Beryllium-bearing tuff in the Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah

Staatz, Mortimer Hay; Griffitts, W.R.

doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.56.5.941

Cited by 19 publications

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“…At Spor Mountain, most of the Be resource occurs as replacement of angular to subrounded, variably altered carbonate fragments, primarily of light-gray dolomite, that range in size from a few millimeters to more than one meter in diameter. Breccia-filled volcanic pipes that cut the sedimentary rock sequence on the eastern side of Spor Mountain (for example, Staatz and Griffitts, 1961) provided avenues for pheatomagmatic eruptions that led to the formation of volcaniclastic surge deposits, which are high-velocity, relatively low-density, ground-hugging turbulent fluid flows capable of transporting lithics and ash (Burt and others, 1982). Locally, the tuffaceous deposits contain as much as 65-percent limestone, dolostone, and other lithics as pebbles, cobbles, and blocks, in addition to blocks of vitric tuff (Griffitts and Rader, 1963) in a matrix of pale-green to buff-colored volcanic ash (Shawe, 1968).…”

Section: Relations To Sedimentary Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Be ores that are the exemplar for this model have been described in detail by Staatz and Griffitts (1961), Griffitts and Rader (1963), Shawe (1968), Lindsey and others (1973), and Lindsey (1975Lindsey ( , 1977Lindsey ( , 2001). The following descriptions are based primarily on those reports, with comparisons to other occurrences.…”

Section: Hypogene Ore and Gangue Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Occurrence model for volcanogenic beryllium deposits

Foley¹,

Hofstra²,

Lindsey³

et al. 2012

Scientific Investigations Report

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COVER.Sample of large layered nodule from the Roadside pit showing fluorite, opal, and bertrandite mineralization. The nodule has an interior of fine-grained quartz, fluorite, and opal, an intermediate zone of black chalcedonic quartz, and an outer zone of white opal with minor fluorite. Beryllium is concentrated in the outer opal-fluorite zone; such samples can contain as much as 1-percent beryllium as bertrandite. Size of the sample is 16×12 centimeters (photograph by David A. Lindsey, Emeritus, U.S. Geological Survey). Occurrence Model for Volcanogenic Beryllium DepositsBy Nora K. Foley, Albert H. Hofstra, David A. Lindsey, Robert R. Seal, II, Brian Jaskula, and Nadine M. Piatak Chapter For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/ pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. AbstractCurrent global and domestic mineral resources of beryllium (Be) for industrial uses are dominated by ores produced from deposits of the volcanogenic Be type. Beryllium deposits of this type can form where hydrothermal fluids interact with fluorine and lithophile-element (uranium, thorium, rubidium, lithium, beryllium, cesium, tantalum, rare earth elements, and tin) enriched volcanic rocks that contain a highly reactive lithic component, such as carbonate clasts. Volcanic and hypabyssal high-silica biotite-bearing topaz rhyolite constitutes the most well-recognized igneous suite associated with such Be deposits. The exemplar setting is an extensional tectonic environment, such as that characterized by the Basin and Range Province, where younger topaz-bearing igneous rock sequences overlie older dolomite, quartzite, shale, and limestone sequences. Mined deposits and related mineralized rocks at Spor Mountain, Utah, make up a unique economic deposit of volcanogenic Be having extensive production and proven and probable reserves. Proven reserves in Utah, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey National Mineral Information Center, total about 15,900 tons of Be that are present in the mineral bertrandite (Be 4 Si 2 O 7 (OH) 2 ). At the type locality for volcanogenic Be, Spor Mountain, the tuffaceous breccias and stratified tuffs that host the Be ore formed as a result of explosive volcanism that brought carbonate and other lithic fragments to the surface through vent structures that cut the underlying dolomitic Paleozoic sedimentary rock sequences. The tuffaceous sediments ...

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Section: Relations To Sedimentary Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Hypogene Ore and Gangue Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occurrence model for volcanogenic beryllium deposits

Foley¹,

Hofstra²,

Lindsey³

et al. 2012

Scientific Investigations Report

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…No evidence was seen for nearby precipitation, and the emanations probably traveled upward toward a near-surface thermal spring or fumarolic environment associated with the local igneous centers. Conceivably,, the depleted rhyolite bodies could represent sources similar to those inat supplied the nearsurface fluorite-bertrandite deposits at Spor Mountain, Utah (Staatz, 1963;Staatz and Griffitts, 1961), or the shallow fluorite deposits at Northgate, Colo. (Steven, 1960), and elsewhere in the Western United States. Such levels of possible precipitation have all been eroded from above the exposed rhyolite intrusives in the southern part of the eastern contiguous area.…”

Section: Economic Significancementioning

confidence: 93%

Mineral resources of study areas contiguous to the Uncompahgre Primitive Area, San Juan Mountains, southwestern Colorado, with a section on interpretation of aeromagnetic data

Steven¹,

Lipman²,

Fisher³

et al. 1977

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“…The Spor Mountain beryllium deposits are large semiconcordant tabular bodies in a thick, carbonaterich tuffaceous assemblage of sedimentary rocks, and they are closely associated with fluorspar deposits and rhyolitic rocks of unusually high fluorine and beryllium content ( Staatz, 1963). Because this association seems to be genetically significant (Staatz, 1963, p. M33-35), the search for new beryllium deposits may profitably be directed to localities containing fluorspar deposits together with fluorine-and beryllium-rich rhyolitic rocks.…”

Section: Arizona-new Mexico and Nevada-utah Beryllium Beltsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geological Survey Research 1966, Chapter C

1966

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Beryllium-bearing tuff in the Thomas Range, Juab County, Utah

Cited by 19 publications

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Occurrence model for volcanogenic beryllium deposits

Occurrence model for volcanogenic beryllium deposits

Mineral resources of study areas contiguous to the Uncompahgre Primitive Area, San Juan Mountains, southwestern Colorado, with a section on interpretation of aeromagnetic data

Geological Survey Research 1966, Chapter C

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