Limestone Resources of Western Washington
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State of Washington DANIEL J. EVANS, Governor Department of Conservation H. MA URI CE AHLQUIST, Director DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY MARSHALL T. HUNTTING, Supervisor Bulletin No. 52 LIMESTONE RESOURCES OF WESTERN WASHINGTON By WILBERT R. DANNER With a section on the UME MOUNTAIN DEPOSIT By GERALD W. THORSEN STATII PRINTING PLANT, OLYMPI A, WASH, 1966 For sale by Department of Conservation, Olympia, Washington. Price, $4,50 FOREWORD Since the early days of Washington's statehood, limestone has been recognized as one of the important mineral resources _of the State. The second annual report of the Washington Geological Survey, published in 1903, gave details on the State's limestone deposits, and in later years five other reports published by the Survey and its successor agencies hove given additional information on this resource. Still other reports by Federal and private agencies hove been published in response to demands for data on limestone here. Although some of the earlier reports included analyses to show the purity of the rocks, very few of the samples for analysis were taken systemati cally in a way that would fairly represent the deposits sampled. Prior to 1900 limestone was produced for use as building stone here, and another important use was for the production of burned Ii me . Portland cement plants soon became leading consumers of Ii mestone, and they con tinue as such to the present time . Limestone is used in large quantities in the pulp industry in the Northwest, and in 1966 there was one commercial lime-burning plant in the State. Recognizing the potential for industrial development in Washington based on more intensive use of our mineral resources, and recognizing the need to up-dote the State's knowledge of raw material resources in order to channel those resources into the State's growing economy, the Industrial Row Materials Advisory Committee of the Deportment of Commerce and Economic Development in 1958 recommended that a comprehensive survey be made of the limestone resources of Washington. It was suggested that the investigation should determine the amount and quality of stone available in the largest and most accessible deposits in both the eastern and western ports of the State. With the interest and support of the Industrial Raw Materials Advisory Committee, a limestone market survey was completed by the Department of Commerce and Economic Development and o survey of the limestone deposits was commenced in 1959 by the Division of Mines and Geology of the Department of Conservation . The Division of Industrial Research at Washington State University was engaged to analyze some 750 samples. We were fortunate to obtain the services of Dr . Wilbert R. Donner, Professor of Geology at the University of British Columbia, to make the survey of limestone in western Washington, which is reported here as Bulletin 52 of the Division of Mines and Geology. A report on high-calcium limestones of eastern Washington was published in 1962 as DivisiQTl of Mines and Geology Bulletin 48. Marshall T. Huntting, Supervisor Division of Mines and Geology Moy 15, 1966 111 CONTENTS Foreword iii Abstract Introduction . .. .. .. .. •... .••.•.•••..••..•.•..... ........•••.•••••..•...• . ...•..••.•.... .•.•. 2 Acknowledgments . ••......•..........•........ • .. ... ...... •.. • .. •• . .. .... • •...•.•.• . • 2 Classifications and definitions 3 Chemical classification 4 Classification based on major impurities .. .. ...... .. ... ..•...•....•.. ...•. , •...••..•••• . •• 4 Petrographical c lassifications •..... ... ............ .. • . ........ ..•...•............•.... 5 Physical appearance in hand specimen or outcrop 5 Appearance when viewed under the microscope ......•..•.....•..•....... •... .. .. • 5 Varieties of limestone 6 Mineralogical composition of limestone and common impurities ................... .. .. .........•... 7 Origin ... •. .... .. ... ...• .. ......•... .•.•..•..........•.. ... .. ..... • , , . , , ... , , , . • · · · · · • · · · • • 9 Post-depositional changes . .. .......• . ......•..•.•......... .................•. .. .. ... .. ..... .. 11 Weathering of calcareous deposits 12 Intrusions within the limestone 13 Field characteristics and identification 13 Sampling . .. .. .. .•.. •.....•.......•....•...... .....• . .....•.....•.. .... .. ...•...... , ...... 16 Analyses ... .. .. ........•......•..•...•...•.....•....•....•.. •.. .• , , . , • , , , , . , · • ·, · · · · · · · • 16 Sample preporotion ... .. .. .... .. .... .............. ..• . •...........• . .•..• . .•.•.•... •.•. 19 Analytical chemical procedures 19 Spectrochemi co I procedure 20 Spectrochemical analyses . • . • . • . • . 21 Evaluation of deposits . • • . • • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • 27 Acquiring o limestone deposit • • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . 29 .Price . • . • . • • . • . • • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • 29 Taxes and tariffs . • . • . • . • • . • . • • • . • . • . • . • . • • . • • . • . • • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . 30 Mining and processing . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • • • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . 30 Production and consumption . • . • • • . • . • . • • . • • • . • . • . • • . • . • • . • . • • . • • . • . • . • 32 Uses . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . 40 Requirements for physical uses . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . 41 Roadstone and aggregate . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • • . • 41 Stucco, terrazzo, roofing gravel, and surfacing chips 41 Veneering, flagstone, and dimension stone . • . • • . • . • . • . 41 Fi 11 stone • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • • . • • • . • . • 42 Rai lroad ballast . • . • . • . • . • . • . • . 42 Asphalt fi Iler . .. • . • . • • • . • . • • . • . • • . • . • . • • • • • • . • . • . 42 Riprap . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • . • . • . • . • . • . • . • • • • • • . • • 42 Coal-mine dusting 42 Sewage filter beds 43 V CONTENTS Uses-Continued Requirements for physical uses-Continued Pou Itry grit ...............•... .... ... ... ..... .... ... ...................... .. 43 Sand .............. ....... ........... .................. .. .. .. .. ....... 43 Whiting and whiting substitutes 43 Ornamental stone 43 Marble 44 Requirements for chemical uses .............. .. ........ ......................... .. .. ... 45 Lime ............... .. ...........•........ · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 45 Portland cement ..... .. .. ............... ............................. • .. ........ 47 Agricultural limestone 49 Metallurgical uses of limestone and lime . ........................... .................. 50 Alkali manufacture 50 Glass manufacture 50 Sugar refining . • . 51 Calcium carbide and cyanamide . 51 Pulp and paper . 51 Refractory brick and sand-lime brick . 52 Paint, bleaching powder, and bleach liquor . • . 52 Leather . 53 Water and waste treatment . • . 53 Building lime . 53 Insecticides, fungicides, and disinfectants . 53 Road stabilization . 54 Mineral food . 54 Rock wool . 54 Stratigraphy of western Washington limestone-bearing rocks 61 Pre-Devonian rocks 61 Middle and upper Paleozoic rocks 62 Devonian rocks . • . • . • . 62 San Juan Islands 62 Northern Cascade tv'lountains . • . • . • . 64 Mississippian rocks . • . • . • . • . 65 Pennsylvanian rocks . • . • . 65 San Juan County . • . 66 Northern Cascade Mountains . • . • . 66 Permian rocks 68 San Juan Islands 69 Northern Cascade Mountains . 71 Chi lliwack Group . 71 Trafton sequence . 72 vi CONTENTS Stratigraphy of western Washington limestone-bearing rocks-Continued Mesozoic rocks ..................•...........................•........•... .. .......•......... 75 late Triassic rocks 75 San Juan Islands 75 Northern Cascade Mountains . .. ..