\ A AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO ST1W OF S I L I C I C PLUTONIC ROCKSN I THE ZUNI AND FLORIDA MOUNTAIFfS TO EVALUATE THE POSSIBLE OCCURRENCE OF GISSENINATED !!RANIUP? AND THORIUR DEPOSITS U R A N I U M AND THORIUM ABUNDANCES AND WHOLE ROCK CHEMISTRY OF THE FLORIDA MOUNTAINS, NEW MEXICO: PRELIMINARY STUDY NMEI REPORT NO, 77-1104C DECEMBER 1978 This research was conducted with the support of the New XexicoEnergy and MineralsDepartment (EMD). and the New KexicoEnergy I n s t i t u t e a t The University of New Mexico ( N M E I a t UNM) underContract 77-1104. However, any opini o n s ,f i n d i n g s ,c o n c l u s i o n s ,o r recommendations expressed within this report are those of the authors and do not n e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t t h e views of the EMD o r of the NMEI a t UNM. NMEI Report No. 77-1104C i A STUDY OF SILICIC PLUTONIC ROCKS I N THE ZUNI AND FLORIDA OCCURRENCE OF MOUNTAINS TO EVALUTE THE POSSIBLE DISSEMINATED URANIUM AND THORIUM DEPOSITS Uranium andThoriumAbundances a n d ' 6 h e Rock Chemistry of the Florida Mountains, New Mexico: Preliminary Study Final Report August. 15, 1977 - August 14, 1978 Principal Investigators Douglas G. Brookins,Department of Geology, U n i v e r s i t y of New Mexico C h r i s t o p h e r E. Rautman, New MexicoBureau L. LeRoy Corbitt, Department of Minesand Mineral Resources of Geology, Eastern New Mexico U n i v e r s i t y Authors Douglas G. Brookins,Department of Geology, U n i v e r s i t y of New Mexico C h r i s t o p h e r E. Rautman, New MexicoBureau L. LeRoy Corbitt, Department of Mines and Mineral Resources of Geology,'Eastern New Mexico U n i v e r s i t y NMEI #77-1104C December 1978 1 Uranium and Thorium Abundances and Whole Rock Chemistry of the Florida Mountains, New Mexico: Preliminary Study Douglas G. Brookins, Department of Geology, University of New Mexico Christopher E. Rautman, N.M. Bur. Mi.nes.Min. Res. L. LeRoy Corbitt, Department of Geology, Eastern New Mexico University abstract The uranium and thorium abundances in the Precambrian granitic and of the syenitic rocks (age unknown) of the Florida Mountains have been . analyzed by delayed neutron activation analysis. The average uranium content of90 surface and drill core samples is 3.12 ppm and thorium content for 66 samples is 12.33; Th/U = 3.97, well within the normal range for normal for granitic granitic rocks (3.7 - 4.2). Although the Th/U ratio is and syenitic rocks, a negative correlation between uranium (and Th/U) with A1203, K20, and (K 0 f Na20) is observed. This-maybe due to (a) der2 o r rocks ivation.of the syenitic rocks from parent, low uranium. gabbroic (b) uranium loss during weathering. For the latter, significant amounts of uranium may have been removed and possibly not transported far source area. The syenitic rocks do not possess high uranium contents typical of other areas. from th L Introduction The