Subnautica 2 Atacamite — Where to Find & How to Mine
How to find Atacamite in Subnautica 2: a rare mineral unique to the deep Karakorum (~100–400m), 5–7 per node, with mining tips and all its crafting uses.
Last updated: 2026-06-11
What is Atacamite used for?
Atacamite is a flat, green copper-chloride crystal whose trace-element substitution gives it unusual thermomagnetic properties — it can drive localized cooling. It's one of only two rare minerals unique to the deep Karakorum biome and a key mid-to-late-game crafting material, going into everything from the Ultra High Capacity Air Tank to the Axum Interface Chip. Learn where it spawns early and you'll save a lot of backtracking later.
Where to find Atacamite
Region: it appears only in the deep Karakorum, especially the ruin zones around the Observatory and Power Plant.
Heading: travel due east from the lifepod, pushing deep into the Karakorum at roughly 100–400m depth.
What to look for: clusters of flat green crystal deposits on the seabed and cliff faces — they spread across wide patches in good numbers.
⚠️ Be dive-ready first. The Karakorum is a deep biome, so build the Tadpole and a depth module and bring an oxygen buffer. The Collector Leviathan also roams here, so plan your route.
How to mine it efficiently
Atacamite can be hand-mined, giving 5–7 per node. Bring the Sonic Resonator and node mining gets a bonus, making bulk farming much faster. It shares the Karakorum with Celestine, the other rare mineral down here, so you can usually gather both on a single dive.
💡 Build a Scanner Station at your base to track Atacamite within 300m — no more blind searching in the deep.
Atacamite's crafting uses
| Item | Recipe / notes |
|---|---|
| Axum Interface Chip | Conduit Crystal + Atacamite; a core electronics part shared by many advanced recipes |
| Ultra High Capacity Air Tank | High Capacity Air Tank + Troilite ×3 + Atacamite ×3; gives 90 oxygen |
| Echo Location | Tadpole modification: Quartz ×3 + Mild Acid + Atacamite |
| Mangalloy Ingot | A mid-to-late-game alloy material |
Because Atacamite gates your oxygen ceiling, depth gear and several electronics parts, it's easy to hit a recipe wall and realize you have none — then make a special trip back to the deep. The fix: the first time you head into the Karakorum for Conduit Crystal or Celestine, stock up on Atacamite in the same run so your crafting never stalls.
It's also needed for infrastructure repairs deeper in the region — restoring a Power Plant turbine blade, for instance, calls for Atacamite alongside Titanium, Celestine and Troilite. Keeping 10–15 spare in a Wall Locker means a story objective or an air-tank upgrade never leaves you stranded on the surface waiting to re-dive. Since it doesn't expire, over-mining a node is rarely wasted effort.
FAQ
Q: Where do I find Atacamite?
A: Only in the deep Karakorum (around the Observatory and Power Plant), heading due east from the lifepod, at roughly 100–400m depth.
Q: How much does each node give?
A: 5–7 per node by hand; the Sonic Resonator adds a bonus for faster bulk farming.
Q: What is Atacamite used for?
A: The Axum Interface Chip, Ultra High Capacity Air Tank, the Echo Location Tadpole mod, and the Mangalloy Ingot, among other mid-to-late-game items.
Q: Do I need a tool to mine it?
A: No — hand-mining works; the Sonic Resonator raises the yield per node.
Q: How is Atacamite different from Celestine?
A: Both are rare Karakorum minerals, often mined together. Atacamite is the green crystal used for electronics and air tanks; Celestine feeds the Mod Station and depth modules.
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