Abstract
A newly developed deposit at the Inspiration Mine has ore consisting of black and green chrysocolla. No primary copper minerals occur within the deposit. The chrysocolla is partly in rocks that are younger than the nearby major copper mineralization. We believe the chrysocolla was produced by reaction of soluble copper with silica dissolved from the volcanic glasses in the adjacent quartz-latite flows of the Apache Leap Formation. This is probably not a unique occurrence. Thus, chrysocolla deposits may be expected to be associated with other silica-rich flows located near sources of copper. Conversely, deposits of chrysocolla exposed at the surface may be used to locate the primary source of copper by tracing old water courses back to the primary sulfide deposits. Black chrysocolla is a manganese-rich variety of green chrysocolla (as opposed to melaconite, copper pitch, and tenorite). Its X-ray properties are indistinguishable from the green variety. Results of thermal studies show that there is a greater similarity between the green and black varieties at a given deposit, than between specimens of like color from different deposits.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1168-1175 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Economic Geology |
| Volume | 66 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 1971 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geochemistry and Petrology
- Geophysics
- Economic Geology
- Geology
Cite this
Nature and origin of black chrysocolla at the inspiration mine, Arizona. / Throop, Allen H.; Buseck, P R.
In: Economic Geology, Vol. 66, No. 8, 01.12.1971, p. 1168-1175.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Nature and origin of black chrysocolla at the inspiration mine, Arizona
AU - Throop, Allen H.
AU - Buseck, P R
PY - 1971/12/1
Y1 - 1971/12/1
N2 - A newly developed deposit at the Inspiration Mine has ore consisting of black and green chrysocolla. No primary copper minerals occur within the deposit. The chrysocolla is partly in rocks that are younger than the nearby major copper mineralization. We believe the chrysocolla was produced by reaction of soluble copper with silica dissolved from the volcanic glasses in the adjacent quartz-latite flows of the Apache Leap Formation. This is probably not a unique occurrence. Thus, chrysocolla deposits may be expected to be associated with other silica-rich flows located near sources of copper. Conversely, deposits of chrysocolla exposed at the surface may be used to locate the primary source of copper by tracing old water courses back to the primary sulfide deposits. Black chrysocolla is a manganese-rich variety of green chrysocolla (as opposed to melaconite, copper pitch, and tenorite). Its X-ray properties are indistinguishable from the green variety. Results of thermal studies show that there is a greater similarity between the green and black varieties at a given deposit, than between specimens of like color from different deposits.
AB - A newly developed deposit at the Inspiration Mine has ore consisting of black and green chrysocolla. No primary copper minerals occur within the deposit. The chrysocolla is partly in rocks that are younger than the nearby major copper mineralization. We believe the chrysocolla was produced by reaction of soluble copper with silica dissolved from the volcanic glasses in the adjacent quartz-latite flows of the Apache Leap Formation. This is probably not a unique occurrence. Thus, chrysocolla deposits may be expected to be associated with other silica-rich flows located near sources of copper. Conversely, deposits of chrysocolla exposed at the surface may be used to locate the primary source of copper by tracing old water courses back to the primary sulfide deposits. Black chrysocolla is a manganese-rich variety of green chrysocolla (as opposed to melaconite, copper pitch, and tenorite). Its X-ray properties are indistinguishable from the green variety. Results of thermal studies show that there is a greater similarity between the green and black varieties at a given deposit, than between specimens of like color from different deposits.
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U2 - 10.2113/gsecongeo.66.8.1168
DO - 10.2113/gsecongeo.66.8.1168
M3 - Article
VL - 66
SP - 1168
EP - 1175
JO - Economic Geology
JF - Economic Geology
SN - 0361-0128
IS - 8
ER -