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William C. Overstreet

Publications and source records attributed to William C. Overstreet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS1972

Recommendations for an orientation geochemical survey of the Avissawella quadrangle, Ceylon

In consultation with officers of the Geological Survey Department of Ceylon, Colombo, September 23 to October 6, 1970, recommendations have been drawn up for an orientation geochemical survey of the Avissawella quadrangle, Ceylon. The area of the quadrangle is particularly suited for this study because diverse geologic and geomorphic features are found within the quadrangle, and the three main agricultural crops of Ceylon (rice, rubber, and tea) are cultivated in the area of the quadrangle. The geology of the quadrangle is published. The recommendations propose the staged acquisition of basic data on field and laboratory techniques suitable for use in an area of heavy rainfall, deep weathering, varied topography, where the valleys are commonly planted in rice, and where geochemical methods have not been previously evaluated. Classic methods of semiquantitative colorimetric, spectrographic, and atomic absorption analysis are recommended to determine selected minor elements in the magnetic and non-magnetic fractions of concentrates from fluvial gravel and from silt and clay, and in the minus 80-meshfraction of silt and clay. It is recommended that the mineralcomposition of the non-magnetic fractions of the concentrates be estimated, and the presence of radioactive and flourescent mineral species be determined. It is recommended that suitable maps be prepared to show these chemical and mineralogical data. These maps will be compared with the geologic map of the Avissawella quadrangle, and with each other, to permit interpretation of the effects of geologic units, contacts, structures, and geomorphology on the distribution of detrital minerals and of minor elements in various sample media. The main purpose of the orientation survey is to determine which samplemedia and which methods of analysis are most effectivefor geochemical reconnaissance in Ceylon. Unsuitable media andmethods will not be used in work in other quadrangles. The role ofagriculture contamination and its effect on the results of geochemicalexploration would be determined. The spacing of samples would beevaluated to determine the optimum interval for reconnaissance inCeylon. Prospecting for gemstones could be conducted on a scientific basis if pathfinder minerals for precious gems can be identified in concentrates. Therefore, it is recommended that old records on gem-mining in the Avissawella area be plotted and compared with the distribution of minerals in concentrates from the Avissawella sample net. These data, in turn, would be interpreted with the geology and geomorphology of the quadrangle. Test pits would be sunk in unexplored areas indicated by the orientation survey, and the results evaluated for applicability to the exploration for gemstones. It is recommended that the results of the Avissawella orientation geochemical survey be thoroughly evaluated before further similar work is undertaken. If the appraisal of results is favorable, further work should then be undertaken in selected quadrangles using as simplified a total procedure as is consistent with the achievement of desired results.

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USGS1972

Reconnaissance geology of the Precambrian rocks in the Bi'r Ghamrah quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Three sequences of volcanic and sedimentary rocks are identified in the Precambrian rocks of the Bi'r Ghamrah quadrangle at the eastern edge of the Precambrian Shield in central Saudi Arabia. The oldest sequence is called the Bi'r Khountina Group. It consists of conglomerate marble, andesite, and graywacke. Unconformably overlying this group is a sequence of graywacke with minor lava called the Murdama Group. In a small area in the southern part of the quadrangle, these rocks are unconformably overlain by rhyolitic tuff and rhyolite tentatively correlated with the Shammar Rhyolite. The older of these sedimentary and volcanic rocks were intruded by diorite and gabbro and by a large pluton of alkalic granite. A contact metamorphic aureole was formed in the Bi'r Khountina and Murdama Groups adjacent to the granite, and feeder dikes of the Sbmmmar Rhyolite(?) intrude the granite. The Bi'r Khountina Group is folded into a south-plunging asymmetrical anticlinorium, the west limb of which is repeated across northwest-trending faults. The Murdama Group appears to have been folded along the same axes, but the contact aureole against the alkalic granite and the imprint of the west-northwest striking Najd fault zone cause the rocks of the Murdama Group to appear to trend westward. Results of spectrographic and chemical analyses of wadi sand, heavy-mineral concentrates, and detrital magnetite show small anomalies. The ultramafic rocks intruded prior to the deposition of the Murdama Group are the source of anomalous chromium and lanthanum and of threshold nickel, scandium, and vanadium. The intrusive rocks younger than the Murdama Group are sources for anomalous lead and threshold silver, boron, barium, beryllium, zirconium, lanthanum, and tin. One small ancient working, probably opened for gold, is present, and at least four places in the Precambrian part of the quadrangle ere potentially favorable for gold, silver, and lead. Chromite is a potential resource in the northeastern part of the quadrangle.