Florida Mountains, south-central New Mexico are of interest because of the presence of syenitic rocks (Corbitt, 1971) and the assumed association of uranium enrichment with uranium. This assumption prompted part of this study, vi?.. to determine if the rocks of the Florida Mountains were indeed so, whether they represented a possible, low grade uranium rich and, if uranium resource. If uranium poor, then uranium loss may be postulated which may would be The indicate that uranium exploration in the surrounding sediments justified. Florida Mountains are very complex geologically; syenites originally mapped as Mesozoic by Corbitt (1971) have been indicated as much older (i.e., from early Phanerozoic(?) to Precambrian; Brookins,1974). Whole rock chemical studies and petrographic studies have also been carried out to help assess the relationship between the granitic rocks and those with syenitic affinities. Some of this work is still in progress, and additional age work is contemplated and essential to attempt any material balance between the granites and syenites. Uranium The and Thorium uranium Investigation abundance in the Florida Mountains is of interest for several reasons. First, the rocks in which one might logically expect uranium enrichment, viz. syenites and quartz syenites, are depleted in uranium and thorium and Th/U is also low. Secondly, syenites typically show a positive correlation between potassium (or potassium plus sodium) and uranium. In Figures 2 to 5 are plotted U A1203, andU VS. (Na20 + K20). VS. K20, U VS. A1203, Th/Uvs. In all cases uranium shows a negative correlation with increasing alkali and alumina content. Despite scatter, 3 this holds true for surface samples as well as drill core samples. These data may be interpreted in several ways, the two most obvious explanations are: (1) The syenites were derived from an alkali gabbro parent with low Th and U; this model is possible as hornblende gabbro, presumably gradation into syenite, is noted in the northern Floridas by (1971). Corbitt (2) Uranium (2) has systematically been'lost due to weathering or other processes. If is correct, then, assuming normal U in to syenitic rocks, some one the million range 4-5 of ppm for granitic tons ofm y uranium (hypothetically) 100 km3 of rock. This in turn indicates that have been released from just either high uranium in stream sediments near the Floridas might result or that small (?) uranium deposits may be found in some of the sedimentsf sedimentary rocks nearby. Critical to evaluating (1) versus (2) is the exact age relationship between the granites and syenites; Brookins (1974) has suggested that the syenites are not coeval with the granites, but how much younger has not been resolved. This problem needs much more detailed work. The Th/U ratio for the Florida samples is shown as 6 ; Figure despite . the positive correlation, deviation from =ThfU 4 is apparent. The U and Ti correlation