POTASH SALTS AND OTHER SALINES IN THE GREAT BASIN REGION. 



35 



G. I. Adams ^ describes a similar deposit at the Rabbit Hole Sulphur Mines, Nevada. 

 Instead of kalinite, alunite is the mineral formed in association with sulphur. Sol- 

 fataric action is considered the cause of the formation. 



Several samples were submitted to the cooperative laboratory from what was 

 called a hot-spring deposit occurring 30 miles northeast of Wells, Nev., in Thousand 

 Springs Valley. The mineral contained crystals of kalinite, sulphur, and gypsum. 

 The two samples showed the following analyses: 



Number. 



Al2(SO03. 



Ca SO4. 



re2(S04)3. 



■ S. 



NazSO^. 



NaCl. 



Insol. 



H,0. 



319-1 



40.06 

 2.35 



18.20 

 15.74 



Tr. 

 Tr. 



Present. 

 Present. 



Tr. 

 Tr. 



Tr. 

 Tr. 



8.94 

 75.28 



33.50 



319-2 



5.10 







The determination was made upon the water-soluble material in both samples. 

 A test for alunite gave negative results. The richer material contains 57.14 per cent 

 kalinite. The sample of water from the hot springs in the near vicinity gave the 

 following results: 



Analysis of water from hot spring. 



Per cent 



SO4 8.2 



HCO3. 52. 2 



Total solids on evaporation (parts 

 per 100,000) 62. 



Per cent. 



Ca ILl 



Mg Trace. 



K 5.1 



Na 2.2 



CI 



The evaporation of a water of this composition would account for the potassium 

 and alum in the surface deposit of the spring. 



Undoubtedly there are other occurrences of alum. No attempt has been made to 

 exploit deposits of this nature. Systematic sampling to determine the average alum 

 content and the total tonnage available has not been made in any one case and, 

 consequently, the value of such deposits is an open question. 



ALUNITE. 



Gale has described the occurrence of alunite in the Great Basin, and for a detailed 

 presentation the reader is referred to his bulletin. ^ This mineral has been reported 

 from the following localities: 



Goldfield, Nev. ; associated in soft, massive form in ores, and occurs also as a con- 

 stituent of altered volcanic rocks. Kalinite is conspicuously associated with it.^ 



Cactus Range, south of the Goldfield-Cactus Road; associated with silicified rhyolite.* 



Cuprite, 12 miles south of Goldfield; associated with an altered rhyolite pumice.* 



Rabbit Hole Sulphur Mines, 35 miles northwest of Humboldt House, Nev.; asso- 

 ciated with sulphur in Tertiary sedimentaries. The rocks are much silicified in the 

 neighborhood of the sulphur deposits.® 



Camp Alunite, 22 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nev. ; associated with altered ande- 

 sites and monzonites.''' 



Las Vegas, locality 15 miles south of Las Vegas, Nev. ; sample of alunite submitted 

 by J. A. Delameter, who reports no name for the district, and states that there is 

 apparently a considerable quantity of the mineral. The mineral submitted is mas- 

 sive alunite and contains 8.98 per cent potash.* 



Marysvale, Utah, Little Cottonwood Canyon, 7 miles southwest of Marysvale. The 

 alunite occurs in veins. The main vein has been traced for a distance of 3,000 to 

 3,500 feet, and reaches a thickness of 20 feet in the widest portion. The potash content 

 is from 10 to 12 per cent. A parallel vein 6 feet wide occurs close to the main vein. 



A review of the conclusions of Ransome, Butler, Adams, and Hill concerning the 

 genesis of this mineral has resulted in the following summation: The occurrences of 

 alunite may be grouped in two general types — those in which alunite was formed from 

 the action of solfataric waters or vapors carrying sulphuric acid upon igneous rocks 



1 Bui. No. 225, U. S. Geol. Survey, p. 497. 



2 Bui. No. 511, U. S. Geol. Survey. 



' Professional Paper No. 66, U. S. Geol. Sitrvey, p. 108, Ransome. 

 ^ Bui. No. 308. U. S. Geol. Survey, v. 48, Ball. 



5 Professional Paper No. 66, U. S. Geol. Survey, Ransome. 



6 Bui. No. 225, U. S. Geol. Survev, Contributions to Economic Geology, p. 500. 

 " "Kng. and Mng. Jour., .Dec. 19, 1908, r>. 1203. 



.-8 Records of the Cooperative Laboratory, P^eno, Nev. 



