagasta Province, Antofagasta, Chile, clinoatacamite is associated with
atacamite, zinc-bearing
paratacamite, caracolite,
schwartzembergite,
osarizawaite-beaverite and
boleite
(HOM).
At the type locality, the Chuquicamata mine, Chuquicamata District, Calama, El Loa Province, Antofagasta, Chile,
clinoatacamite occurs as an oxidation product of other copper minerals.
Associated minerals include atacamite,
paratacamite, gypsum and
alunite
(HOM).
The Kali Kafi mine, Anarak District, Nain County, Isfahan Province, Iran. Three specimens from this locality, labelled
"anarakite" (aka herbertsmithite) proved to be clinoatacamite.
Clinoatacamite has been found in specimens from several localities, and coexists with
paratacamite in the holotype specimen of
paratacamite
(CM 34.61-72).
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