USGS ScienceSearch

Geology topics

Joseph Haffty

Publications and source records attributed to Joseph Haffty.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Map showing geochemical characteristics of the North Fork Smith River Roadless Areas, Del Norte County, California, Curry and Josephine Counties, Oregon

The North Fork Smith River Roadless Areas are located primarily in Del Norte County, northern California, include small parts of Curry and Josephine Counties, Oreg., and cover parts of the Gasquet, Crescent City, and Chetco Peak 15-minute quadrangles. The areas encompass aproximately 39,400 acres of Six rivers National Forest and 950 acres of Siskiyou National Forest and extend from just north of the California-Oregon border southward about 6 mi to the town of Gasquet, Calif. (fig. 1).

California, Oregon

Palladium, platinum, and rhodium concentrations in mafic and ultramafic rocks from the Zhob Valley and Dargai complexes, Pakistan

The Zhob Valley and Dargai complexes, Pakistan, consist of harzburgite and dunite tectonites containing chromite deposits, pyroxenite, wehrlite, and gabbro. Both are ophiolite complexes. Palladium, platinum, and rhodium were found in concentrations of up to 170, 200, and 22 parts per billion, respectively. Average concentrations for both complexes and all rock types collected are 28 ppb palladium, 33 ppb platinum, and 9 ppb rhodium. The Pt:Pt+Pd ranges from 0.41 to 0.67 and averages 0.57. The concentration levels and ratios of these metals are similar to other alpine ultramafic bodies that have been analyzed by modern techniques.

Zhob Valley complex

Palladium, platinum, and rhodium concentrations in mafic and ultramafic rocks from the Kizildag and Guleman areas, Turkey, and the Faryab and Esfandagheh-Abdasht areas, Iran

The Kizildag and Guleman areas, Turkey, and the Faryab and Esfandagheh-Abdasht areas, Iran, have produced chromite from ophiolite complexes consisting of harzburgite tectonite, dunite tectonite containing chromitite, pyroxenite, wehrlite, and gabbro. Forty-six samples from these complexes were analyzed in order to investigate the possibility of platinum-group metals being present that could be produced as byproducts. The results, however, indicate concentrations of palladium, platinum, and rhodium ranging up to 46 ppb (parts per billion), 55 ppb, and 24 ppb, respectively. The concentration levels and ratios of these metals are similar to other alpine ultramafic bodies that have been analyzed by modern analytical techniques. Ten samples from massive sulfide deposits in the Gunes and Ergani-Maden areas, Turkey, and the Sheikh Ali mine, Iran, were analyzed also. The results of the analysis suggests a low potential for byproduct palladium, platinum, and rhodium production in these ophiolite-associated massive sulfide deposits. The four ultramafic and mafic areas in Turkey and Iran under consideration have, and are, producing in 1978 chromite from podiform chromitites in alpine-type complexes. Because of the known association of chromitites and platinum-group metals, a collection of chromitites was made to check their palladium, platinum, and rhodium content to determine if economic concentrations might exist. Also, inasmuch as such rocks are thought to represent parts of the oceanic crust and upper mantle, data on platinum-group elements from these rocks can provide information to design geochemical models for the distribution of these elements. During the field excursions of the CENTO Working Group on Volcanic and Intrusive Rocks and Their Associated Ore Deposits, the Kizildag and Gunes areas, Turkey, were sampled in 1974 and the Guleman area, Turkey; Faryab and Esfandagheh-Abdasht areas, Iran, were sampled in 1975. In addition, samples of massive sulfide ores from the Ergani-Maden area, Turkey, were also collected for analysis, and the results included here. In this report the geologic framework of these areas is briefly examined as a background for interpreting the concentrations of palladium, platinum, and rhodium in the chromitites and ultramafic and mafic rocks. Comparisons of these analyses with analyses from other areas containing similar rocks show few differences in concentration or proportions of these three platinum-group metals.

Open-File Report

Platinum, palladium, and rhodium in volcanic and plutonic rocks from the Gravina-Nutzotin belt, Alaska

The Gravina-Nutzotin belt of Middle (?) Jurassic to middle Cretaceous sedimentary and volcanic rocks in south and southeastern Alaska includes concentrically zoned ultramafic complexes known to contain platinum-group metals. Previous isotopic, petrologic, and geologic studies suggested a close relation in time and space between the volcanic rocks and the ultramafic complexes. Interpretation of 40 analyses for platinum, palladium, and rhodium in volcanic and plutonic rocks of the belt indicates a strong geochemical correlation between the two groups of rocks and is in support of their being cogenetic either from directly connected magma chambers and flows or indirectly by selective concentration processes from similar mantle material.

