GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 774

Reconnaissance Investigation of

High-Calcium Marble in

the Beaver Creek Area,

St. Lawrence County, New York
Reconnaissance Investigation of

High-Calcium Marble in

the Beaver Creek Area,

St. Lawrence County, New York

By C. ERVIN BROWN

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 774

1978
United States Department of the Interior

CECIL D. ANDRUS, Secretary

Geological Survey

H. William Menard, Director

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Brown, Clarence Ervin, 1925 

Reconnaissance investigation of high-calcium marble

in the Beaver Creek area, St. Lawrence County, New York.

(Geological Survey circular; 774)

Bibliography: p.

1. Marble New York (State) St. Lawrence Co. 

I. Title. II. Series: United States. Geological 

Survey. Circular; 774. 

QE75.C5 no. 774 [TN967] 557.3'08s

[553'.51'0974756] 78-4051

Free on application to Branch of Distribution, U.S. Geological Survey 

1200 South Eads Street, Arlington, Va. 22202
CONTENTS

Page 

Abstract_______________________________________________ 1

Introduction.___________________________________________ 1

Description of marble belts in the Beaver Creek drainage basin ._ _ _ 2

Marble of unit A . __________________________________________ _ 2

Marble of units B and C _____________________ 5

Discussion of analytical results..________ __ 5

Conclusions._____________________ 10

References cited _________ _ ____ 10

ILLUSTRATIONS

FIGURE 1. Index map of St. Lawrence County, N.Y., showing area of this investigation __________________________ _ 2

2.-5. Maps showing:

2. Marble belts in part of the Beaver Creek drainage basin, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. ____________ ____ 3 

3: Sample sites and outcrops in southwestern part of marble belt A .__ 4

4. Sample sites and outcrops in northeastern part of marble belt A _____ 6

5. Sample sites and outcrops in northeastern part of marble belt B _____ 9

TABLES

TABLE 1. Chemical analyses of marbles in Beaver Creek drainage basin, St.

Lawrence County, N.Y. ____________________________ 7 

2. Calculated maximum and minimum CaC03 content for marble units A 

and B based on the mineral suite tremolite, dolomite, quartz, 

and calcite . ___________ __ _ _ _ _ __ 8

III
Reconnaissance Investigation of High-Calcium Marble in 

the Beaver Creek Area, St. Lawrence County, New York

By C. ERVIN BROWN

ABSTRACT

Three belts of marble of the Grenville Series were 

mapped in the Beaver Creek drainage basin, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. One of these, on the west side 

of Beaver Creek, consists of coarsely crystalline pure 

calcitic marble that occurs in a zone at least 10 by 0.8 

km in extent. Samples of marble show CaCO3 content 

to be greater than 93 percent, and some samples contain greater than 96 percent, and only small amounts 

of MgO and Fe2 O3 are present. Marble in two other 

belts to the east of Beaver Creek are variable in composition, but locally have high content of calcium 

carbonate material.

The marble deposit west of Beaver Creek has a 

chemical composition favorable for specialized chemical, industrial, and metallurgical uses. Another favorable aspect of the deposit is its proximity to inexpensive 

water transportation on the St. Lawrence Seaway only 

27.5 km away by road, at Ogdensburg, N.Y.

INTRODUCTION

Limestone and other carbonate rocks are 

among the most widely-used mineral commodities in the world. These rocks have many uses 

in construction and agriculture and for chemical and metallurgical purposes. Suitable carbonate rocks for use in construction generally 

are sought close to the market because of high 

transportation costs. Low-purity limestone and 

dolomite are widely distributed in the United 

States, and generally a source can be found close 

to the consumer. However, high-calcium limestone l suitable for chemical, metallurgical, and

some other specialized uses is far more scarce 

and, consequently, its higher value causes transportation costs to be a smaller factor in its 

exploitation (Hubbard and Ericksen, 1973).

Metasedimentary rocks of the Grenville 

Series in the St. Lawrence lowlands northwest 

of the Adirondack Mountains include much marble that is potentially a resource of high-purity 

carbonate rock. Some of these marble units 

have been described previously by Gushing and 

Newland (1925), Buddington (1934), Brown 

and Engel (1956), Prucha (1953) and Brown 

(1969). Many of the marble units are impure, 

containing abundant silicate minerals or quartz, 

and locally they contain thin disrupted layers 

of rusty, biotitic gneiss, quartzo-feldspathic 

rocks, and quartzite. Some units, however, are 

high-purity carbonate rocks. Unfortunately, 

the studies of these units have given little attention to their potential as sources of highcalcium limestone. Only a few chemical analyses 

of the marbles have been published (Buddington, 1934, p. 219), and these are of uncertain 

areal significance.

