| Deposit ID | 10096868 |
|---|---|
| MRDS ID | D011518 |
| Record type | Site |
| Current site name | Malpai Tanks |
| Geographic coordinates: | -108.25478, 32.53762 (WGS84) |
|---|
Political divisions (FIPS codes)
Grant(county)
New Mexico(state)
United States(country)
North America(continent)
Land(continent)
USGS map quadrangles
White Signal(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)
Silver City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)
Silver City(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)
Hydrologic units (watersheds)
Mimbres(hydrologic unit)
Mimbres(hydrologic accounting unit)
Rio Grande-Mimbres(hydrologic subregion)
Rio Grande(hydrologic region)
| Country | State | County |
|---|---|---|
| United States | New Mexico | Grant |
| Meridian | Township | Range | Section | Fraction | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 020S | 014W | 26 | E2 | New Mexico |
| Commodity | Importance |
|---|---|
| Fluorine-Fluorite Critical | Primary |
| Materials | Type of material |
|---|---|
| Fluorite | Ore |
| Host or associated | Host |
|---|---|
| Rock type | Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite |
| (1) | -108.25478, 32.53762 |
|---|
| Development status | Prospect |
|---|---|
| Commodity type | Non-metallic |
| Deposit size | Small |
| Significant | No |
| District name | White Signal District |
|---|
| Agency | Database name | Acronym | Record ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USGS | Mineral Resources Data System | MRDS | D011518 |
GILLERMAN, E., 1952, USGS BULL. 973-F, P. 286
WILLIAMS, F.E., 1966, US BUREAU OF MINES INFO. CIRC. 8307, P. 69
| Subject category | Comment text |
|---|---|
| Deposit | BE EXPOSED SW OF FAULT BECAUSE OF (1) PRESENCE OF CARBONATITE BODY, (2) MORE THIN CARBONATITE DIKES, (3) ABUNDANT UNCOMPAHGRITE (ONLY ON SW SIDE), AND (4) WIDER FENITE ZONE. FE AND TI OCCUR APPRECIABLY IN ALL ALKALIC ROCKS AS MAGNETITE, ILMENITE, AND PEROVSKITE, BUT ARE ESPECIALLY CONCENTRATED IN PYROXENITE IN SPHENE, GARNET, BIOTITE, AND AUGITE-DIOPSIDE. MAGNETITE-ILMENITE-PEROVSKITE OCUR PRINCIPALLY AS MAGMATIC SEGREGATIONS AND DIKES AND AS DISCRETE INTERGROWN GRAINS DISSEMINATED THROUGH ROCK. OTHER COMMERCIAL SPECIES INCLUDE PURE PEROVSKITE, TITANIFEROUS AUGITE, AND TITANIFEROUS BIOTITE.MAGNETITE-ILMENITE-PEROVSKITE ALSO CONTAINS POTENTIALLY RECOVERABLE V2O5 AND TH (SUBSTITUTING FOR CA IN PEROVSKITE); ALSO ENRICHED IN NB (SUBSTITUTING FOR TI), RARE EARTHS (SUBSTITUTING FOR CA IN PEROVSKITE AND APATITE), SR, BR, CU, AND CO, NI, ZR, MO, AND CR. VERMICULITE OCCURS AS NEAR-SURFACE WEATHERING RESIDUAL OF BIOTITE/PHLOGOPITE IN SEGREGATIONS IN PYROXENITE AND UNCOMPAHGITE. VERMICULITE |