Alaska

Chemical composition of the hydrothermal fluids responsible for the lead-zinc deposits at Providencia, Zacatecas, Mexico

The chemical composition of 22 samples of primary fluid inclusions in quartz, calcite, and sphalerite from Providencia, Mexico, has been determined. Samples were prepared, crushed, and leached as described by Roedder et al. (1963). Cation analyses of leachates were made by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and the anions were analyzed by a special X-ray fluorescence technique. The Na, K, Ca, and C1 concentrations show a considerable range that reflects the widespread salinity variations in the hydrothermal fluids observed by Sawkins (1964). The K/Na atomic ratios of most samples range from 0.18 to 0.43 and the ratios tend to increase with the salinity of the inclusions. The temperatures indicated by the K/Na ratios from the published curves of K/Na ratios vs. temperature are mostly at least 100 ø C greater than corresponding filling temperatures. The Ca/Na atomic ratios of inclusions in sphalerite range from 0.12 to 0.61. The K/Na and Ca/Na data agree well with previous δO¹⁸ data (Rye, 1966; Rye and O'Neil. 1968) which indicate that the hydrothermal fluids were derived from the magma related to the Providencia granodiorite stock and that the fluids reacted only slightly with the crystalline stock during the late phases of ore deposition. The data also indicate that the salinity variations in the hydrothermal fluids probably occurred at the source of the fluids and may have resulted from boiling in the magma chamber. Mg concentrations are generally no more than a few hundred parts per million. Most of the Mg in the hydrothermal fluids was evidently removed during the formation of calcium-magnesium silicates in the lower levels of the ore pipes. Mg/Ca atomic ratios are generally less than 0.08 and are consistent with the paucity of dolomite in the area. Zn and Cu concentrations in water leaches of inclusions in calcite are generally less than 50 ppm. Maximum base-metal concentrations from water leaches of two samples of inclusions in quartz are 890 ppm Zn and 530 ppm Cu. Chloride is the major anion in the fluids, and C1 concentrations vary with corresponding cation concentrations. With two exceptions, sulfur concentrations of the inclusions in calcite and quartz, analyzed as SO₄, are below the level of detection

Zacatecas

Minor-element and revised major-element contents of some Mediterranean pantellerites and comendites

Optical emission spectrographic analysis of three pantellerites from Pantelleria and two comendites from Sardinia show high concentrations of B, Be, Ga, La, Mo, Nb, Sn, Y, Yb, and Zt and low contents of Ba, Co, Cr, Ni, Sr, and V. Minor-element trends of these specimens are very similar to those of pantellerites from southern Nevada and New Zealand and other peralkaline silicic rocks from various localities. Fluorine contents of the Pantellerian specimens range from 0.19 to 0.32 per cent by weight resulting in abnormally high Cl to F ratios. New analyses for MgO, Na 2 O, and K 2 O are almost identical with the values obtained by Zies. Revised major-element compositions and calculated glass-phase compositions for the three Pantellerian specimens are given.

Pantelleria, Sardinia

Platinum, palladium, and rhodium analyses of ultramafic and mafic rocks from the Stillwater Complex, Montana

Analyses by a combination fire- assay-solution-optical-emission spectrographic method of 137 rocks from the Stillwater Complex, Mont., indicate that platinum, palladium, and rhodium are preferentially concentrated in chromitite zones. The A chromitite zone (21 samples) has an average of 988.9 ppb (pans per billion, 10 -9 ) Pt, 2290.2 ppb Pd, and 245.9 ppb Rh and reaches a maximum (to date) of 8,000 ppb Pt, 11,000 ppb Pd, and 1,700 ppb Rh.

Montana

Occurrence of minor elements in water

Three basic studies, using spectrographic methods, have been used to establish the occurrence of minor elements in natural waters. One study, of oceanborne chemicals in principal rivers, has established a method for the quantitative analysis of many minor elements. Strontium, barium, lithium, rubidium, chromium, nickel, copper, lead, boron, titanium, molybdenum, manganese, and vanadium occur most frequently in measurable quantities. Reconnaissance of the strontium in surface waters of the United States, shows that surface waters in parts of northern and western Texas and southern New Mexico and Arizona are comparatively high in strontium. A study of minor elements in selected waters of California is continuing. Assessment of preliminary data on uranium and radium in waters is facilitated by grouping data for 10 geotectonic regions of the United States.

Circular