By Richard A. Sheppard
 
 
 
 
 

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American Stratigraphic Code.

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. 

Open-File Report 03-074 
(On-line version)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

     Zeolites were discovered more than two centuries ago, and about 50 distinct species now have been recognized. Numerous zeolites also have been synthesized, but most have no natural counterparts. Zeolites are present in rocks that are diverse in lithology and age, and they have formed in many different geological environments. The most common and perhaps best known mode of formation of zeolites is in the cavities and fractures of igneous
rocks, particularly basaltic rocks. Most of the large, attractive zeolite specimens in museum collections have been obtained from igneous rocks. In recent years, zeolites have been recognized as important rock-forming constituents in low-grade metamorphic rocks and in various sedimentary rocks, particularly rocks that were originally rich in vitric material. The zeolites in sedimentary rocks are very finely crystalline and do not appeal to mineral collectors, but deposits of this type are voluminous and have economic potential for many industrial, environmental, and agricultural processes.

     This compilation is an alphabetical listing by author of about 1,400 publications and formal releases, including patents and selected abstracts, from the world literature on the occurrence, properties, and uses of zeolites from sedimentary deposits for the period 1998-2002. Certain bibliographic entries concerning the properties of zeolites from other geologic settings, the properties of certain hydrous sodium silicate minerals, and the results of laboratory syntheses have been included herein because these reports supplement our understanding of natural zeolites in sedimentary environments. Other compilations for publications that were released during 1985-1992, pre-1985, and 1993-1997 are available as U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Reports 93-570-A and B, 94-294-A and B, and 98-370, respectively.

The bibliography is available on a 3.5-inch floppy diskette. The diskette was
prepared on a Macintosh^TM computer using EndNote^TM software. EndNote^TM works with
Macintosh^TM models 512KE and up, and System 4.2 or later. To perform bibliographic searches of the diskette, either the EndNote^TM program or the less expensive but limited EndNote^TM demonstration disk must be installed on a Macintosh^TM computer. New bibliographic references can be added with the EndNote^TM program but cannot be added with the demonstration disk. Searches can be made by author, year, title, journal, publisher, or keywords.

     The keywords added to each bibliographic entry include the zeolite name as well as terms relating to the fields of geology, properties, and uses. Keywords under geology are: formation name and age of the host rock, lithology (includes tuff, sandstone, shale or mudstone, coal, and carbonate), depositional environment (includes fluviatile, lacustrine, marine, subaerial, soil, and hydrothermal or geothermal), location (includes country and state), resources, and production. The keywords under properties are: chemical composition, structure, cell dimensions, refractive indices, cation exchange, adsorption, isotopes, heating, synthesis, and modification. Keywords under uses are: agriculture (includes plant, animal, and aquaculture), rad (radioactive) waste, pollution, energy, building materials, paper manufacturing, beneficiation, and health. Search items can be combined by using the Boolean And, Or, and Not features.