Nonmetallig Mineral Resources of Eastern Oregon
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Harold L. Ickes, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. C. Mendenhall, Director Bulletin 875 NONMETALLIG MINERAL RESOURCES OF EASTERN OREGON BY BERNARD N. MOORE Prepared in cooperation with the STATE MINING BOARD OF OREGON UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1937 For sale by th:: Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. ------ Price 30 cents CONTENTS Page Abstract __--__--__-_-__-_--_____-_-_--_-_-___-----_--_-____-__-_ 1 Introduction __ -__-____________-__._-_-__-__-_________._-____-__ 2 Field work___---____-_--_________-__ __ _------_-___---_____- 2 Acknowledgments. ____________________________________________ 2 General features-___-__--_________________ .-._--._-___________ 2 Mineral resources. ____________________________ ____________________ 4 Minerals and rocks of the volcanic regions__________. _____________ 5 Minerals and rocks of the pre-Cretaceous formations. _____________ 7 Asbestos----.-------.-------- _.-.-._---. ___----__---_- ____ 8 Pine Creek asbestos deposits ______-__-__--___---___------_-_-__ 10 Location__________ ____--______-__-_-____---____ ._._._.___ 10 Geology . _ ______________________--___--_-_.____---___-_- 11 Mesozoic (?) rocks __ _________._.______.-__-__--__ -___ 11 Limestones. ._ ._._-__-_______-.__-_-___-----_-_-.- 11 Greenstones-.-------..--------------- .-----__---- 11 Tertiary rocks__ ._---_----------__--.-.-.-.--_-------_ 12 Quaternary deposits.-----..-------- ____-____-_--_--_._ 12 Structure-___-_--____-_-__----__--------------------- 12 Asbestos. ________ ________ _______________________________ 13 Occurrence--..--.- _------__-------__---_------------_ 13 In schist__-____I-__-__------__-------_--__------ 13 Near schist-greenstone contacts-__---_-_----__--__- 14 In greenstones----_----_----_--_----__-_---_-l----- 15 Origin. _-_.__-_-____---____-_---_-__---___---___-_--_ 15 Development... -_-__--_____-__-__-_--_--_ ___-_____-. 16 Size of deposits_-___-_--___---_------------- --.-.-.--- 17 Diatomite _ _____________________________________________________ 17 General character _ ____-______-.--.__.__.________________-_-__ 17 World's production ____________________________________________ 18 Diatomite in eastern Oregon. ___________________________________ 20 General occurrence. _-_-__--_______-___-____-__.-__--_----- 20 Previous work_________..__________--_______-______________ 21 Klamath Lakes. __^___._. _.-_____-____--____-__-___--__--__-__ 22 Davis Lake.. _ ___-______-----___-_ __________.._______.-__._ 23 Geology... __-_--_-_--_-_-----------_-----__--_-------_- 23 Diatomite--_____-_-___--_--___-___-_-_____-_-.____-_--__- 25 Terrebonne diatomite_--______________-_____--_-_--____-_______ 26 General features of region. _____________ ___________________ 26 Geology ___ _____________________________________________ 27 Deschutes formation........ ___________________________ 27 Late Pleistocene or Recent lavas_______-_______________. 29 . Alluvium and loess__--_______ ----_-_----_-__---___-___ 29 Structure---------------.---------------.------------ 29 ni 491725 IV CONTENTS Diatomite Continued. Terrebonne diatomite Continued. Page Diatomite..--------______________________________________ 30 Occurrence.______________________________________.___ 30 Conclusions --__-_______________._'____________________ 31 Development.________________________________________ 32 Diatomite near Burns______.__: .____-._-_._._._.--____-______ 33 Geology. -__---_-_---____________-_-______._______.___ 33 Diatomite____--_--_--__-__-_______.________________ _^_ 33 Klamath diatomite deposits__ ___________________________________ 34 Location._______--_-_.--___________..-_________-________._ 34 Investigation. __ __________________________________________ 34 General features of district.________________________________ 34 Geography __--------_-____-_____________________._.__ 34 Accessibilityl----_---___-________--_-________-________ 35 . Geology -----_-__-____-_---_______-_-_-______.--__'__.____ 35 Miocene(?) rocks.______________________________________ 36 Pliocene(?) rocks.____________________________________ T 37 Lower lavas___________.:___-_----_____-____-______ 37 Diatomite________________________________________ 38 Upperlavas_-_-_-----__--_--______---___-________ 38 Pleistocene (?) rocks. __ _______________________________._ 38 Recent alluvium. _____________________________________ 39 Structure. _______-----________-__----________________ 39 Diatomite..----_-_---_------_--------------------_---_-_- 40 Chiloquin- _ ___________________________________________ 40 Klamath Falls.__._.____..._.__.______..______ 41 Poe Valley----------.-------.------------------__._ 43 Sprague River district-___________-_--__--___-______-__ 44 Alkali Valley,----------- -----.