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Mineralogy and provenance of clays in miarolitic cavities of the Pikes Peak batholith, Colorado

Canadian Mineralogist
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https://doi.org/10.2113/gscanmin.43.3.1093

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Abstract

Clay samples from 105 cavities within miarolitic granitic pegmatites throughout the Pikes Peak batholith, in Colorado, were analyzed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). Smectite (beidellite), illite, and kaolinite were found within the cavities. Calculation of crystallite-thickness distribution (CTD), mean thickness of the crystallites, and variance in crystallite thickness, as deduced from XRD patterns, allowed a determination of provenance and mode of formation for illite and smectite. Authigenic miarolitic-cavity illite and smectite show lognormal CTDs and larger mean thicknesses of crystallites than do their soil-derived counterparts; non-lognormal illite in a cavity results from mixing of cavity and soil illite. Analysis of mean thickness and thickness variance shows that crystal growth of illite is initiated by a nucleation event of short duration, followed by surface-controlled kinetics. Crystallization of the miarolitic cavity clays is presumed to occur by neoformation from hydrothermal fluids. The assessment of provenance allows a determination of regional and local distributions of clay minerals in miarolitic cavities within the Pikes Peak batholith.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Mineralogy and provenance of clays in miarolitic cavities of the Pikes Peak batholith, Colorado
Series title Canadian Mineralogist
DOI 10.2113/gscanmin.43.3.1093
Volume 43
Issue 3
Year Published 2005
Language English
Publisher Mineralogical Association of Canada
Contributing office(s) National Research Program - Central Branch
Description 13 p.
First page 1093
Last page 1105
Country United States
State Colorado
Other Geospatial Pikes Peak batholith
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