and Ti is is indicated tested with in Ti Figure 7; a negative enriched in correlation the between U U-depleted syenitic rocks. Surface samples and dril1,core samples show the same trend. Collectively these datahdicate, as mentioned earlier, that a systematic variation between granitic and syenitic rocks exists. The problem of temporal relationship between the two rocks remains unsolved. Whole Rock The'whole Chemistry rock chemistry for the Florida Although rocks mapped as syenites (FM-3, FM-4, F"7 samples is in presented Table 2 . (upper six samples),FM-8) 4 are justified basedon petrography (See appendix), their Si0 contents 2 are slightly higher than normal syenites, a point made by Brookins (1974) and Brookins and Corbitt(1974). High total alkalis and alumina support classification as syenites. Those rocks identified as granites possess Si02 contents from 71-77 percent and are characterized by lower alumina, total alkalies, titania. Iron is not systematically distributed between the various rocks although it is. fairly constant for any one drill hole thus suggesting relatively little iron loss. The.whole trace element rock chemical data are data be will available more and carefully additional interpreted Rb-Sr studies when have been completed. Acknowledgments Partial financial support was provided by the N.M. Energy Resources Board (Grant #77-1104). assistance in the The N.M. Bur. Mines and Min. Resources provided drilling and in the x-ray fluorescence spectrography. R. T. Hicks, K. T. Emanuel andR. S. Della Valle of the University of New Mexico assisted in the work. The facilities P-2 and of CNC-11 at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory were for usedthe uranium and thorium analyses by delayed neutron activation analysis; acknowledgment is due M. Bunker and J. P. Balagna. 5 REFERENCES CITETI Brookins, D. G., 1974, Radiometric Age Determinations from the Florida Mountains, New Mexico: Geology, v..2, p. 555-557. Brookins, D. G., and Corbitt, L. L., 1974, Preliminary Rb-Sr Study of Igneous Rocks of the Florida Mountains, New Mexico: EOS Trans. Am. Geophys. Un., V. 55, p. 470-471. Corbitt, L. L., 1971, Structure and Stratigraphy of the Florida Mountains, New Mexico: Unpub. Ph. D. Thesis, Univ. Xew Mexico, 115 p. 6 TABLE 1 Th and U Data: Sample Th ( p p d FM5-1 3.08 FM5-3 7.80 FM5-5 FM2-1 4.03 . FM7-3 FM8-1 FM7-4 2.39 FM7-2 1.77 U (ppd 4.43 35.8 15.0 4.59 4.11 3.65 16.4 2.40 , 1.58 2.88 1.42 1.55 2.05 3.78 5.74 2.22 17.4 3.15 30.8 7.08FM7-6 3.89FM-11 FM7-8 1.83 4.48 5.36 18.2 FM7-1 4.07 1.52 2.80 3.70 3.63 4.81FM2-4 3.03FMl-6 Th/U - 13.65 12.9 15.0 FM2-2 Florida Mountains 4.26 17.1 4.35 4.78 2.33 4.63 18.4 4.36 3.69 24.6 2.24 4.52 2.76FM7-5 FM4-1 1.87 FM5-6 4.18 FMl-2 4.56 13.0 7.26 19.8 23.1 4.71 3.88 4.74 5.07 FMl-7 2.33 2.57FM2-5 12.9. 