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USGS1972

Reconnaissance geology of the Precambrian rocks in the Wadi Mahraghah quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Wadi Mahraghah quadrangle covers an area of 2863 sq km at the eastern edge of the Precambrian Shield in Saudi Arabia. Precambrian rocks are exposed in the western quarter of the quadrangle. To the east the Precambrian rocks are overlain by limestone of Permian age and by Quaternary sand and gravel. The Precambrian rocks consist of granite intruded by a swarm of andesite dikes. These igneous rocks are overlain by sedimentary formations of the Precambrian Murdama Group comprising conglomerate of the Z'reiba Formation which grades upward into graywacke of the Abt Formation. Rhyolite dikes intrude the Abt. Possibly owing to these rhyolite dikes, or possibly as a result of weak mineralization along west-northwest- and east-trending faults related to the Najd fault zone, the area underlain by graywacke and conglomerate is characterized by threshold or anomalous amounts of beryllium in samples of wadi sand. Samples of sand from granitic areas contain threshold amounts of barium and lanthanum, but none is anomalous, no ancient mine nor other megascoplc evidence of mineralization was found; however,

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USGS1972

Reconnaissance geology of the Precambrian rocks in the Ayn Qunay quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Aya Qunay quadrangle covers an area of 2833 sq km in central Saudi Arabia, Only the western edge of the quadrangle is underlain by Precambrian rocks, which were the subject of this investigation. Toward the east the Precambrian rocks are unconformably overlain by Permian and younger sedimentary rocks. The Permian rocks at the west edge of the Ayn Qunay quadrangle consist mainly of a granitic intrusive complex of batholithic dimensions. Parts of the eastern edge of the granitic complex are exposed just west of the overlying Khuff Formation of Permian age, where biotite-hornblende granite of the complex intrudes chlorite-sericite schist of the Precambrian Bi'r Khountina Group. The biotite-hornblende granite of the complex also intrudes plutons of diorite, gabbro, and pyroxenite and is itself intruded by granite porphyry, thereby indicating some difference in age between the granitic rocks in the complex. A sequence of metamorphosed volcanic rocks composed mainly of andesite, rhyolite, and kindred rocks, and called the Halaban Group, is older than the Bi'r Khountina Group. Relations between the Halaban and a gray hornblende-biotite granite gneiss are uncertain, but the gneiss may be older than the Halaban. The few observed contacts disclosed parallel foliation in the two units, but the foliation may have been imposed after the Halaban was deposited on the granite gneiss. Two major left-lateral faults extend west-northwest across the Precambrian rocks but are not in the Permian rocks. These faults parallel to the Najd fault zone found farther south. Seemingly they correlate in time with early movements on the Najd fault zone, but not with the latest. Saprolitic material-of variable thickness is present on the upper surface of the Precambrian rocks beneath the Khuff Formation at many places. Where the Khuff Formation has been removed by erosion, the saprolite is also stripped away. The weathering probably took place in pre-Khuff time. No ancient mines or prospects were seen in the Precambrian rocks; however, a notable positive anomaly for tungsten in concentrates is associated with a small prominence of granite porphyry 35 km southwest of Ayn Qunay. Further investigation of the porphyry should be undertaken to learn the amount of scheelite at this locality.

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USGS1972

Reconnaissance geology of the Sabkhat Muraysis quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Sabkhat Muraysis quadrangle .covers an area of 2843 sq km in the central part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the northwestern quarter of the area Precambrian rocks are exposed. They are overlain toward the .south and east by sedimentary formations of Permian and younger age. Four main units of Precambrian .rocks were identified in this area. From oldest to youngest they are: hornblende-biotite granite gneiss; amphibolite and rhyolite of the Halaban Group; graywacke and chlorite-sericite schist of the Bi'r Khountina Group; and biotite-hornblende granite, The hornblende-biotite granite gneiss unit and the biotite-hornblende granite .unit are both poorly exposed and largely covered by veneers of sand, Owing to these factors the boundaries between the granitic, rocks are obscure, Much of what is shown as hornblende-biotite granite gneiss may actually be biotite-hornblende granite. The Halaban Group is represented by an older amphibolite unit called the Umm Mushraha Formation and by a younger rhyolite unit., called the Wadi al Jifr Formation. Layered and msslve components in the Umm Mushraha Formation represent metamorphosed .andesite and graywacke, ,and metamorphosed diorite., gabbro, and pyroxenite. The Wadi al Jifr Formation consists of virtually unmetamorphosed to strongly sheared and metamorphosed rhyolite, rhyolite porphyry, and rhyolite tuff which at many places has been metamorphosed to quartz-sericite schist and biotite-muscovite schist. These schists retain porphyroclasts of blue quartz which also form conspicuous phenocrysts in the unsheared rhyolite. Locally, the sheared rhyolite ha s been hydrothermally altered resulting in the formation of quartz-chlorite-ankerite veins and a sparse impregnation of pyrite. The Bi'r Khountina Group consists of a unit of graywacke and argillite with interbedded andesite that is metamorphosed to chlorite-sericite schist near the contacts of intrusive biottte-hornblende granite. This .unit is-called the Abu Sawarir Formation. It is Intruded by masslve gabbro and pyroxenite. No ancient mines or old prospects were found in the Precambrian part of the quadrangle. Three alteration zones in rhyolite near the northwestern corner of the quadrangle tend to have threshold amounts of molybdenum and tungsten, but they have only background amounts of the base metals and silver. Pyrite is more common in the altered rhyolite than in adjacent rocks. Geological mapping plus and electromagnetic surveys of this area are recommended to explore for sulfide minerals.

