Uranophane

specimen number:
1115298

location:
Hanosh Mine, McKinley Co., New Mexico, USA

description:
Rich yellow crystallized uranophane across matrix.

The Hanosh Mine, located in McKinley County within the prolific Grants Uranium District of northwestern New Mexico, is part of a historic mining landscape that saw intense activity primarily during the mid-20th century Cold War uranium boom. Geologically, the deposits in this region are principally hosted within continental sandstones of the Jurassic Morrison Formation, where uranium was precipitated by groundwaters interacting with organic-rich materials and reduction-oxidation boundaries. Historically, small-scale and independent operations like the Hanosh Mine contributed to the local prospecting efforts that made northwestern New Mexico one of the most significant domestic sources of uranium ore in United States history, before shifting market conditions and changing federal demands led to the eventual closure and abandonment of the district's mines.

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