Potash Sulphur Springs
(aka Wilson Springs)
At Potash Sulphur Springs, Garland County, Arkansas, an igneous complex intruded the older sediments of the Ouachita Mountains sedimentary sequence about 100 mio years ago. The Ouachita structures were heavily distorted, older faults were re-opened, altered and mineralized. The intrusive stock consists of feldspathoidal syenite intruded by late mafic bodies and later syenites and lamprophyric dikes. Fluids from the carbonatite lead to an enrichment of vanadium in adjactent novaculites. Part of the novaculite was altered by alkaline solutions to a coarse-grained orthoclase fenite. The original syenites were also altered towards more alkaline varieties. Weathering further concentrated vanadium and secondary formation of rare vanadium minerals occured.
Mineral list: (bold = type locality)
Wollastonite
&Suggested reading:
Howard,J.M., D.R.Owens: Minerals of the Wilson Springs Vanadium Mines, Potash Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. Rocks and Minerals 70(1995), pp.154-170
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