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USGS1972

Reconnaissance geology of the Bi'r Al Badriyah quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Bi'r al Badriyah quadrangle covers an area of 2843 sq km in the extreme eastern part of the Precambrian Shield in central Saudi Arabia. The Precambrian rocks in the southeastern part of the area are unconformably overlain by limestone of Permian age, which occupies only a small part of the quadrangle. Three great sequences of Precambrian rocks are recognized and called, from oldest to youngest, the Halaban Group, the Bi'r Khountina Group, and the Murdama Group. From evidence within the quadrangle itself the three groups are seen to be separated by erosional unconformities, and the Halaban and Bi'r Khountina Groups are intruded by granitic and gabbroic plutonic rocks and a wide variety of dikes. Exposures north of the quadrangle show that the Murdama Group is also intruded by granitic rocks. The Halaban Group, consists of three formations called, from oldest to youngest, the Umm Mushraha Formation, the Jebal al Egfool Formation, and the Wadi al Jifr Formation. These rocks are variably metamorphosed, but characteristically they are at the epidote-albite amphibolite facies of regional metamorphism, are polymetamorphic, and rest unconformably on ancient granite gneiss. The Umm Mushraha Formation consists of amphibolite, schistose andesite, and greenstone associated with minor meta-agglomerate, meta-graywacke, and marble. The Jebal al Egfool Formation consists of sheared and metamorphosed volcanic rocks of intermediate composition, and the Wadi al Jifr Formation is made up of metamorphosed felsic volcanic rocks. Rocks of the Bi'r Khountina Group are rather similar to the Halaban Group in original composition, but they are separated from the Halaban by an angular unconformity and have distinctive formations of conglomerate (the Idsas Formation), marble (the Fawara Formation), and graywacke (the Abu Sawarir Formation) at the base. Most of the Bi'r Khountina Group consists of andesitic volcanic rocks in the Badriyah Formation. Mostly, the Bi'r Khountina Group is unmetamorphosed or feebly metamorphosed to the greenschist facies. Locally, as in the aureole of intrusive rocks, the Bi'r Khountina Group reaches higher metamorphic grades. The rocks of the Murdama Group unconformably overlie the Bi'r Khountina Group, and basal conglomerates of the Murdama contain fragments of distinctive rocks intrusive into the Bi'r Khountina. The Murdama Group is composed of the Z'relba Formation, Consisting of conglomerate and schistose conglomerate and the Abt Formation, a thick sequence of laminated, mainly fine-grained, sedimentary rocks. Metamorphism in .the Murdama increases toward the north, and along the north edge of the area the Murdama Group is represented by chlorite-sericite schists. Three major episodes of folding are recorded in the Precambrian rocks. The earliest episode folded the rocks of the Halaban Group along north-trending axes which are now truncated by the unconformity at the base of the Bi'r Khountina Group. After the rocks of the Bi'r Khountina and Murdama Groups were deposited, the three groups were folded along northwest-trending axes of regional scale. Later, possibly at a time of major faulting along a northwesterly direction, the rocks were again folded on north-trending axes. Samples of rock materials collected at 105 localities in the quadrangle were analyzed for 27 elements. Only one anomalous value was found: a low positive anomaly for lead at the Umm Mushraha gold mine. Threshold amounts of Ag, B, Cr, Cu, La, Mn, Mo, NI, Sc, Sn, Ti, V, and Zr were detected. The distribution of copper and molybdenum suggests that two plutons of biotite-hornblende granite in the central part of the quadrangle, and the rocks between them, should be examined for possible disseminated copper and molybdenum of the porphyry type. The distribution of scandium and detrital scheelite suggests that a zone adjacent to phyllonite in the northeastern quarter of the quadrangle be examined for tungsten associated with amphibolite.