5.54 11.5 4.47 4.17FMl-5 FM4-4 16.3 2.67 1.50 FM4-2 5.08 1.25 FM4-3 1.47 3.29 3.91 1.78 4.06 2.24 18.6 FM8-2 3.69 4.22FM2-8 FM7-5 1.65 FMl-3 5.44 , 2.77“2 FM2-3 3.15 18.9 6.82 14.5 3.35“4 16.2 4.54 4.84 7 TABLE 1 (continued) Sample F1183 2.98 F1184 3.05 F1185 8.04 F1187 3.63 1.38, F1188 F1189 5.53 1.53 F1190 F1191 F1192 1.48 7.73 F1193 F1194 3.44. 4.80 F1195 3.56 F1196 ” F1197 ” F1198 ” F1199 F1200 F1201 ” SP9 m 0 , CDSWSElO . GPSWSW97 SPE4 SPSW3 GPNE31 SPSENE26 SPSESE15 CDSWNW18 CDNW34 GPNwNw18 sPswsw26 GPNENE24 SPSWSW22 ” ” 12.8 19.0 3.14 7.23 11.4 11.1 16.4 24.6 2.48 2.01 28.3 22.3 12.66 4.74 5.61 2.62 6.43 1.55 1.16 2.60 4.10 4.40 1.55 1.76 2.55 3.65 3.80 5.95 1.64 0.86 7.50 4.73 3.45 2.15 w6 8 TABLE 1 (continued) , Th (ppm) Sample u bpm) GPCNW31 1.66 2.33. GP 1.48 SPNWNE23 2.02 SPC4 4.02 14.49 SPWC19 SPNwNw25 SPSW36 7.69 2.86 " 3.07 3.63 2.36 GPCNE31 6.22 GPNE13 CENENElO CDsw3 GPSESEM SP9 s m o + GPSESE14 SPSWSW36 I " " 4.22 9.33 1.68 2.69 1.77 0.65 1.37 3.58 1.55 3.20 15.98 1.25 4.67 CDNElO SP9 CDCNE3 GPNESWlZ GPNWNW24 1.40 3.34 18.1 GPNESW14 SPSSW3 3.33 3.95 1.86 1.226.08 NOTES : (1) FM samples from drill core (see Fig. 1) (2) F1183-1202 surface samples; see Brookins (1974) (3) CD = Capitol Dome Quadrangle (Corbitt, 1971) (4) GP = Gym Peak Quadrangle (Corbitt, 1971) (5) SP = South Peak Quadrangle (Corbitt, 1971) 9 TABLE 2 Whole Rock Analyses -- Florida FMl-1 m-2 FM1-3 FMl-4 FMl-5 FMl-6 FMl-7 "8 71.42 .35 13.03 4.83 .19 .34 4.28 4.94 99.38 71.92 .29 12.54 5.02 .29 72.46 .28 12.49 4.04 4.70 99.22 70.90 .26 12.36 6.66 .63 .37 3.32 4.62 99.12 .32 .35 3.57 4.77 99.26 71.42 .30 12.56 5.42 .61 .49 3.61 4.88 99.29 72.14 .30 13.10 3.98 .24 .40 4.38 4.88 99.42 71.10 .33 12.63 4.96 .47 .38 4.10 5.05 99.02 70.79 .30 13.07 4.42 .49 .53 4.12 5.15 98.87 FM2-1 FM2-2 m - 3 FM2-4 FM2-5 m-7 FM2-8 FM3-1 77.42 .32 11.68 2.32 .18 .02 2.38 5.06 99.38 76.85 .32 11.19 4.14 .14 74.28 .40 11.63 5.30 .21 nd 2.47 73.48 .48 99.39 76.76 .33 11.05 4.45 .13 nd 2.26 4.67 99.65 99.52 74* 98 .40 12.26 4.69 .15 nd 2.95 5.16 100.59 74.56 .52 12.49 3.83 .10 nd 2.85 5.41 99.76 64.58 .28 15.80 5.85 .56 .48 4.00 6.44 97.99 m-2 FM3-3 FM4-1 FM4-2 FM4-3 FM4-4 FM4-5 FM5-1 63.36 .24 17.36 6.10 .56 .44 4.00 5.77 97.83 62.86 .35 16.29 7.61 .41 .45 4.32 5.66 97.95 61.85 1.08 16.52 5.18 1.15 6.80 5.79 100.48 60.47 1.24 16.35 6.32 1.84 2.52 6.74 5.43 100.91 59.78 1.39 16.67 6.57 1.81 2.40 7.20 5.51 101.33 61.15 1.14 17.12 5.54 1.66 1.90 6.82 ,5.77 101.10 60.88 1.30 16.99 6.06 1.79 1.69 6.89 5.84 101.44 72.41 .31 13.20 3.98 .20 .30 2.85 5.04 98.29 FM5-2 FM5-3 FM5-4 FM5-5 FM5-6 FM7-1 FM7-2 FM7-3 73.50 .31 12.27 4.17 .19 .35 3.80 4.79 99.38 70.10 .65 12.38 7.36 .32 .16 3.74 4.56 99.27 73.54 .33 12.61 4.14 .16 .20 4.33 4.29 99.60 73.90 .27 12.48 3.71 .20 .24 4.11 4.53 99.44 75.20 .28 11.80 4.02 .13 .12 3.86 4.36 99.77 65.56 .69 18.96 1.03 .43 .48 6.65 6.58 100.38 64.56 .74 18.12 3.08 .32 . .41 6.66 6.29 100.18 65.14 .80 18.58 1.47 .36 .53 6.69 6.74 100.31 .42 nd 2.31 4.67 99.62 5.10 2.11 5.02 Mountains 12.55 4.54 .23 nd 3.03 5.21 " 10 Si02 Ti02 A1203 Fe203 MgO CaO Na20 K20 