Alpersite Mineral Data

General Alpersite Information
Chemical Formula:	(Mg,Cu)SO4•7H2O
Composition:	Molecular Weight = 262.74 gm
	Magnesium 5.37 % Mg 8.90 % MgO
	Manganese 0.42 % Mn 0.54 % MnO
	Zinc 0.50 % Zn 0.62 % ZnO
	Iron 0.21 % Fe 0.27 % FeO
	Copper 8.95 % Cu 11.20 % CuO
	Hydrogen 5.37 % H 48.00 % H₂O
	Sulfur 12.20 % S 30.47 % SO₃
	Oxygen 66.98 % O
	______ ______
	100.00 % 100.00 % = TOTAL OXIDE
Empirical Formula:	Mg_0.58Cu_0.37Zn_0.02Mn²⁺_0.02Fe²⁺_0.01(SO₄)•7(H₂O)
Environment:	Formed from acid mine waste waters with mineralogically zoned assemblages in sheltered areas at a relative humidity of 65% and T = 4 °C. Dehydrates to cuprian pentahydrate. Mg-domin ant analog of melanterite.
IMA Status:	Approved IMA 2003 (Dana # Added)
Locality:	Big Mike mine located on the south side of Panther Canyon, on the west flank of the north end of the Tobin Range, Pershing County, Nevada, USA. Link to MinDat.org Location Data.
Name Origin:	Named after Charles N. Alpers, geochemist with the United States Geological Survey, who has made significant contributions to our understanding of the mineralogical controls of mine -water geochemistry.
Synonym:	IMA2003-040