Zellerit , Schröckingerit Fundort: White Canyon No. 1 Mine (Cameo Mine), White Canyon, White Canyon District, San Juan County (Utah) , USA ( Fundort bei mindat.org ) Beschreibung: Hellgelber, nadeliger Zellerit in kugelförmigen Aggregaten mit grünen Täfelchen aus Schröckingerit (Sichtfeld: 16 mm) — Photo: Weirdmeister · CC BY-SA 4.0
Zellerite
A calcium uranyl carbonate named for geologist Howard Zeller, from Wyoming's Lucky Mc mine.
Intro adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Zellerite is an IMA-recognized mineral species in the carbonate class, with the chemical formula Ca(UO₂)(CO₃)₂·5H₂O.
It crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (space group Pmn2_1).
Key properties: Mohs hardness 2; specific gravity 3.25; optically biaxial.
IMA symbol Zel, IMA status: approved, named in 1965.
A rare weathering product of uranium ores, formed at low pH in the presence of oxidizing pyrite.
It is found associated with Metazellerite, gypsum, “limonite”, iron sulfides, schoepite, meta-autunite, uranophane, “opal”.
The mineral was named to honor Howard Davis Zeller (1922–), geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, who discovered the mineral.