Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T08:49:40.069Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Geological and Mineralogical Characterization of Zeolites in Lacustrine Tuffs, Ngakuru, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

R. L. Brathwaite
R. L. Brathwaite*
Affiliation:
Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences, PO Box 31312, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: b.brathwaite@gns.cri.nz
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Mordenite and clinoptilolite have replaced glass shards and pumice in vitric tuffs that are the products of ash fall-out into lake basins of late Quaternary age in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The vitric tuffs are intercalated with siltstone and diatomite and overlie pumice-rich, rhyolitic ignimbrite. A Zr/TiO2-Nb/Y immobile element ratio plot indicates that the vitric tuffs, like the ignimbrite, are of rhyolitic composition. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy studies indicate that the mordenite and clinoptilolite are accompanied by authigenic K-feldspar and Opal-CT. The zeolites and other authigenic minerals are very fine grained (<10 µm), with open meshes of acicular mordenite crystals that result in low densities (0.7–1.0 g cm−3) in mordenite-rich tuffs. From Pearce element ratio analysis of whole-rock chemical analyses, only Na and K appear to have been mobilized during alteration. The zeolite deposits are associated with sinter, hydrothermal eruption breccias and silicified fault breccias that represent surface or near-surface manifestations of geothermal activity. Plant material extracted from a sinter overlying one of the deposits has a 14C age of 8498±60 BP, which is interpreted to be the age of zeolite deposition for this deposit. Mordenite and clinoptilolite occur in the lower-T (60–110°C) parts of some active or recently active geothermal systems elsewhere in the Taupo Volcanic Zone. The main fluid in these systems is weakly saline (alkali-chloride) water heated by geothermal activity. The Ngakuru zeolite deposits are interpreted as the products of the reaction of vitric tuffs with this type of water in the near-surface part of recently active geothermal systems.

Keywords

ClinoptiloliteDiatomiteGeothermal SystemsIgnimbriteLate QuaternaryMordeniteOpal-CTSinterVitric Tuffs
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 51 , Issue 6 , December 2003 , pp. 589 - 598
Copyright
Copyright © 2003, The Clay Minerals Society