total FM7-4 FM7-5 FM7-6 m7-7 FM7-8 65.09 .63 18.06 2.44 .49 .49 6.58 6.30 100.08 64.66 .58 18.24 2.44 .40 .41 6.61 6.52 99.92 70.45 .26 15.20 2.59 .30 .17 5.14 5.44 99.55 70.41 .30 16.02 1.32 .26 .21 5.75 5.53 99.80 68.23 63.77 .32 .68 14.56 14.31 17.42 4.40 4.48 .24 .43 .68 .58 .41 6.45 6.44 5.74 6.19 5.45 99.83 99.52 99.27 FM8-2 FM8-1 67.94 .29 4.00 .19 5.42 FLORIDA MOUNTAINS "c FLORIDA MOUNTAINS KzO A 12 U VS. A 8. A SURFACE SAMPLE -SYENITE - A SURFACE SAMPLE GRANITE SYENITE DRILLHOLECORE 7- x GRANITE DRILL H&E CORE ”+ 60 (u Y X .5- 4i FIGURE: 2 A X 13 FLORIDA MOUNTAINS A1203 VS. U 19 'c. Yo 18 0' 17 o e \ 0 8 I: e 1 1 I 2 3 FIGURE 3 4 14 FLORIDA MOUNTAINS vs. Th/U 19 - \@ 0 18- I 7- 0 4 16- \: e i3 0 12. I I. FLORIDA MOUNTAINS' (No20 K201 vs. U 15 + A SURFACE SAMPLE -SYENITE A SURFACE SAMPLE-GRANITE I3 i .t @ e SYENITE DRILL HOLECORE GRANITE X DRILL HOLECORE e A A X' A 0 nl 2 O Y 9 i I A A X A A X x A x X ' X 7 , X X X X A. X X X A x xx A X .A X A n FLORIDA MOUNTAINS Th vs. U 30 7' e n n E 20 n a 8 e IO 0 c OI e e-' 17 FLORIDA MOUNTAINS Ti02 vs.. U I .4 I .a A I .2 1‘ :d 0 n Y 0.9 c!? 0.8 0.7 0.6 x a 0.5 0.4 0.3, 0.2, 0. x P%xpx X xx X A M A X X A A A A 18 FLORIDA MOUNTAINS Sample Descriptions and SpecGen Status Spec. No. Location . Depth 1" -2 -3 -4 -5 ' -6 -7 -a FM2-1 -2 -3 ' -4 -5 -6 -7 -a r FM3-1 -2 -3 ' F M4-1 -2 -3 -4 -5 FM5-1 -2 -3 SE/NE/Se/13/26S/8W 0- 5 5-10 10-15 15-20 . 20-25 25-30 30-40. 40-50 0- 5 5-10 10-15. 15-20 20-25 25-30 30-35 35-40 ' 0- 5 -5-10 ~. 10-15 0- 5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-21 -a 0- 5 5-10 10-15 15-20 20-25 25-30 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-35 35-40 40-45 45-50 50-55 FM8-1 -2 0- 5 5-13 -4 -5 -6 FM7-1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 Map Unit FLORIDA MOUNTAINS Description and Location of Rocks 1. O r t h o c l a s e , G r a n i t e Sections 10, ll', 1 4 T. 25 S., R. 8 W. C a p i t a l Dome area. i 2. Hornblende P e r t h i t eS y e n i t et oQ u a r t zS y e n i t e S e c t i o n s 25, 35, 36 T. 25 S., R. 8 W. NW Portions Sections 6, 18 T. .26 S., R. 7 W. Mostly nortii of major fault. 3. P e r t h i t eB i o t i t eS y e n i t e S e c t i o n 25 T. 25 S., R. 8 W. S e c t i o n s 30, 31 T. 25 S., R. 7 W. North o f major fault. 4. P e r t h i t eQ u a r t zS y e n i t e S e c t i o n 36 T. 25 S.; R. 8 W. S e c t i o n 31 T. 25 S., R. 7 W. North of major f a u l t . 5. Hornblende P e r t h i t e Granite Sections 25, 36 T. 25 S., R. 8 W. Section 31 25 S., R. 7 W. Sections 9, 10, 1 4 T. 26.S., R. 8 W. Section 18 T. 26 S., R. 7 W. I d e n t i c a l to h o r n b l e n d e p e r t h i t e s y e n i t e more quartz. 