Preliminary Report on Gowganda Mining Division District of Nipissing OntarioCollins, W. H. (William Henry)
Science
Preliminary Report on Gowganda Mining Division District of Nipissing Ontario
Collins, W. H. (William Henry)
Geology -- Ontario; Mines and mineral resources -- Ontario
In the Keewatin area between Firth and Obushkong lakes there occur
masses of a basic igneous rock through whose decomposition serpentine
and asbestos have been developed. The localities given in connexion with
the description of the Keewatin may be briefly restated. Two bodies were
found. One of these, lying east of Foot lake and 20 chains from
Obushkong was traced for a width of 4 chains, but nothing learned of its
north and south extent. It consists very largely of green serpentine
traversed by a network of fine, white weathering veins of asbestos. More
extensive outcrops exist along the east shore of Firth lake. At somewhat
more than a mile from the foot of the lake and near a small log shack at
the water’s edge a considerable mass of partially decomposed wehrlite,
serpentine, and asbestos is visible. The main mass is of dark green
colour, the asbestos traversing it abundantly as a series of glistening
bright green threads. The seams are small, none being found more than
1/4ʺ in width, but the asbestos fibres are fine and elastic. The
serpentine is often coarsely fibrous but brittle.
ORIGIN.
Microscopic examination shows the serpentine and asbestos to be the
product of decomposition of the wehrlite, a nearly black medium grained
igneous type. Alteration has obscured its original character, but
sufficient of the primary constituents remain to admit of its
determination. It consisted of olivine, diallage, and common hornblende,
with considerable ilmenite and apatite, but plagioclase is apparently
absent. Hornblende and diallage form the basis of the section in which
lie abundant rounded or idiomorphic grains of olivine. The latter is
completely altered to a matted intergrowth of fibrous serpentine
containing scattered grains of black iron ore. Diallage persists as
colourless bi-refringent remnants enclosed by a felted mass of
decomposition products, chiefly long scales of talc. The hornblende is
fresher and strongly pleochroic, the tints being green; its alteration
begins by bleaching, followed by development of colourless fibres of low
bi-refringence, possibly serpentine. Primary ilmenite is replaced by
irregular patches of leucoxene, showing gridiron structure. The final
product of alteration is a soft green serpentine rock composed almost
wholly of that mineral.
The limits of these masses are exceedingly difficult to define, owing to
the fact that they are associated with other Keewatin rock and basic
forms of the post-Huronian diabase, to which it presents considerable
resemblance. The asbestos actually seen is probably too short and small
in amount to be valuable, but the high commercial value of this material
renders delimitation of the wehrlite masses advisable. Asbestos of very
good quality has been found by Mr. George Rahn in the vicinity of
Sinclair mountain, so that this mineral may be one of the district’s
latent resources.
CANADA
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