Metatorbernite

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title: "Metatorbernite" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["uranyl-compounds", "copper(ii)-minerals", "phosphate-minerals", "radioactive-minerals", "tetragonal-minerals", "minerals-in-space-group-85", "uranium(vi)-minerals"] description: "Uranyl phosphate mineral" topic_path: "general/uranyl-compounds" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metatorbernite" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Uranyl phosphate mineral ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mineral"]

Field	Value
name	Metatorbernite
category	Phosphate minerals
image	Torbernite-Metatorbernite-Curite-201043.jpg
imagesize	260px
caption	The lighter green crystals are Metatorbernite
formula	Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8(H2O)
IMAsymbol	Mtor
strunz	8.EB.10
system	Tetragonal
class	Dipyramidal (4/m)
(same H-M symbol)
symmetry	P4/n
colour	Light to dark green
habit	Flat plates
cleavage	Perfect
fracture	Brittle
mohs	2.5
lustre	Vitreous, adamantine
refractive	1.624–1.626
streak	Light green
gravity	3.7–3.8
other	[[Image:Radioactive.svg
references
::

| name = Metatorbernite | category = Phosphate minerals | boxwidth = | boxbgcolor = | image = Torbernite-Metatorbernite-Curite-201043.jpg | imagesize = 260px | caption = The lighter green crystals are Metatorbernite | formula = Cu(UO2)2(PO4)2·8(H2O) | IMAsymbol = Mtor | molweight = | strunz = 8.EB.10 | system = Tetragonal | class = Dipyramidal (4/m) (same H-M symbol) | symmetry = P4/n | colour = Light to dark green | habit = Flat plates | twinning = | cleavage = Perfect | fracture = Brittle | mohs = 2.5 | lustre = Vitreous, adamantine | refractive = 1.624–1.626 | opticalprop = | birefringence = | pleochroism = | streak = Light green | gravity = 3.7–3.8 | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | diaphaneity = | other = [[Image:Radioactive.svg|25px]] Radioactive | references =

Metatorbernite (or meta-torbernite) is a radioactive phosphate mineral, and is a dehydration pseudomorph of torbernite. Chemically, it is a copper uranyl phosphate and usually occurs in the form of green platy deposits. It can form by direct deposition from a supersaturated solution, which produces true crystalline metatorbernite, with a dark green colour, translucent diaphaneity, and vitreous lustre. However, more commonly, it is formed by the dehydration of torbernite, which causes internal stress and breakage within the crystal lattice, resulting in crystals composed of microscopic powder held together using electrostatic force, and having a lighter green colour, opaque diaphaneity, and a relatively dull lustre. As with torbernite, it is named after the Swedish chemist Torbern Bergman. It is especially closely associated with torbernite, but is also found amongside autunite, meta-autunite and uraninite. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Metatorbernite_sapin.jpg" caption="Metatorbernite from the Margabal Mine, [[Entraygues-sur-Truyère]], France. Size: 4 x 3 x 1.8 cm."] ::

References

References

1. Warr, L.N.. (2021). "IMA–CNMNC approved mineral symbols". Mineralogical Magazine.
2. [https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Metatorbernite Mineralienatlas]
3. [http://www.mindat.org/min-2689.html MinDat]
4. [https://webmineral.com/data/Metatorbernite.shtml Webmineral]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::