Some local marbles have been used in the 

past mainly for construction purposes. Quarries a short distance southwest of Gouverneur, 

N.Y. (fig. 1), were operated in the 1800's and 

early 1900's for marble dimension stone. Buildings, monuments, and sidewalks made from this 

light-gray marble are seen throughout the re1 High-calcium limestone is rock having 95 percent CaCO3 

content or greater, and those with greater than 97 percent 

CaCOa are called ultra-high calcium limestone (Carr and 

Rooney, 1975). High-purity carbonate rock contains more than 

95 percent combined CaCO3 and MgCOs, and high-magnesian 

dolomite has more than 43 percent MgCO3 . A few uses of highcalcium limestones are for blast furnace and open hearth flux, 

and in the manufacture of glass, cement, alkalis, and alumina 

(Lamar and Willman, 1938). Other chemical specifications for 

these special uses are as important as the carbonate content.

For Instance, high calcium limestone used in the manufacture 

of alumina must have less than 0.5 percent sulfur and phosphorus. Limestone used in the manufacture of glass must have 

a uniform high-carbonate content and contain less than 0.1 

percent FeaOa. Cement manufacture and most flux uses require 

less than 3 percent MgCOa In the raw material. Another important use of pure limestone is as a white filler in a variety of 

manufactured products such as paint, rubber, flooring, plastics, 

and paper. The principal requirements for use as a filler are 

high whiteness and ease of grinding to a fine, soft powder.
gion. Marble for lime-burning, crushed stone, 

and furnace flux was produced in the past from 

quarries near Richville (Gushing and Newland, 

1925). However, for the past 30 to 40 years 

marble has been produced only for crushed 

stone and agricultural limestone from a quarry 

south of Gouverneur, and at the present time 

also from a quarry north of Gouverneur where 

an additional product bagged, white, dolomitic, 

marble chips for landscaping purposes is also 

produced. Except for the latter, these uses of 

limestone require the supply to be close to the 

market because of transportation costs. Consequently, because only a small local market 

exists, the vast resource of carbonate rocks here 

is underutilized.

Area of mavn

j

3 NEW YORK /

r

s

^s-1

S" ^>

75°30' / '

^^i ^, Xfogdensburg

/

/

44° x

30' /

<

/

/ Heuvelton

^

^L

^

^

^Hif

*jSo

ST. LAWRENCE

Area of COUNTY 

Figure 2

Richville

^\ °Rossie

^s

 Gouverneur

0 x x^ u o Edwards 

Redwooch- . o Fowler

O Balmat

^

5 10 15 20 MILES

I I I I

I I i \\

5 10 15 20 25 KILOMETERS

FIGURE 1. Index map of St. Lawrence County, N.Y., 

showing area of this investigation.

While doing detailed geologic mapping of an 

area northwest and southeast of Beaver Creek 

in St. Lawrence County from 1967 to 1971, the 

author mapped three belts of marble (fig. 2), 

one of which appeared to be an essentially pure 

calcitic marble and the other two locally appeared to contain some high-purity calcitic 

marble. Chemically analyzed grab samples indicated that some of these marbles do have 

unusually high CaC03 content. Additional sampling, however, was needed to evaluate the rock

as a high-calcium limestone resource. In 1975, 

the author assisted by Harold Hubbard and Ken 

Books, of the U.S. Geological Survey, sampled 

marble at two localities with a portable core 

drill. Analyses from these samples prove that 

one extensive belt of pure calcitic marble west 

of Beaver Creek contains rock that chemically 

qualifies for specialized uses. A less extensive 

deposit of similar rock is east of Beaver Creek. 

Convenient and inexpensive water transportation on the St. Lawrence Seaway enhances the 

possibility that the deposits could be exploited 

economically.