| Deposit | GENERAL GEOLOGY OF DISTRICT BEGINS WITH OLDEST PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS, DUBOIS GREENSTONE (FELSITE AND FELSITE PORPHYRY, HORNBLENDE SCHIST, AMPHIBOLITE) WITH LAYERING AND FOLIATION TRENDING GENERALLY NE-SW. SEQUENCE IS INTRUDED BY MAIN MASS OF POWDERHORN GRANITE STOCK. BOTH GRANITE AND METAMORPHICS WEST AND SE OF IRON HILL ARE INTRUDED BY PRECAMBRIAN(?) FINE- TO MEDIUM-GRAINED GRANITE. IRON HILL COMPLEX INTRUDES POWDERHORN STOCK AND CONSISTS OF COMPOSITE STOCK OF ALKALIC AND CARBONATITIC ROCKS AND OUTLYING DIKES OF TRACHYTE, CARBONATITE, NEPHELINE SYENITE, PYROXENITE, MELASYENITE, LAMPROPHYRE, DIABASE, AND THORIUM VEINS. OLDEST AND MOST EXTENSIVE UNIT IS MEDIUM-GRAINED PYROXENITE, POSSIBLY A HETEROGENEOUS MULTIPLE INTRUSION CHARACTERIZED BY OLDER FRACTURES FILLED WITH YOUNGER MATERIAL, REPLACEMENT OF EARILER MINERALS, LATER SHEAR ZONES CUTTING PRIMARY STRUCTURES. ROCK CHARACTERIZED BY DIOPSIDIC AUGITE, MELANITE (TITANIFEROUS GARNET), SPHENE, APATITE, SEGREGATIONS AND DIKELIKE BODIES OF |
| Deposit | BIOTITE/PHLOGOPITE ALTERED TO VERMICULITE, AND SEGREGATIONS OF MAGNETITE-ILMENITE-PEROVSKITE. OLSON AND HEDLUND (1981) IDENTIFIED FIVE TEXTURAL VARIETIES: (1) PEGMATITIC, (2) FINE- TO COARSE-GRAINED HYPIDIOMORPHIC, (3) POIKILITIC, (4) SCHLIERIC, (5) BRECCIATED. LARSEN (1942) SUBDIVIDED UNIT BY COMPOSITIONAL VARIATIONS: (1) COMMON PYROXENITE, (2) BIOTITE ROCK, (3) MAGNETITE-PEROVSKITE ROCK, (4) OLIVINE ROCK, (5) GARNET PYROXENITE, (6) NEPHELINE PYROXENITE (MELTEIGITE), (7) FELDSPAR-NEPHELINE ROCK (SHONKINITE), (8) FELDSPAR-BEARING ROCK, (9) SPHENE PYROXENITE. MEDIUM- TO VERY COARSE-GRAINED UNCOMPAHGRITE FORMS IRREGULAR BODIES AND APOPHYSES IN PYROXENITE SOUTH AND SE OF IRON HILL, IS POIKILITIC TO HYPIDIOMORPHIC GRANULAR, AND CHARACTERIZED BY MELILITE AND ALTERATION PRODUCTS. COARSE-GRAINED IJOLITE INTRUDES PYROXENITE IN ARCUATE ZONE ON SE SIDE OF COMPLEX AND SUGGESTS RING DIKE. ROCK CHARACTERIZED BY AEGERINE-AUGITE, NEPHELINE, MELANITE, AND ALTERATION PRODUCTS (CANCRINITE AND |
| Deposit | ZEOLITES). NEPHELINE SYENITE INTRUDES POWDERHORN GRANITE AND PYROXENITE AT EAST END OF COMPLEX AND FORMS HYBRID PYROXENITE-SYENITE ROCK IN BRECCIATED, VEINED ZONE ON SOUTH SIDE OF INTRUSION. IRON HILL CARBONATITE STOCK INTRUDES PYROXENITE ON WEST SIDE OF COMPLEX. IN PLAN, STOCK IS PEAR-SHAPED WITH LONG AXIS TRENDING N 35 W. IN SECTION, STOCK APPEARS TO BE FUNNEL- OR CONE-SHAPED. COMPLEX INTERNAL STRUCTURES AND TEXTURES INCLUDE GRAIN SIZES FROM FINE TO PEGMATITIC, VARIABLY DEVELOPED FOLIATION, DRAG FOLDS, SHEAR ZONES, PARTIALLY REPLACED XENOLITHS. STEEP TO VERTICAL FOLIATION ACCENTUATED BY APATITE-RICH AND BIOTITE/PHLOGOPITE SEAMS OR SEGREGATIONS AND BY DEFORMED CARBONATE CRYSTALS. NASH (1972) RECOGNIZED FOUR COMPOSITIONAL VARIETIES:(1) (PRINCIPAL TYPE) ANKERITIC DOLOMITE (RAUHAUGITE), (2) ANKERITIC DOLOMITE PLUS CALCITE, (3) SULFIDE-BEARING ANKERITIC DOLOMITE/SIDERITE DIKES, (4) CALCITE (SOVITE). ROCK CHARACTERIZED BY SECONDARY QUARTZ, JASPER, FE/MN OXIDES, AND DISSEMINATED |
