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Paul Ramdohr (Auth.) - The Ore Minerals and Their Intergrowths-Elsevier (1969) - 641-656-9

This document discusses the mineralogy of galena and processes that can alter its composition. It notes that galena can recrystallize under metamorphic conditions, forming irregular grain boundaries. It also describes how galena weathers near the surface, with insoluble minerals like cerussite forming and protecting the remaining galena. In the zone of enrichment near the water table, the primary silver content of galena is dissolved and redeposited, increasing the silver concentration.

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373 views1 page

Paul Ramdohr (Auth.) - The Ore Minerals and Their Intergrowths-Elsevier (1969) - 641-656-9

This document discusses the mineralogy of galena and processes that can alter its composition. It notes that galena can recrystallize under metamorphic conditions, forming irregular grain boundaries. It also describes how galena weathers near the surface, with insoluble minerals like cerussite forming and protecting the remaining galena. In the zone of enrichment near the water table, the primary silver content of galena is dissolved and redeposited, increasing the silver concentration.

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zetadoc um.sem1.2020
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642 T H E ORE MINERALS

so-to-speak overstressed. Excellent granular recrystallization textures can


be seen in certain "galena tails" or Cigneissic galena" ["Bleischweife"] (Wer-
lau, Holzappel), the galena of the Rammelsberg, the Alpine dynamically
metamorphosed veins in the Valais, Switzerland, and many others (figs. 441,
442).
The grain boundaries often are very finely irregular (toothed) in unmeta-
morphosed deposits; in case of recrystallization this toothing completely
disappears. A mesh-like overgrowth (similar to t h a t of quartz-cemented
sandstones) occurs as an intermediate substance between galena grains in
some ores of the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge.

VII. Special fabrics. Replacements. 1. Gossan zone and zone of enrichment.


Galena weathers very easily under normal atmospheric conditions. But most
of the substances t h a t form are very insoluble and envelop the rest of the
galena and protect it. One would think t h a t P b S 0 4 , anglesite, forming by
the addition of oxygen, should be the most common mineral thus occurring ; but
cerussite is formed much more commonly. By similar processes also pyromor-
phite, wulfenite, and a great number of other minerals form—often a great
number of them together. By examining the polished section they are scarcely
discernible one from the other, except for cerussite and crocoite, which are
strongly anisotropic. Even in grain mounts the minerals are not easily determin-
ed, because the refractive index in most cases is between 1-8-2-1, the interval
most difficult to study in the immersion liquids commonly used. The features
of replacement-invasion are often excellently developed along the cubic-
cleavage and sometimes also following zonal boundaries (fig. 257).
Covellite and chalcocite are often precipitated on galena in deposits rich
in Cu, sometimes in the oxidation zone b u t normally in the zone of cementa-
tion. This process can continue up to the complete replacement of the galena,
sometimes by covellite aggregates of random orientation, or even by oriented
aggregates // (100) of the galena. The latter thus show the original orientation
of the galena. Smaller contents of Cu, t h a t were bound in fahlore, bournonite,
and other minerals in the galena, are found forming the finest layers of
covellite in cerussite.
As mentioned above, lead remains almost in place during gossan formation ;
in contrast to this, the primary content of Ag, regardless of the form in which
it occurred, is carried away during oxidation as a solution of silver carbonate
or sulphate and deposited on galena near the groundwater table. So we can
speak of a zone of enrichment of the galena only with regard to the content
of silver. Such an occurrence can contain several percent of Ag which by
microscopy can immediately be classified as cementative. The occurrence of
native silver on fractures and joints proves this fact, especially if the simul-
taneous advance of cerussite is visible. The other valuable silver ores t h a t
commonly are said to be characteristic features of the zone of enrichment are
not conclusive, unless other valid arguments are available. Silver and argen-
tite are also frequently products of hypogene enrichment, but then they have

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