Lehigh University Lehigh Preserve Theses and Dissertations 1-1-1976 The geochemistry of franklinite and associated minerals from the Sterling Hill zinc deposit, Sussex County, New Jersey. Samuel F. Squiller Follow this and additional works at: http://preserve.lehigh.edu/etd Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Squiller, Samuel F., "The eg ochemistry of franklinite and associated minerals from the Sterling Hill zinc deposit, Sussex County, New Jersey." (1976). Theses and Dissertations. Paper 2068. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Lehigh Preserve. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Lehigh Preserve. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE GEOCHEMISTRY ' OF FRANKLINITE AND ASSOCIATED MINERALS FROM THE STERLING HILL Z INC, DFPOSIT, PUSSEX COUNTY, NEW JERSEY by Samuel F. Squiller A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Committee of Lehigh University in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Science in Geological Sciences Lehigh University 1976 ProQuest Number: EP76341 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest EP76341 Published by ProQuest LLC (2015). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL This- thesis is accepted and approved in partial ful fillr-;ent of the renuireriCr.tr, for the degree of faster of Science, Professor in Charge Chairman of Department ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS t v i. s h ' t. c express n y F i n c e r c a n n r e c i a t i o n f o r the ef- f o r t r. of . n y a d v isor ,, >■' r o f e r. n o r C h arlo s B . S c .1 a r , w ho p. r c - vided continual encouragement and Guidance throuohout the c o u r n e of this study and. who critic a llv reviewo cl r, evera 1 drafts of this document. The New J e r s e v 7inc Cocpany • generously permitted access to the ?■■ t er 1 i nq Hill mine and allowed the writer to collect aporooriate samples. I am especially qrateful to Mr. R. W. Metsqer of the New Jersey Zinc Company who supervised the acquisition of the samples studied and provided valuable insiqht into the internal structure and mineralogy of the deposit. I also thank Mr. Metsger for his critical reading of the manuscript. Dr. Paul Myers served on the writer's advisory committee and offered many valuable suggestions. Financial support for the use of the electron micro- probe was provided' by the Bureau of Geology and Topography, Department of Environmental Protection, of the State of New Jersey through'the office of Dr. Kemble Widmer, State Geologist, and I am most grateful for this assistance. During the period July 1975-May 1976 the writer submitted to the State of New Jersey, four progress reports which contained preliminary analytical results. Support for ex- penda-bl-e-^H3rH>jpiies by the Department of Geological Sciences at Lehigh is also gratefully acknowledged. iii Lastly, I weald like to thank r,v v i f <?, Flizabeth, for her, continual support, encouraoencnt, and understanding during the course of t h is studv . © iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Certificate of'Approval pase ii Ac k n o v1odoncnts i i i List cf Tables viit List of Figures x Abstract ,■ 1 i Introduction . 4 objectives of This Study 7 Discovery and DeveloDinent of the Sterlinq Hill Mine: 9 Previous "Investigations 12 Geologic Setting 14 The Sterling Hill Ore Deposit 18 General Structure 18 Mineralogy and Texture _ 21 Franklinite 22 Gahnite 28 Willemite 28 Tephroite 33 Zincite 34 Internal Structure and Mineral Zonation 34 Description of Sample Location 43 Sample Location of Series No. 1 43 Sample Location of Series No. 2 44 Sample Location of Series No. 3 46 ! TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont'd.) Sample Location of Series No. 4 paqe 47 Sanple Location of Series No.. 5 51 Sanple Location of Series No.- 6 53 Samule Location of Series No. 7. 