| Deposit | PYROCHLORE, BARITE, AND PYRITE. SEVERAL HUNDRED CARBONATITE DIKES CUT ALKALIC SEQUENCE AND LESS COMMONLY THE GRANITES AND METAMORPHICS. DISTRIBUTION IS RADIAL ABOUT STOCK ALTHOUGH PREPONDERANCE OF DIKES TREND N45 TO 85 W PARALLEL TO LONG DIMENSION OF COMPLEX. SOME SHOW LAYERING DUE TO (1) ALTERNATION OF SIDERITE AND CALCITE AND DOLOMITE LAYERS AND (2) ALTERNATION OF SILICATED AND NONCARBONATITE. BRECCIATED DIKES POSSIBLY DUE TO FORCIBLE INJECTION OF CARBONATITIC FLUIDS. DIKES CHARACTERIZED BY CU-ZN-PB SULFIDES, FLUORITE, RARE EARTHS, AND TH. DISCONTINUOUS, BRANCHING TRACHYTE DIKES CUT DUBOIS GREENSTONE AND GRANITIC ROCK BUT NOT THOSE OF COMPLES, LOCALLY FOLLOWING JOINT PLANES. ON NE SIDE OF COMPLEX, CAMBRO-ORDOVICIAN DIABASE/GABBRO DIKES CUT GRANITE AND ALKALIC ROCKS AND TREND GENERALLY N 70 TO 75 W. PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE IN DISTRICT IS CIMARRON FAULT, TRENDING GENERALLY N 65 W AND MARKED BY CEBOLLA HOT SPRINGS, OTHER SPRINGS, AND TRAVERTINE DEPOSITS. DEEPER LEVEL OF COMPLEXBELIEVED TO |
| Deposit | OCCURS AS BOOKS FROM 0.25 TO 3 INCHES IN LONGEST DIMENSION. FIRST TYPE OF THORIUM MINERALIZATION IS IN VEINS CUTTING POWDERHORN GRANITE, FINE- TO MEDIUM-GRAINED GRANITE, AND DUBOIS GREENSTONE SOUTH, WEST, AND NW OF COMPLEX, EXTENDING NW INTO GOOSE CREEK DISTRICT. DISCONTINUOUS VEINS GENERALLY LESS THAN ONE FOOT THICK AND COMMONLY OCCUR IN ANASTOMOSING SHEAR OR BRECCIA ZONES UP TO 10 FT WIDE. PINK TO RED ORTHOCLASE IS COMMON AS LARGE LATHS OR AS CLUSTERED SUBHEDRAL TO ANHEDRAL GRAINS. ADJACENT TO MOST VEINS, WALL ROCK ARE PARTLY REPLACED BY ORTHOCLASE. VERY FINE-GRAINED THORITE AND THOROGUMMITE(?) ARE INTERGROWN WITH FE OXIDES; ALSO SPORADIC CU-ZN-PB SULFIDES AND ENRICHMENT IN BA, SR, AND NB. SECOND TYPE OF TH MINERALIZATION IS DISCONTINUOUS, BRANCHING TRACHYTE & TRACHYTE PORPHYRY DIKES FOLLOWING LOCAL JOINTS AND FRACTURES IN DUBOIS GREENSTONE, OLDER METAMORPHICS, AND GRANITES PERIPHERAL TO IRON HILL COMPLEX. DIKES COMPOSED OF LATH-SHAPED ORTHOCLASE PHENOCRYSTS IN TRACHYTIC, APHANITIC |
| Deposit | GROUNDMASS OF ORTHOCLASE MICROLITES. THORITE AND THOROGUMMITE(?) CONCENTRATED IN HEMATITE PSEUDOMORPHS AFTER PYRITE. THIRD TYPE OF TH MINERALIZATION IS MAGNETITE-ILMENITE-PEROVSKITE ROCK, WITH TH OCCURRUNG IN PEROVSKITE AND APATITE. FOURTH TYPE OF TH MINERALIZATION IS CARBONATITE, WITH TH OCCURRING (IN PART) IN MONAZITE AND PYROCHLORE, MORE CONCENTRATED IN CARBONATITE DIKES. MORE RADIOACTIVE DIKES SHOW CRUDE