---.-----------------_- 49 Olene district-_-_-___--_-______-__--_____-_--_________ 49 Conclusions __________________________________________ 50 Indian Creek diatomite-_______________________________________ 51 Location. ________-_____-_______^____-_-__________-___-___ 51 Geology...--_______-_-----__---__.-.-.---.---------_---_- 52 Diatomite.-_-____---------------_--_-------___-------_--- 52 Clover Creek district-___._._-_-_-_._-_.____-_______---______.- 53 Location and field wofk_.__________________________________ 53 General features of district-__-__-_____-.-_____-______-_-___ 53 Geology....______________________________________________ 53 Stratigraphy _.-___-_____________-__._--__-_-________ 53 Structure. ___________________________________________ 53 Diatomite____.__-_-_______-__--___-___-_-_-._._._._._._ 54 Occurrence.-_----_------_---_--.-__.-._____----__-__- 54 Quality-_____---_-_-----______-------_--------------- 54 Mining conditions___________________________________ 56 Development-________-_____________---_-____-______-- 56 Richland diatomite..______________-____-___---_-____-------_-- 56 Location _________-__------_-___----_----_------.---------- 56 Geology _...______-_______________-__'---____-___----___--- 57 Diatomite.--------.------------------------._.--____l__-_ 57 Diatomite near Durkee._________j_________-_______________-__- 58 Swayze Creek._____i______________._-_-_________-____-__- 58 Manning Creek-___________-_._______--_--_____---_------- 58 CONTENTS V Diatomite Continued. Page Austin diatomite-.___._______--..-__-__--____-__--_-- _-__--___ 59 Location and general features_-______-_____-_----___-_____-_ 59 Geology__________________________________________________ 59 Diatomite- _ ______________________________________________ 60 Tipton.____________ ________________________________ 60 Austin.______________________________________________ 61 John Day Valley.._'___.__.__._._..._._..._..._..-_.__.._...__. 63 Brogan-_______-____.________-_--___---_----_----._-_-------_ 64 Harper district....___._______--__-__-_--_--_._-_.__--_--__-_-_ 65 Location ________________-_____--__-_--_-___-__--_--__-.-- 65 Investigations.__ ..__________-_____-____-__---__-_--_-_--- 65 Geography._._______________________-______.-__._-_---_-- 65 Accessibility.-____________-----___---_--._-_-_.______--.-- 66 Geology.__-_-_.________________-___-__--__.________---_ 66 Miocene lavas._____-_-_-_-_-________-__-_____-_____-_ 67 Payette formation...-_._._.-._.-._._.-.-._---_-__--_-- 68 Lower agglomerate and tuff member.._______________ 68 Lower diatomite member...._______________________ 69 Gray ash member_______________________ ._._______ 70 Upper diatomite member__.__________.________ ___ 70 Rhyolite porphyry member_....._._ ____..______._. 71 Yellow tuff member.__________________________ _._ 71 Post-Payette rocks-_-_-_---____-__-___________-.._ .... 71 Capping basalts---____-________-______--__________ 71 Vitrophyres ______________________________________ 72 Terrace gravel.....-_--_--_--_-_-----__-._.-._-_.. 72 Recent alluvium._-_____._________-_______-_..._... 73 Structure ________._.._._____._____.___.__..__'__._._.. 73 Slumping. ___-_-_--________----_-----_-_______.-_ 73 Folds and faults_____.__.__.__-._._..-..__-___.__. 75 Geologic history.____________._____.__-_--__.__.-_..._ 76 Diatomite.----__.____- -__.._-.-.__._____._..._..__.. 77 Distribution.. __._-___-_--__-_.--____--______.________ 77 Quality..____________________________________________ 87 Color and weight----_-____________________________ 87 Toughness or strength-.__________.________________ 88 Chemical analyses.----___-_--_______.-.___________ 88 Microscopic analyses_________________.____________ 88 Utilization. __._______._.-.___.________._________... 92 Development. ____.__---____--._-_._-_-__-__-_____.__. 92 History...._____.____________________ 92 Devfelopment.-_---------__---_--_----__-_____-.__ 93 Products -______-__-___________.i_________________ 95 Reserves.-____--_------_-_-_____--.__________--__ 95 Otis Basin diatomite_______--_-______-_-__-__-__--_-_________ 95 Location _________________________________________________ 95 Investigations-__________-_-______-_----__--_____.________ 95 Topography_________________ r ____________________________ 96 Accessibility ______________________________________________ 96 VI CONTENTS Diatomite Continued. Otis Basin diatomite Continued. Tertiary deposits _ ................................... 97 Miocene lava.___. -.----.------------_-__. __ ... 97 Payette formation. .-_____^_____. __________________ 98 Lower agglomerate member. ____________________ 98 Diatomite member. __.____..._.____________._. 99 Upper agglomerate and tuff member _____________ 99 Rhyolite porphyry member. _ _________________ 99 Pliocene olivine basalt.