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USGS1971

Monazite in Taiwan

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USGS1971

Selected fluvial monazite deposits in the southeastern United States

Farther southwest in Georgia, around Griffin and Zebullon, along streams tributary to the Flint River in the monazite belt the flood plains are generally small and discontinuous, and only about 1 percent of the sediment is gravel. The area between Griffin, Zebullon, and the Flint River is underlain by biotite schist and biotite gneiss into which biotite granite has been intruded. Only along one stream, Flat Creek, which drains monazite-bearing granite near Zetella, Ga., are the tenors in monazite even moderately high, but a combination of thick, clayey overburden and discontinuous flood plains make the stream unsuitable for placer mining. Elsewhere in the Flint River area the heavy-mineral concentrates contain less than 1 percent monazite. The southwesternmost area in which reconnaissance of the monazite belt was conducted includes a groups of southwest-flowing tributaries to the Chattahoochee River north of Pine Mountain and near La Grange, Ga. A combination of three characteristics of the alluvium make the area unfavorable for mining: (1) the upper half of the sedimentary sequence is clay and silt, (2) there is scant gravel, and (3) much of the sand is fine grained. Monazite is associated with the Snelson Granite, schists, and gneisses north of the Towaliga fault, but even in this area the tenor of most riffle sediments is only 0.1 to 0.5 pound of monazite per cubic yard, and the average tenor of the alluvium is about 0.2 pound per cubic Yard. Rocks south of the Towaliga fault contain scant monazite. The monazite-bearing area in the drainage basin of the Chattahoochee River has no monazite placers. Evidence from the areas on the Flint and Chattahoochee Rivers shows that streams in western Georgia are a much poorer source of monazite than streams farther to the northeast in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Also, the northeastern part of the belt in the drainage basins of the Yadkin and Dan Rivers is a poorer source for monazite than the area between the Savannah and Catawba Rivers, S.C.-N.C. Monazite-bearing crystalline rocks in the western belt contain about 0.06 pound of monazite per cubic yard. Residual soil derived from the crystalline rocks contains about 0.3 to 0.4 pound of monazite per cubic yard, and colluvial sediments formed by sheet-wash from saprolite, residual soil, and, rarely, old stream deposits, have an average of 3.1 pounds of monazite to the cubic yard. The data on the tenors of residual and colluvial deposits are far less comprehensive than those an the quantity of monazite in the crystalline rocks, but the tenors are probably of the correct order of magnitude. Neither the crystalline rocks nor the residual soils are ores of monazite. Because the colluvial deposits are thin and have patch distribution they could not be mined independently, but some colluvium could be stripped from the adjoining hills in conjunction with the mining of alluvial deposits in the valleys. It is most unlikely that alluvial monazite placers have formed in the trunk streams leading southeastward out of the monazite belt. Churn drilling on the Broad and North Tyger Rivers, South Carolina, at the east edge of the belt has shown that the bulk of the alluvium is fine-grained sediment that contains 0.2 to 0.4 pound of monazite per cubic yard--tenors that represent no considerable enrichment over those in the crystalline rocks and residual soils. The probable persistence of predominantly fine-grained alluvium downstream to the Coastal Plain and the certain dilution of monazite-bearing concentrates by the inflow of monazite-free suites of heavy minerals between the belt and the fall line suggest that the trunk streams east of the belt are the least favorable sources for alluvial monazite in the Piedmont?