References

Bibby, H.M. Caldwell, T.G. Davey, F.J. and Webb, T.H., (1995) Geophysical evidence on the structure of the Taupo Volcanic Zone and its hydrothermal circulation Journal of Volcanological and Geothermal Research 68 29–58 10.1016/0377-0273(95)00007-H.Google Scholar
Buddle, T.F., (2002) Sedimentary facies and mineralogy of the upper Pleistocene Tahunaatara sinter and associated deposits New Zealand University of Auckland Unpublished MSc thesis.Google Scholar
Broxton, D.E. Bish, D.L. and Warren, R.G., (1987) Diagenetic minerals at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Clays and Clay Minerals 35 89–110 10.1346/CCMN.1987.0350202.Google Scholar
Cassie, V., (1989) A contribution to the study of New Zealand diatoms Bibliotheca Diatomologica Berlin-Stuttgart J. Cramer Band 17.Google Scholar
Grindley, G.W., (1960) Sheet N85 — Waiotapu, Geological Map of New Zealand 1:63,360 scale Wellington, New Zealand DSIR.Google Scholar
Hedenquist, J.W. (1986) Geothermal systems in the Taupo Volcanic Zone: their characteristics and relation to volcanism and mineralisation. Pp. 134–168 in: Late Cenozoic Volcanism in New Zealand (Smith, I.E.M., editor). Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin, 23.Google Scholar
Henneberger, R.C. and Browne, P.R.L., (1988) Hydrothermal alteration and evolution of the Ohakuri hydrothermal system Journal of Volcanological and Geothermal Research 34 211–231 10.1016/0377-0273(88)90034-0.Google Scholar
Herdianita, N.R. Browne, P.R.L. Rodgers, K.A. and Campbell, K.A., (2000) Mineralogical and textural changes accompanying ageing of silica sinter Mineralium Deposita 35 48–62 10.1007/s001260050005.Google Scholar
Holland, G.R., (2000) The Whirinaki sinter, Taupo Volcanic Zone New Zealand University of Auckland Unpublished MSc thesis.Google Scholar
Kitsopoulos, K.P. and Dunham, A.C., (1996) Heulandite and mordenite-rich tuffs from Greece: a potential source for pozzolanic materials Mineralium Deposita 31 576–583 10.1007/BF00196138.Google Scholar
Langridge, R.M., (1990) The geology of the upper Atiamuri Region, Taupo Volcanic Zone New Zealand University of Waikato Unpublished MSc thesis.Google Scholar
Leggo, P.J. Cochemé, J.-J. Demant, A. and Lee, W.T., (2001) The role of argillic alteration in the zeolitization of volcanic glass Mineralogical Magazine 65 653–663 10.1180/002646101317018479.Google Scholar
Ma, C. Browne, P.R.L. Harvey, C.C., Churchman, G.J. Fitzpatrick, R.W. and Eggleton, R.A., (1995) Clay mineralogy of sedimentary rocks in the Wairakei geothermal system Clays: Controlling the Environment Melbourne, Australia CSIRO Publishing 399–404.Google Scholar
Madeisky, H.E., Coyner, A.R. and Fahey, P.L., (1996) A lithogeochemical and radiometric study of hydrothermal alteration and metal zoning at the Cinola epithermal gold deposit, Queen Charlotte Islands, British Columbia Geology and Ore Deposits of the American Cordillera Reno, Nevada Geological Society of Nevada 1153–dy1185 Symposium Proceedings Vol. III.Google Scholar
Manville, V., White, J.D.L. and Riggs, N.R., (2001) Sedimentology and history of Lake Reporoa: an ephemeral supra-ignimbrite lake, Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand Volcaniclastic Sedimentation in Lacustrine Settings Oxford, UK Blackwell Science 109–140 10.1002/9781444304251.ch6.Google Scholar
Mowatt, C., (2000) Preliminary investigations into characteristics and potential uses for Ngakuru zeolites 2000 New Zealand Minerals and Mining Conference Proceedings New Zealand Crown Minerals, Ministry of Economic Development 217–220.Google Scholar
Nairn, I.A. and Wiradiradja, S., (1980) Late Quaternary hydrothermal explosion breccias at Kawerau Geothermal Field, New Zealand Bulletin of Volcanology 43 1–13 10.1007/BF02597607.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roberts, P.J., (1997) Zeolite and silica 1997 New Zealand Minerals and Mining Conference Proceedings New Zealand Crown Minerals, Ministry of Commerce 199–203.Google Scholar
Rutherford, P.G. and Fransen, P.J.B., (1990) Final report on Kapenga EL 33495 Taupo Volcanic Zone Amax Resources NZ Ltd. Open-File Company Report Wellington, New Zealand Ministry of Commerce M2936.Google Scholar
Rutherford, P.G. and Fransen, P.J.B., (1991) Timing of epithermal activity in the Horohoro-Matahana basin area, Taupo Volcanic Zone New Zealand Branch of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 25thAnnual Conference Proceedings 270–279.Google Scholar
Sheppard, R.A. Hay, R.L., Bish, D.L. and Ming, D.W., (2001) Formation of zeolites in open hydrologic system Natural Zeolites: Occurrence, Properties, Applications Washington, D.C. Mineralogical Society of America 261–276 10.1515/9781501509117-010.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simmons, S.F., Browne, P.R.L. and Brathwaite, R.L. (1992) Active and extinct hydrothermal systems of the North Island, New Zealand. Society of Economic Geologists, Guidebook series vol. 15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, R.C.M. Smith, I.E.M. Browne, P.R.L. Hochstein, M.P. and Ballance, P.F., (1993) Volcano-tectonic controls on sedimentation in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand South Pacific Sedimentary Basins. Sedimentary Basins of the World, 2 Amsterdam, The Netherlands Elsevier 143–156.Google Scholar
Stanley, C.R. and Madeisky, H.E. (1994) Lithogeochemical exploration for hydrothermal ore deposits using Pearce element ratio analysis. Pp. 193–211 in: Alteration and Alteration Processes Associated with Ore-forming Systems (Lentz, D., editor). Geological Association of Canada, Short Course Notes, 11.Google Scholar
Steiner, A., (1953) Hydrothermal rock alteration at Wairakei, New Zealand Economic Geology 48 1–13 10.2113/gsecongeo.48.1.1.Google Scholar
Steiner, A. (1977) The Wairakei geothermal area North Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin, 90.Google Scholar
Villamor, P. and Berryman, K., (2001) A late Quaternary extension rate in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand, derived from fault slip data New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 44 243–269 10.1080/00288306.2001.9514937.Google Scholar
Walter, M.R. Desmarais, D. Farmer, J.D. and Hinman, N., (1996) Lithofacies and biofacies of mid-Paleozoic thermal spring deposits in the Drummond Basin, Queensland, Australia Palaios 11 497–518 10.2307/3515187.Google Scholar
Wilson, C.J.N. Houghton, B.F. Lanphere, M.A. and Weaver, S.D., (1992) A new radiometric age for the estimate for the Rotoehu Ash from Mayor Island volcano, New Zealand New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics 35 371–374 10.1080/00288306.1992.9514530.Google Scholar
Wilson, C.J.N. Houghton, B.F. McWilliams, M.O. Lanphere, M.A. Weaver, S.D. and Briggs, R.M., (1995) Volcanic and structural evolution of Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: a review Journal of Volcanological and Geothermal Research 68 1–28 10.1016/0377-0273(95)00006-G.Google Scholar
Winchester, J.A. and Floyd, P.A., (1977) Geochemical discrimination of different magma series and their differentiation products using immobile elements Chemical Geology 20 325–343 10.1016/0009-2541(77)90057-2.Google Scholar