57 A nalytica1 M ethods 59 Ontical Microscopy 59 Interqranular and Intragranular Homoqeneity 59 Electron Microprobe Analysis , 59 Methods and Standards 59 Analytical Precision 60 Mineral Chemistry and Compositional Variation 64 Franklinite 64 Compositional Variation of Franklinite With Coexisting Willemite 80 Franklinite From Red Willemite Zones 82 Franklinite From Black Willemite Zones 82 Franklinite From Brown Willemite Zones 84 Intragranular Homogeneity 84 Intergranular Homogeneity 88 Chemical Variation Across and Along the Strike 92 Franklinite Inclusions in Willemite and Tephroite „ - ' 99 Willemite 108 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont'd.) I, i n c i t e rage 108 "ah'n i te 117 T c o hroite 126 '•ther Minerals 141 r'riaarv Metamornhic Versus Secondary Oriqir. For '"incite' 145 Primary Metamorohic Versus Second arv Or'in in For Tephroite 147 JOriqin of Franklinite Inclusions in Will'em'ite 151 Origin of the Sterling Hill Zinc Deposit 154 History of Ideas on the Sterling Hill Dep'os it 154 Recent views 159 Genetic Aspects of the Sterling Hill Deposit as Revealed by This Study. 161 References Cited 174 Appendix I. Compilation of Analyses. 179 Vita 231 vii V LIST OF TABLES • trat i <; r a r> h i c C plus r. o f ' t h e F r a n Jc 1 i ■ r ft a.e 16 Stcrlinc Hill Area. 2 . A n a 1 v t re a 3 rrecisi o n 63 Average Electron '•' i c r o p r o b e A n a 1 v s o s (w t of. Frank 1 in i t e . 65 N'urr.ber or Cat ions/ 3 2 Oxyqens for Frank 1 in.ite Analyses of Table 3 71 Composition Panqes (Wt. *) of Frank- linite Coexisting With Red, Brown, and Black Willemite. 83 6. Homoqeneity Indices (S c /2a c ) for Representative Franklmite Grains 86 7. Homogeneity Indices for Intergrain Compositional Variations of Frank- linite. 90 Representative Electron Microprobe Analyses (Wt. %) of Franklinite Inclusions in Willemite and Tephroite 100 Representative Electron Microprobe Analyses (Wt. %) of Willemite. 109 10. Composition Ranges (Wt. %•) of Red, Brown, and Black Willemite. 115 11. Representative Electron Microprobe Analyses (Wt. %) of Zincite. 121 12. Representative Electron Microprobe Analyses (Wt. %) of Gahnite. 131 13. Representative Electron Microprobe Analyses (Wt. %) of Tephroite. 137 14. Electron Microprobe Analyses (Wt. %) of Willemite-Tephroite Intergrowths 140 15. Representative Electron Microprobe • Analyses (Wt. %) of Hetaerolite and Marble. 143 viii LIST OF TABLES (cont'd.) I h . K lectron M i c r o n- r o h e A r. a lysc P ( W t . % ) c a a e 14B o f f * C: e x i n t i n a Top h roite-Willemite Fairs and rrinarv Techroitc. IX LIST OF FIGURES '-eo 1-o-o-i-c--'.',a p -o f ■■ the F ra rv-ki-i-n--P-t--e-r--l-i-nt?- _D_ftQ..«?_ 15 Area. •".colofjic "ap of the Sterlinq Hill Ore Bodv. 19 Photomacroqraph of Salt and Penper Texture of Franklin ite and willemite. 23 4. Photoma'crograph of Massive Texture of Franklinite and V.'illemite. 24 5. Photomicrpqraph of Franklinite Inclu- sions in Willemite. 26 6. Photomicrograph of .Franklinite Inclu- sions in Willemite. 27 Photomicrograph of Gahnite-Franklinite Intergrowth. 29 Photomicrograph of Gahnite-Franklinite Intergrowth. 30 Photomicrograph of Gahnite-Franklinite Intergrowth. 31 10. Specimen Current Image of Willemite Vein. 32 11. Photomicrograph of Tephroite Replacing Willemite. 35 12. Photomicrograph of Tephroite Replacing. ■Willemite. 36 13. Photomicrograph of Serpentinized Tephroite. 37 14. photomacrograph of Texture of Zincite- Bearing Ore. 38 15. Photomicrograph of Intergrowth in Zincite. 39 16. Sketch of the Sample Location of Series No. 2. 45 LIST OF FIGURES (cont'd.) f- ketc h o f t h e r. a m n I e L o c a tion o ' raae 48 Series -No . 4 . 19. Sketch of the Sanplc Lqc a t i o n of 52 Series Ko, S. ■ j 19. Sketch of the Sample Location of. 55 Series No . 6 . 69 2 0. Fe-?.n-Mn Diaqram for Franklinite. 75 21. Variation Diaqram for Franklinite. 78 22. Variation Diaqram for Franklinite. 81 23. Variation Diaqram for Franklinite. 24. Composition-Distance Diaqram for 93 the Sample Location of Series No. 2. 25. Composition-Distance Diaqram for 94 , the Sample Location of Series No. 4. 26. Composition-Distance Diaqram for 95 the Sample Location of Series No. 5. 27. Composition-Distance Diaqram for 96 the Sample Location of Series No. 6. 28. Composition-Distance Diaqram for 97 the Sample Location of S,eries No. 7. 29. Fe-Zn-Mn Diaqram for Franklinite 101 Inclusions in Willemite. 30. Compositional Correlations Between Elements in Franklinite and Frank- 102 linite Inclusions in Willemite. 112 31. Variation Diaqram for Willemite. 32. Compositional Correlations Between 118 Elements in Willemite and Frahkli.nite 123 33. Variation Diaqram for Zincite. 34. Compositional Correlations Between 127 Elements in Franklinite and Zincite. XI LIST OF FIGURES (cont'd.) 3 S . r.lectr o r. ■ v. icroprobc Jrankh n ite- r ft <: «* 1 14 '" a n r, i t e Traverse. -■ 3 6 .