Book List
Site 1: Albite-quartz-spodumene-muscovite pegmatite
Author: Late Devonian (~380 Ma)
Language: Pegmatitic dykes cutting through Government Brook Member (White Rock Formation, Rockville Notch Group)
ISBN:
Description: These pegmatite veins, located near Brazil Lake and colloquially referred to as the Brazil Lake Pegmatite, cut through the metasedimentary rocks of the Rockville Notch Group of Late Ordovician to Early Devonian age. The pegmatites are extremely coarse-grained with some crystals exceeding 1 m in dimension! The minerals spodumene and columbite-tantalite are 2 important ore minerals hosted in the pegmatite dykes. Spodumene is a lithium-bearing pyroxene mineral, while columbite-tantalite (‘coltan’ for short) is a solid-solution mineral containing niobium and tantalum. Lithium, niobium, and tantalum are important elements for high-tech applications, such as batteries and high temperature alloys.
Figure: SMU Geology students hunting for mineral specimens on a field trip to the Brazil Lake Pegmatite