'I. 6. and p e r t h i t e s y e n i t e e x c e p t O r t h o c l a s eP l a g i o c l a s eM i c r o c l i n eP e r t h i t eG r a n i t e Sections 2 , 9, 10, 12, $3, 14, 15, 16, 23, 24 T. 26 S., Sections 18, 1 9 T. 26 S., R. 7 South of major f a u l t . W. R. 8 W. - LOCATION ROCK m4-3- Brecciated Hornblende Perthite Quartz FM4-5SPNW-25SPNW-25"SPNENE-35GPNWNW-6GPCNW-6BGPNWNWL8B Hornblende Perthite Quartz Syenite SPNENE-25GPSWNE-30GPCNE-3lA- Biotite SPNWNE-23SPSESE-23SPCNE31BSPSWSE31CDCNE31- Perthite FM7-4- Perthite Quartz Syenite FX7-6- Perthite Plagioclase Quartz Syenite SPSW-36- Brecciated Perthite Quartz Syenite SPSWSE36- Brecciated Perthite Orthoclase Quartz FM8-2 Hornblende Perthite Granite It I, 1, 11 1, I, 11 It 11 It 11 It 11 11 11 I1 11 I, 11 It I. I1 1, Perthite Quartz 11 It 11 Quartz I, 11 11 Syenite 11 It I1 11 11 11 I, 11 11 11 It SPNWNW25SPSENE-26ASP-SW-36(?)GPNW-31ASPSENE-14GPSENE14 I, I1 I1 I, I, 71 SP9+SW-lOA SP9i-SW-lOB s999w-10- 1, 11 I, I. It 11 SPSENE26BSPWNE-26SPSESE-26SPNENE-35SPSW-36ASPSESE-2SPNE-2SPNESE-4- Perthite I, 11 11 I, I1 11 11 It 1, It 11 . Syenite (calcito) 11 I, 11 II 11 1, I, I, I, I, It (Cont.) 21 (cent.) LOCATION SPE-4SPCN-4 SPSW-3ASPSW-3BSPSSW-3GPNwNw-18CGPSESE-14CGPNWSE-14GPNENE-23SPSWNW-16 GPESE 14 ' Perthite. I, 11 11 (1 I, 11 11 11 1. II I. FM 1-8 SPNESE 26SP-SW?NW?-2SPSW-3SPSW-3cSPSN-3ESPSWSW9- Brecciated FM-3- Perthite - ROCK - 11 Perthite If 11 11 II 11 It Granite 11 I! 11 I, It 11 I1 I1 11 11 Orthoclase Granite I, 11 SP-SW-3DSPSW-3- Orthoclase Granite SP9i-W-lOB- Orthoclase Plagioclase Granite SPSW16 Orthoclase Perthfte Granite FM5-2 Orthoclase Granite FM5-6 CDNE-10 It ,I 11 I, (Calcite) CDSWSE-10 .Granophyric Orthoclase Granite GPNESW-12 GPSWSW-13 Perthite Plagioclase Granite GPSESE-14B Perthite 11 Perthite SPNWNW-14? 11 GPCSE14 I, GPSWNE14 II GPSWNW14 I, GPNESW14 SPSESE-14-15 or R " 11 SPSE16D I, SPSE16B I, SPSE-45? I, ,I Granite Orthoclase Plagioclase 11 I, 11 It 11 I, I1 rr 11 I1 11 It I, I, It I, 22 ROCK - LOCATION :lase SPSWSE15 Granophyric Perthite Orthoclase Plagioc GPNESE13 Perthite Orthoclase Microcline Plagioclase GPSW31B Granophyric Perthite Orthoclase Granite FM2-8 Granophyric Perthite Orthoclase Plagioclase SP99SWlOA Perthite . GPSESE14A Perthite Orthoclase Grkite cDswsWl4 Orthoclase Perthite Plagioclase Granite SPSESE14 Orthoclase Perthite Granite SPSESE-15 Granophyric Perthite Orthoclase Plagioclase SPSE16E Microcline Perthite Granite GPSwNw18 Hornblende Orthoclase Plagioclase Granite GPNWNW24 Orthoclase Plagioclase Granite GPNENE24 Orthoclase Perthite Granite GPSWSElOA Granophyric orthoclase Granite SP9SWlOA Plagioclase Orthoclase Granite'(Ca1cite) GPNWNWl8A Orthoclase Plagioclase Granite SPSE45? Granophyric Perthite Orthoclase Plagioclase CDNWNE14 Perthite Plagioclase Granite CDSWSWll CDSWll Orthoclase Granite GPSWSWl7? Perthite Granite GP-SWNE36 Orthoclase Quartz Syenite (Calcite) GP-SW3lA Biotite Orthoclase Syenite SPSENW16 SPSWNE12 SPE17 SPSWSW22? Perthite Orthoclase SPCNW6A Perthite Orthoclase Plagioclase Quartz SPCNE34C? Biotite Perthite Orthoclase Syenite (Calcite) I1 Granite Granite Granite Granite Quartz Orthoclase . Granite . .. Granite II Quartz Syenite It I, I, I, I, I1 I1 I, I, I, I1 ,I Syenite