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White - 1955 - Thermal Springs and Epithermal Ore Deposits

This document discusses mineral deposits formed by geothermal systems. It reviews five hot spring systems, focusing on features that may be preserved after activity ceases. Four systems have high surface and subsurface temperatures and are volcanic in origin, deriving heat and minerals from a volcanic source. Acid leaching occurs above the water table in three areas, forming kaolinite and alunite. At depth, alteration minerals include adularia, montmorillonite, illite, sericite, chlorite, pyrite, calcite, zeolites, and sodic plagioclase. Chalcedony, quartz, and calcite are typical vein minerals. Opal dominates near the surface but rarely below 100

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36 views56 pages

White - 1955 - Thermal Springs and Epithermal Ore Deposits

This document discusses mineral deposits formed by geothermal systems. It reviews five hot spring systems, focusing on features that may be preserved after activity ceases. Four systems have high surface and subsurface temperatures and are volcanic in origin, deriving heat and minerals from a volcanic source. Acid leaching occurs above the water table in three areas, forming kaolinite and alunite. At depth, alteration minerals include adularia, montmorillonite, illite, sericite, chlorite, pyrite, calcite, zeolites, and sodic plagioclase. Chalcedony, quartz, and calcite are typical vein minerals. Opal dominates near the surface but rarely below 100

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Economic Geology 50th Anniversary Volume

© 1955 Economic Geology Publishing Company


100 DONALD E. W H I T E

Comstock district, Nevada ........................................ 139


Gold-silver deposits containing adularia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Goldfield, Nevada ............................................... 141
Flathead mine, Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Genetic significance of alunite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Getchell mine, Nevada ........................................... 142
Fluorite deposits ................................................... 143
Ojo Caliente, New Mexico . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Poncha Springs, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Browns Canyon district, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Wagon Wheel Gap, Colorado ..................................... 143
Bruffeys hot springs, Nevada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Arsenic deposits ................................................... 144
Barium and lead sulfate deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Jarosite and phosphate deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Zeolite deposits ..................................................... 145
Plombieres, France . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Boulder hot springs, Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Ritter hot springs, Oregon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Hunters hot springs, Montana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
High-temperature fumarolic deposits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Conclusions and speculations ........................................... 146
References ............................................................ 148

ABSTRACT

The characteristics of five explored hot spring systems are reviewed,


focusing attention on features that may be preserved after the activity has
ceased. Four systems, inciuding the Upper Basin and Norris Basin of
Yellowstone Park, Steamboat Springs, Nevada, and Wairakei, New
Zealand have relatively high temperatures at the surface and at depth.
They are volcanic in origin, deriving heat, much mineral matter, and part
of their water from a volcanic source.
Surficial acid leaching related to oxidation of H,S occurs above the
water table in three of the four areas. Kaolinite and alunite are char-
acteristic of mild acid alteration immediately below the water table, if the
environment is favorable. Where acid alteration is absent, fresh rock
may occur near the surface. Alteration minerals formed a t depth include
adularia, montmorillonite, illite, sericite, kaolinite, chlorite, pyrite, calcite,
zeolites, and sodic plagioclase. All have been found a t Steamboat Springs,
most were described from the Upper Basin and Wairakei, but only a few
occur at Norris. Tridymite and "orthoclase" (sandine), previously de-
scribed in welded tuffs at Norris by Fenner, are related to pneumatolitic
alteration when the tuffs were deposited, and are not related to present
activity.
Chalcedony, quartz, and calcite are typical vein minerals. Opal is
dominant near the surface in sinter and in veins, but it seldom occurs
below 100 feet. Where the temperature is much above 100" C, opal may
form if deposition is sufficiently rapid, but it is generally converted to
chalcedony. Cinnabar and stibnite occur at Steamboat and orpiment and
realgar in Norris Basin, restricted to shallow depths. Sinter a t Steam-
boat and Wairakei contains gold and silver. In many respects, the four
high-temperature spring systems are similar to epithermal gold-silver
deposits.

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