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USGS1970

Reconnaissance geology of the Wadi Wassat quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Wadi Wassat quadrangle covers an area of 2926 sq km in the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The west half of the quadrangle is underlain by crystalline rocks of the Arabian Shield, but in the eastern half of the quadrangle the Precambrian rocks are covered by Permian or older sandstone which is succeeded farther east by aeolian sands of Ar Rub' al Khali. The Shield consists of a sequence of unmetamorphosed to metamorphosed interlayered volcanic and sedimentary rocks intruded by igneous rocks ranging in composition from gabbro to syenite and in age from Precambrian to Cambrian(?). The volcanic rocks range in composition from andesite to rhyolite and in texture from agglomerate to thick, massive flows and lithic tuff. They are interlayered with conglomerate, fine-grained graywacke sandstone, calcareous graywacke, siltstone, tuffaceous laminated shale, pyritiferous sediment, carbonaceous shale, limestone, and dolomite. Most clastic debris is derived from andesite. In places the rocks are polymetamorphosed; elsewhere they are unmetamorphosed. The rocks on which this volcano-sedimentary eugeosynclinal sequence was deposited are not exposed in the area of the quadrangle. Reglonal dynamothermal metamorphism was .the dominant process affecting the volcanic-sedimentary rocks in the western part of the quadrangle. In the eastern part of the Precambrian area the chief metamorphic effect results from contact action along the walls of intrusive plutons. The oldest igneous rock to intrude the volcanic-sedimentary sequence, after the dikes and sills of the sequence itself, is granite gneiss and gneissic granodiorite. The gneiss is sparsely present in the quadrangle, but northwest of the quadrangle it forms an immense batholith which is one of the major geologic features of southwestern Arabia. However, the most common intrusive rocks of the quadrangle are a magnetic differentiation sequence that ranges in composition from gabbro and diorite to granite, rhyolite, and syenite. The siliceous members of the differentiation sequence commonly contain aluminous pyroxene or amphibole, and to the sequence the name peralkalic magma series has been given. Plutonic rocks of the series are widely intruded by hypabyssal rocks of the series. In most places, the older hypabyssal rocks tend to form interior dikes in the plutonic rocks, and the younger hypabyssal rocks commonly form the exterior dike swarms outside the plutonic rocks of the magma series. Many exterior dike swarms are concentrated in roof pendants of volcano-sedimentary rocks over the plutonic members of the magma series. Isotopic ages of rocks in the peralkalic magma series range from 598 +/-24 m.y. to 509 +/-15 m.y. by K/Ar and Rb/Sr methods. A profound angular unconformity exists between the Precambrian and Cambrian(?) crystalline rocks and the Permian or older sandstone which laps onto the Shield from the east and south. This sandstone, is reddish-brown, yellow, tan, and white called Wajid Sandstone, crossbedded sandstone with ferruginous cement and concretions in some layers. Locally, the rocks underlying the Wajid Sandstone are deeply weathered. Poorly sorted alluvial sand and gravel mantle the wadi floors. In the northeastern and southwestern parts of the quadrangle well-sorted aeolian sand is common. The volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the quadrangle are part of the east limb of an immense synclinorium(?) that closes south-westward around a batholitic core of gneissic granite and granodiorite. These layered rocks were isoclinally folded along northerly and north-northeasterly trending axes prior to the intrusion of the peralkalic magma series. During intrusion, the layered rocks were again folded as they were pushed aside, and major old regional northerly faults were reactivated with persistent left-lateral displacement. Reconnaissance geochemical sampling disclosed several notable groupings of threshold and anomalous elements with spe

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USGS1968

Mineral exploration between Bi'ir Idimah and Wadi Haraman, Asir quadrangle, Saudi Arabia

An area of 10,000 sq. km between Bi'r Idimah and Wadi Haraman in southern Saudi Arabia was investigated for mineral deposits during the period May 8, 1965, to June 27, 1965. At least 25 different minerals and industrial rocks occur in the area, but of these materials only asbestos seems to have a real possibility for industrial development. Twenty occurrences of asbestos were found around the Higera gold mine and between Hamdah and Bi'r El Marwahs A favorable area for asbestos exists north and east of Tathlith, but none was discovered there. It is recommended that the Hamdah-Bi'r El Marwah area be examined in detail, and the Higera and Tathlith areas receive reconnaissance studies for asbestos. Asbestos is a high-value commodity which can be processed by air separation, thereby freeing its benefitiation from dependence on water. Examination of the asbestos deposits would have as a by-product an appraisal of the resources of soapstone, anthophyllite, talc, vermiculite, chromite, calcite, gold, and copper in the three asbestos districts. Thirty-six occurrences of marble were found in the area. Several have favorable characteristics for industrial or architectural use. One ancient mine, the Ishaaib (19°15'N.x 43°40'E.), may contain copper.

