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E.E. Foord

Publications and source records attributed to E.E. Foord.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1992

A monoclinic, pseudo-orthorhombic Au-Hg mineral of potential economic significance in Pleistocene Snake River alluvial deposits of southeastern Idaho

A mineral with the approximate composition of Au94Hg6 - Au88Hg12 (atomic %) has been identified in Pleistocene Snake River alluvial deposits. The gold-mercury mineral occurs as very small grains or as polycrystalline masses composed of subhedral to nearly euhedral attached crystals. Vibratory cold-polishing techniques with 0.05-??m alumina abrasive for polished sections revealed a porous internal texture for most subhedral crystals after 48-72 hours of treatment. Thus, optical character (isotropic or anisotropic) could not be determined by reflected-light microscopy, and pore-free areas were too small for measurement of reflectance. X-ray-diffraction lines rather than individual reflections (spots), on powder camera X-ray films of unrotated spindles of single grains that morphologically appear to be single crystals, indicate that individual subhedral or euhedral crystals are composed of domains in random orientation. Thus, no material was found suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. -from Authors

Canadian Mineralogist↗
USGS1991

Boromuscovite, a new member of the mica group, from the Little Three mine pegmatite, Ramona district, San Diego County, California

Boromuscovite, ideally KAl2(Si3B)O10(OH,F)2, in which [4]Al is replaced by B relative to muscovite, occurs as a late-stage, postpocket rupture mineral within the New Spaulding Pocket, main Little Three pegmatite dike. The mineral is white to cream colored and occurs as a porcelaneous veneer and coating on primary minerals. The average grain size is less than 3-4 ??m, but the coatings may be as much as 1 cm or more thick. Fragments of topaz, albite, elbaite, and other pocket minerals are included in the coating. The boromuscovite precipitated from a late-stage hydothermal fluid; it occurs only as a snowlike coating. Chemical composition, unit-cell parameters, Mohs hardness, cleavage, fracture, and optical properties are reported. -from Authors

American Mineralogist↗
USGS1986

Magnesioferrite from the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, Caravaca, Spain

Magnesioferrite grading toward magnetite has been identified as a very small but meaningful constituent of the basal iron-rich portion of the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary clay at the Barranco del Gredero section, Caravaca, Spain. This spinel-type phase and others of the spinel group, found in K-T boundary clays at many widely separated sites, have been proposed as representing unaltered remnants of ejecta deposited from an earth-girdling dust cloud formed from the impact of an asteroid or other large bolide at the end of the Cretaceous period. The magnesioferrite occurs as euhedral, frequently skeletal, micron-sized octahedral crystals. The magnesioferrite contains29 ± 11 ppb Ir, which accounts for only part of the Ir anomaly at this K-T boundary layer(52 ± 1 ppb Ir). Major element analyses of the magnesioferrite show variable compositions. Some minor solid solution exists toward hercynite-spinel and chromite-magnesiochromite. A trevorite-nichromite (NiFe 2 O 4 -NiCr 2 O 4 ) component is also present. The analyses are very similar to those reported for sites at Furlo and Petriccio, Umbria, Italy. On the basis of the morphology and general composition of the magnesioferrite grains, rapid crystallization at high temperature is indicated, most likely directly from a vapor phase and in an environment of moderate oxygen fugacity. Elemental similarity with metallic alloy injected into rocks beneath two known impact craters suggests that part of the magnesioferrite may be derived from the vaporized chondritic bolide itself, or from the mantle; there is no supporting evidence for its derivation from crustal target rocks.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters↗
USGS1986

Minasgeraisite, a new member of the gadolinite group from Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Minasgeraisite, Y2CaBe2Si2O10, a 9.833(2), b 7.562(1), c 4.702(1) A, beta 90.46(6)o, P21/a, Z = 2, is a new member of the gadolinite group. Found in quantities of only several hundred mg in the Jaguaracu pegmatite, Minas Gerais, Brazil, it occurs as 0.2 to 1.0 mm-diameter rosettes, coating and intergrown with milarite, albite, quartz and muscovite. The mineral is lavender to lilac purple and has a sheaf-like habit, with a grain size of <3-5 mu m. It is not magnetic and not fluorescent under either short-wave or long-wave ultraviolet radiations; H. approx 6-7, D(meas.) >4.25, D(calc.) 4.90 g/cm3, lustre is earthy to subvitreous and the streak is pale purple. Minasgeraisite is slowly soluble in common acids. The mineral has one excellent cleavage, (100) by analogy with gadolinite, and another good cleavage (001). Minasgeraisite is biaxial positive with alpha (colourless) 1.740(4), beta (pale greyish yellow) 1.754(4), gamma (lavender purple) 1.786(4), 2Vgamma 68o. Strongest powder XRD lines include 3.11(100), 2.830(100), 2.540(90), 1.768(35) A.-J.A.Z.

