Chabazite in siliceous tuffs of a Pliocene lacustrine deposit near Durkee, Baker County, Oregon

Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey
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Abstract

A relatively pure chabazite deposit of at least 75 X 106 metric tons occurs near the Durkee type locality of erionite. This erionite is in a welded tuff interbedded with lacustrine rocks- of a closed Pliocene basin. The zeolites, chabazite, erionite, clinoptilolite, and other authigenic silicate minerals are confined to a 27-square-kilometer area of altered rocks enclosed in relatively freshwater lacustrine beds. About 135 meters of the lower part of the 350-m stratigraphic section at the southeastern part of the lake basin contain zeolitic tuff. The chabazite is an early product of the reaction between glass of rhyolitic or dacitic composition and alkaline (pH>9) saline lake waters. Erionite, clinoptilolite, analcime, and potassium feldspar follow chabazite in the paragenetic sequence. At the erionite type locality, chabazite and clinoptilolite form megascopic crystal clusters within fractures and cavities in unaltered welded tuff. Elsewhere in the basin, most zeolite crystals in the altered airfall or reworked tuffs are less than 80 micrometers long. Chemical analyses, unit-cell determinations, and mean indices of refraction show that fine-grained chabazite varies in composition and physical parameters.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Chabazite in siliceous tuffs of a Pliocene lacustrine deposit near Durkee, Baker County, Oregon
Series title Journal of Research of the U.S. Geological Survey
Volume 6
Issue 4
Year Published 1978
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Description 6 p.
First page 467
Last page 472
Country United States
State Oregon
County Baker County
City Durkee
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