Lake Tecopa Zeolite deposit, Lake Tecopa Basin, Inyo County, California, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Lake Tecopa Zeolite deposit | Deposit |
| Lake Tecopa Basin | Basin |
| Inyo County | County |
| California | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
35° 55' 21'' North , 116° 14' 29'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Nye Gold Seekers | Pahrump, Nevada | 39km |
Mindat Locality ID:
209088
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:209088:0
GUID (UUID V4):
b607866c-7c14-4aa2-9300-c3670b5082e5
A zeolite-B-borate-clay deposit located in sec. 9, T25N, R6E, SBM, 6.2 km (3.9 miles) SSE of Shoshone and 8.4 km (5.2 miles) N of Tecopa, in the basin of the former Pleistocene Lake Tecopa. Owner-Operator was East West Minerals Inc. (1988). Operated by Rook and Messer Excavating Co., California (1980). MRDS database stated accuracy for this location is 100 meters.
Mineralization is a B-borate-zeolite deposit (Mineral occurrence model information: Model code: 171; USGS model code 25ob; BC deposit profile: D02; Deposit model name: Sedimentary zeolites: Zeolites in tuffs of saline, alkaline-lake deposits), hosted in mudstone and tuff. Associated rocks include Pliocene-Pleistocene basalt. Local rocks include Quaternary alluvium and marine deposits.
Zeolites are found in tuffs of Pleistocene Lake Tecopa. Three diagenic mineral facies are present. The zeolite-bearing tuffs form a horseshoe-shaped map pattern open to the SE. Towards the lake margins, the zeolite-bearing facies grades into the fresh-glass facies. The central part of the basin is composed of the K-feldspar facies, which is a mixture of feldspar and/or searlesite. It is very difficult to distinguish between the zeolite and K-feldspar facies in the field. The deposits are essentially undisturbed (except for erosion), with dips of 0 to 7 degrees basinward.
Local geologic structures include normal faults which cut lake deposits in the SE part of the basin. The deposits of Lake Tecopa cover about 90 square miles and the 220 foot section contains 12 distinct tuff layers. Much of the lake deposits have been eroded away by the Amargosa River.
Production was processed at an 8,000 TPA plant in the Amargosa Valley of nevada. Production in 1988 was only about 10% of capacity. This operation supplies customers throughout the United States, Europe, and the Far East.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Analcime Formula: Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 |
| ⓘ 'Chabazite' Description: Occurs less a bundantly only rarely making as much as 10% of the tuff. |
| ⓘ 'Clinoptilolite Subgroup' Formula: M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O Habit: Laths or plates. Description: Occurs as crystals from 0.006 mm to 0.03 mm in altered tuff. |
| ⓘ Cristobalite Formula: SiO2 Description: Occurs in a clay formation. |
| ⓘ 'Erionite Subgroup' Formula: M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O Description: Occurs as monominerallic beds or in association with other silicates. References: |
| ⓘ 'K Feldspar' |
| ⓘ Montmorillonite Formula: (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| ⓘ Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite Formula: K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| ⓘ Opal Formula: SiO2 · nH2O |
| ⓘ 'Phillipsite Subgroup' Description: Occurs as monominerallic beds or in association with other silicates. References: |
| ⓘ Searlesite Formula: Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| ⓘ Tridymite Formula: SiO2 Description: Occurs in a clay formation. |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Tridymite | 4.DA.10 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | Opal | 4.DA.10 | SiO2 · nH2O |
| ⓘ | Cristobalite | 4.DA.15 | SiO2 |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Muscovite var. Illite | 9.EC.15 | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| ⓘ | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 | |
| ⓘ | Montmorillonite | 9.EC.40 | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| ⓘ | Searlesite | 9.EF.15 | Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| ⓘ | Analcime | 9.GB.05 | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Chabazite' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Clinoptilolite Subgroup' | - | M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O |
| ⓘ | 'Erionite Subgroup' | - | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
| ⓘ | 'Phillipsite Subgroup' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'K Feldspar' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Clinoptilolite Subgroup | M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O |
| H | ⓘ Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| H | ⓘ Opal | SiO2 · nH2O |
| H | ⓘ Searlesite | Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| B | Boron | |
| B | ⓘ Searlesite | Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Clinoptilolite Subgroup | M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O |
| O | ⓘ Cristobalite | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| O | ⓘ Opal | SiO2 · nH2O |
| O | ⓘ Searlesite | Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| O | ⓘ Tridymite | SiO2 |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Na | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| Na | ⓘ Searlesite | Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Clinoptilolite Subgroup | M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Clinoptilolite Subgroup | M3-6(Si30Al6)O72 · 20H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Cristobalite | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Erionite Subgroup | M2[Al4Si14O36] · 15H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
| Si | ⓘ Opal | SiO2 · nH2O |
| Si | ⓘ Searlesite | Na(H2BSi2O7) |
| Si | ⓘ Tridymite | SiO2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite | K0.65Al2.0[Al0.65Si3.35O10](OH)2 |
| K | ⓘ Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Montmorillonite | (Na,Ca)0.33(Al,Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 · nH2O |
Other Databases
| Link to USGS MRDS: | 10100710 |
|---|
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mojave DomainDomain
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