American Mineralogist↗
USGS1985

Durangite from the Black Range, New Mexico, and new data on durangite from Durango and Cornwall.

Durangite, associated with cassiterite, hematite, quartz, tridymite, cristobalite and clinopyroxene, occurs in small veinlets within flows, ash-flow tuffs and lithic tuffs in a tin mine near Boiler Peak, New Mexico. It is clear to semi-translucent, pale yellow-orange to medium orange-red with a vitreous lustre, pale yellow streak; H. 5-5.5%; irregular to conchoidal fracture and a good (110) cleavage; elongate along c with (110), (010), (021) and (111) the prominent forms; Dmeas 3.90, Dcalc 3.92 g/cm3; alpha medium yellow orange 1.634(3), beta pale yellow orange 1.663(3), gamma colourless 1.685(3); weak to moderate dispersion r < v. The structural formula is: (Na0.93Li0.07)SIGMA 1.00(Al0.89Fe0.07Mn0.06)SIGMA 1.02As0.99O4(F0.90(OH)0.07)SIGMA 0.97. Indexed XRD powder data are tabulated; a 6.574(1), b 8.505(2), c 7.019(1) A, beta 115.34o; space group C2/c; Z = 4. Additional X-ray and chemical data on durangite from Durango and Cornwall are also included.-L.T.T.

Canadian Mineralogist↗
USGS1984

Mineralogic evidence for an impact event at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

A thin claystone layer found in nonmarine rocks at the palynological Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in eastern Montana contains an anomalously high value of iridium. The nonclay fraction is mostly quartz with minor feldspar, and some of these grains display planar features. These planar features are related to specific crystallographic directions in the quartz lattice. The shocked quartz grains also exhibit asterism and have lowered refractive indices. All these mineralogical features are characteristic of shock metamorphism and are compelling evidence that the shocked grains are the product of a high velocity impact between a large extraterrestrial body and the earth. The shocked minerals represent silicic target material injected into the stratosphere by the impact of the projectile.

Science↗
USGS1983

Hashemite, Ba(Cr,S)O4, a new mineral from Jordan.

Hashemite, Ba(Cr,S)O4, the isostructural chromate analogue of baryte, has been found in west-central Jordan. It is associated with chromian ettringite, apatite and calcite in a phosphatic carbonate rock analogous to the Hatrurim formation in Israel. The mineral is orthorhombic, Pnma, with a 9.112(2), b 5.541(1), c 7.343(1) A, Z = 4. Strongest XRD lines are 3.516(100), 3.171(80), 3.669(60), 2.175(60), 2.150(45) A. Hashemite occurs as small, euhedral, dark brown, commonly zoned crystals with an average D 4.59 g/cm3 and H. 31/2. It is biaxial positive; dark varieties have alpha 1.952(2), beta 1.960(2), gamma 1.977(2); light varieties have alpha 1.810(2), beta 1.813(2), gamma 1.824(2), 2Vgamma 35o-57o.-J.A.Z.

American Mineralogist↗
USGS1983

Cuprian fraipontite and sauconite from the Defiance-Silver Bill mines, Gleeson, Arizona.

XRD studies have shown the fine-grained, light blue-green mineral previously identified as turquoise or chrysocolla to be the rare species fraipontite + or - admixed sauconite. Composite microprobe and XRF analyses gave SiO2 24.8, Al2O3 17.3, CaO 0.34, CuO 5.2, ZnO 40.95, H2O (ign. loss, 900oC) 12.8, = 101.39, yielding the formula (Zn1.84Al0.77Cu0.24box 0.13- Ca0.02)3.00(Si1.51Al0.49)2.00O5(OH)4. Semiquantitative emission spectrographic analysis showed Fe 0.007, Mg 0.01, Ca 0.07, Si 10, Al major, Na 0.015, Zn major, Cu 5%; Mn 15, B 150, Be 7, Ni 50, Pb 15, Sc 15, Ga 70 and Ag 1 ppm. It has a 5.331(8), b 9.23(1), c 7.275(6) A, beta 104.15o; H. 3.5-4; Dcalc 3.44, Dobs. 3.08- 3.10; mean refr. ind. approx 1.61. Much of the fraipontite is admixed with sauconite, which may be forming from the fraipontite. XRF analysis of this material gave SiO2 32.8, Al2O3 10.9, MgO < 0.1, CaO 1.51, Na2O < 0.2, K2O < 0.02, TiO2 < 0.02, P2O5 < 0.02, MnO < 0.02, CuO 4.65, ZnO 39.9, ign. loss 13.9, = 103.7.-G.W.R.

Mineralogical Record↗