LAYERING, WEATHER TO CHOCOATE BROWN, AND CONTAIN CARBONATES, BARITE, APATITE, PYRITE, AND SMALL AMOUNTS OF MONAZITE, PYROCHLORE, AND RARE EARTHS. NB OCCURS AS PYROCHLORE MAINLY DISSEMINATED IN FINER-TEXTURED DOLOMITIC CARBONATITE & ASSOCIATED WITH FLUORAPATITE ALONG SHEAR PLANES. ALSO OCCURS IN TH VEINS, PARTLY AS COLUMBITE, AND IN TRACE AMOUNTS IN ILMENITE, SPHENE, MAGNETITE, AND MELANITE. LIGHT (CE-GROUP) RARE EARTHS OCCUR PRIMARILY IN MASSIVE CARBONATITE AND CARBONATITE DIKES. RATIOS OF CE:GROUP RARE-EARTH OXIDES TO THO2 TO Y-GROUP RARE-EARTH OXIDES (OLSON AND HEDLUND, 1981, P. |
| Deposit | 31-32): TH VEINS IN POWDERHORN QUAD OUTSIDE IRON HILL COMPLEX, 1.8:1:0.4; TH VEINS NEAR SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF IRON HILL, 4.6:1:0.45; CARBONATITE, MAGNETITE-ILMENITE-PEROVSKITE ROCK, GRANITE, AND TH VEINS IN OR NEAR IRON HILL COMPLEX, 6.0:1:0.31. GREAT VARIATION AMONG DEPOSITS SUGGESTS LOCAL AND DISTRICT-WIDE FRACTIONATION RESULTING FROM CHANGES IN FLUID COMPOSITION WITH DISTANCE FROM SOURCE. MN OXIDES OCCUR IN OLIGOCENE LAMINATED JASPER AND SILICEOUS SINTER PROBABLY DERIVED FROM EXTINCT HOT SPRINGS ON FAULTS CUTTING ALKALIC ROCKS AND GRANITE. ORIGIN OF IRON HILL COMPLES DEBATED THROUGH YEARS. IN EARLY 1900S, FE/TI DEPOSITS WERE THOUGHT TO BE MAGMATIC SEGREGATIONS AS RESULT OF CONTACT METAMORPHISM OF MARBLEIZED LIMESTONE INTRUDED BY BASIC ROCKS. LARSEN (1942) BELIEVED CARBONATITE (OR "MARBLE") FORMED AS HYDROTHERMAL DEPOSIT IN THROAT OF VOLCANO, BUT CONCEDED THAT SOME WOULD BELIEVE IT TO BE INTRUDED AS CARBONATE MAGMA OR FORMED AS INCLUSION OF PRECAMBRIAN MARBLE. ALAKLIC SEQUENCE THUS |
| Deposit | FORMED BY ASSIMILATION OF MARBLE INTO BASALTIC MAGMA. TEMPLE AND GROGAN (1965) PROPOSED CARBONATITE FORMED BY METASOMATIC MODIFICATION OF PYROXENITE BY CO2-RICH PHASE ASSOCIATED AT DEPTH WITH VOLCANOC ACTIVITY; IJOLITE AND UNCOMPAHGRE WERE METASOMATIC DERIVATIVES OF PYROXENITE. CURRENT THEORIES (NASH, 1972; OLSON AND HEDLUND, 1981) PROPOSE PARENTAL CARBONATED MAFIC NEPHELINITE MAGMA FRACTIONATION INTO SILICATE ROCKS (PYROXENITE, UNCOMPAHGRITE, IJOLITE, NEPHELINE SYENITE), LEAVING A SUBSEQUENTLY CO2- AND H2O ENRICHED MAGMA TO FORM CARBONATE FLUID PHASE CRYSTALLIZING INTO SOVITE, DIFFERENTIATED FURTHER TO DOLOMITIC AND ANKERITIC RAUHAUGITE AND SIDERITE DIKES. FURTHER CRYSTALLIZATION RESULTED IN HYDROTHERMAL VEINS. |
| Deposit | THIS RECORD IS CONTINUED ON REC. NO.DO11905 AND IS A CONTINUATION OF RECORD NO.D011410 ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV |
| Type | Date | Name | Affiliation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporter | 01-MAY-1984 | Davies, Robert C. (Worl, Ron) | U.S. Geological Survey |
Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.