cherts Flashcards
general group name used for siliceous sedimentary rocks
chert
SiO2 minerals that are dominant in the composition of cherts
quartz, chalcedony, opal
impurities in cherts
clay minerals, hematite, calcite, dolomite, and organic matter
where does chert commonly occur?
pelagic, lower than CCD
the water depth at which the rate of supply of calcium carbonate from the surface is equal to the rate of dissolution
Carbonate Compensation Depth
what does chert host?
petroleum, phosphorites, uranium, manganese
what is OPAL-CT?
low temperature cristobalite disordered by interlayered tridymite lattices
what is OPAL-A?
metastable amorphous silica of biogenic origin and converts into Opal-CT then Quartz overtime
arrange the following from the least stable to most stable:
Quartz, Opal-A, Opal-CT
Opal-A
Opal-CT
Quartz
textural classification of quartz that form chert:
microquartz
megaquartz
chalcedonic quartz
minor element composition:
volcanic:
Al, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Ti
hydrogenous:
Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu
hydrothermal:
Fe, Mn, Ba
siliceous organisms in chert:
diatoms
radiolarian
silicoflagellates
spongy spicule
principal kinds of cherts:
Flint
Jasper
Novaculite
Porcellanite
Siliceous Sinter
chert that occurs as nodules
flint
red-colored chert
jasper
why is jasper red?
it has trace amounts of hematite
interbedded chert and hematite (BIF)
jaspilite
very dense, fine-grained, even-textured chert
novaculite
fine-grained siliceous rocks with a texture and fracture resembling unglazed porcelain
percellanite
porous, low-density, light-colored siliceous rock associated with hot springs and geysers and is used as an explroation marker
siliceous sinter