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USGS1968

Mineral investigations between Khamis Mushayt and Bi'r Idimah, Saudi Arabia

Mineral investigations between Khamis Mushayt and Bi'r Idimah in the Asir quadrangle, sheet 1-217 (Brown and Jackson, 1959) began September 24, 1964 and ended November 20. Total distance travelled was 6264 kilometers. Sixteen camps were set, and 483 samples of various geologic materials, principally wadi sands, laterite, and gossan, were taken. Not all the area originally scheduled to be covered was examined, owing principally to more time being spent on scheelite and laterite than originally planned. No work was done in the area covered by the two 1:50,000 mosaics numbered 9E and 8E. They will be blocked out in January 1965. The area completed includes parts or all of the 1:50,000 scale mosaics numbered 8B, 8C, 8D, 8F, 9B, 9C, 9D, and 9F. No megascopic indication of an exploitable mineral deposit of any type, except the small occurrences of marble cited in the October 1964 report and slate already in use, was discovered. A previously unknown ancient working was found, but it is small. Unless spectro-chemical analysis of samples discloses anomalously great amounts of some element, the area examined must be considered as unfavorable for ore deposits, except possibly the gossan exposed south of Bi'r Idimah.

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USGS1968

Preliminary results of a trip October 30-December 21, 1965, to the area between Sha'ya and Jabal Bani Bisqan, Saudi Arabia, together with a synopsis of mineral reconnaissance in the Asir quadrangle

The area between Sha'ya and Jabal Bani Bisun in the Asir quadrangle has scant evidence of mineralization except for the single small lode gold mine called Al Lugatah, which was examined by D. F. Shaffner in 1957. No part of the area appears to justify immediate further investigation. However, for long-range planning of mineral exploration three low-priority parts of the area can be recommended for future examination:(1) disseminated pyrite and chalcopyrite east of As Subaykhah (19°07'N.x 43°24'E.); a chromite occurrence (19°13'N.x 43°28'E.) south of Jaash; and homatiticagglomarate (19°58'N.x 43°22'E.) near Bi'r Malah. The most important mineral deposits known in the part of the Asir quadrangle east of the escarprent and north of latitude 18°N. are the gossan at Bi'r Idimah (18°30'N.x 44°10'E.) - Wadi Wassat, and the asbestos cast of Hamdah (19°02'N.x 43° 35'E.). Work is currently under way to evaluate the gossan, and mineralogical studies are being made of the asbestos.

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USGS1968

Summary of results from a trip February 6-March 5, 1966, to B'ir Idimah, Jabal Ashirah, and As Sarat Mountains, Saudi Arabia

The geologic setting of the pyrite replacement deposit at Wadi Wassat was mapped in February 1966. From this mapping it is inferred that the pyrite deposits occur along a sub-vertical, north-trending fault in andesite and other rocks at the crest line of an anticline in a roof pendant. The pendant is in a composite pluton formed by a per-alkalic magma series. Diorite and biotite granite are the most common and older members of the series. Pyroxene granite and quartz porphyry are less common younger rocks in the series. Extrusive equivalents of these plutonic rocks form dikes in the area. The pyrite is interpreted to have been deposited from hydrothermal solutions after diorite and biotite granite were consolidated and while pyroxene granite was being emplaced. Structures controlling the deposition of the pyrite are regional. Exploration at 1:2,500 scale by geologic, geochemical, and electro-magnetic methods are recommended. Diamond drilling should accompany the other exploration. Chemical analyses of 22 specimens of Precambrian marble from the Asir quadrangle shows that seven deposits have a composition within the range of compositions of natural cement rocks used for Roman cement and quick-setting cement. None of the samples is rich enough in CaO for use as a raw material for Portland cement, and most samples of the marble have too much MgO for Portland cement. Analyses of the major elements in 71 samples of lateritic material from the As Sarat mountains show that none of the laterite can be used as an ore for iron owing to too little iron and too much alumina, silica, and sulfur. One sample has the alumina-silica ratio of gibbsite or boehmite. One sample has alumina and sulfur in percentages suggesting the presence of alunite, and several other samples probably contain alunite. Because alunite is potash rich and might be used as a raw material for potash fertilizer, it is recommended that an airborne radiometric survey be made of tine As Sarat mountains to locate potassium-rich parts of the laterite.

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USGS1967

Progress report II: Assays and analyses of pyritic core from Wadi Wassat gossan, Saudi Arabia

Assays of 31 samples of pyritic core from diamond drill holes under gossan at Wadi Wassat, Saudi Arabia, disclosed 0.02 oz/ton gold in five samples, and from 0.11 to 1.68 oz/ton silver in 23 samples: The tenors are too low to constitute ores of either metal. Further work is required to learn if the tenor in silver varies with depth below the ground surface, with geologic unit, or both. No apparent relation exists between the estimated amount of pyrite in the core and the amount of silver disclosed by the assays.

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