DESCRIPTION OF MARBLE BELTS IN THE 

BEAVER CREEK DRAINAGE BASIN

MARBLE OF UNIT A

Belt A (fig. 2) consists of coarsely crystalline marble in which calcite grains are as much 

as 2.5 cm across, and average about 1.5 cm. The 

rock has the textural appearance of rock candy 

or very coarse rock salt, and locally shows flow 

banding that is outlined by graphite specks and 

other fine-grained accessory minerals. This marble unit is surrounded by impure carbonate 

rocks that contain numerous rusty-weathering 

biotite gneiss and quartzite layers. These thin 

layers are more brittle than the enclosing marble and are disrupted by differential tectonic 

flowage. Many of the impure carbonate-bearing 

rocks are better named "carbonate gneisses" 

rather than marble. Rocks west of Beaver 

Creek; including marble A, are folded and in 

turn refolded. The linear pattern of this belt on 

figures 3 and 4 is an expression of tight, nearly 

isoclinal, folding that has produced a northeastward strike and dips that are generally greater 

than 50° either to the northwest or to the southeast. At the sample sites on figures 3 and 4 the 

layering has a strike of N. 50 E. and dip of 70° 

to 75° SE. The hook-shaped patterns of the 

margins and the short linear areas of rock, 

other than marble, along the axial crests or 

troughs of folds is an interference pattern produced by cross-folds nearly transverse to the 

northeast trends. One can infer from the steep 

attitudes of the carbonate rocks that similar 

lithologies extend downward, certainly beyond 

practical mining depths.

Topographically, the area that includes marble belt A is characterized by low, linear, and 

essentially parallel ridges. The pure coarse
75°30'

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Richville, 1956 0 

Pope Mills. 1961, Heuvelton, 1963, 1:24.000

75°25'

2 MILES

2 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Area underlain by pure coarse-grained calcitic marble

Area underlain by a sequence of calcitic to dolomitic, 

marble that is commonly quartz-rich or silicated. 

Area includes much gneissic granite

Area underlain mainly by massive bluish-gray calcitic

marble (slightly magnesian) 

x" Sample location. Number identifies sample in table 1 

^ Hematite pits

FIGURE 2. Marble belts in part of the Beaver Creek drainage basin, St. Lawrence County, N.Y. Area of this

map shown on figure 1.
75°30'

EXPLANATION

Area underlain by marble A 27 , 

Outcrop of marble A 

Strike and dip of layering 

x' Sample site

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Pope Mills, 1961

FIGURE 3. Sample sites and outcrops in southwestern part of marble belt A.

marble forms the low areas and thus is easily Road and Beaver Creek. This marble has fewer

located because it underlies the main broad outcrops than the impure ridge-forming litholvalley bottom in the area between Old State ogies, but protrudes through the valley fill as

4
large areas of pavement outcrops at enough 

places to verify its presence. Regionally, most of 

the valleys are filled by postglacial lacustrine 

sediments, chiefly sticky gray clay, which is 

known to be locally more than 15 m thick where 

drilled in nearby valleys. This clay is a potential source of the alumina needed for the production of cement, and the required Fe2O3 is 

available from an iron-mineralized zone close 

to an outlier of Potsdam Sandstone a short 

distance to the north (fig. 4) or from other 

nearby iron mines such as at Star Lake, N.Y.

MARBLE OF UNITS B AND C

Unit B consists of pure to impure calcitic to 

dolomitic marble. The calcitic marble is coarsely 

crystalline (0.5 to 1 cm) and disintegrates readily to crumbly calcite debris. Zones of quartzrich calcitic marble are common. The dolomitic 

marble is gray, and contains thin discontinuous 

layers of diopside and tremolite. Locally, the 

upper part of unit B is rich in talc (Brown, 

1969). Many extensive lenses of quartz, 

plagioclase gneiss, and granitic gneiss, also occur in unit B. Although marble in this unit 

sampled at localities 5 to 8 (fig. 2) contains 

high-calcium carbonate, its most characteristic 

lithology is quartz-bearing or silicate-rich 

marble.

Marble from unit C, in contrast to that of unit 

B, has much more uniform lithology. It generally is massive, coarse-grained, and calcitic, 

and contains accessory tremolite, graphite, and 

phlogopite. Tremolite occurs as distinct, sparse, 

randomly distributed narrow prisms as much 

as 3-cm long that weather in relief on the outcrop. The topographic expression of these two 

marble units is also different. Marble B is generally dolomitic and easily disintegrated and 

underlies low areas in which large granitic 

gneiss lenses form elongate steep-sided knobs. 

Marble C, is more massive and uniform and 

forms gentle-sloped upland areas with low local 

relief.

The geologic structure of the area between 

Beaver Creek and the South Branch of Beaver 

Creek, including marble units B and C, is a 

southeastwardly recumbent antiform. Marble 

unit C is the structurally lowest unit and occupies the axial part of the fold. Unit B lies 

above C and is mainly exposed in the upper

limb of the recumbent antiform. The dip of the 

axial plane of the fold ranges from moderately 

northwestward in the northeast part of the area 

to nearly horizontal near North Gouverneur.

DISCUSSION OF ANALYTICAL RESULTS

Chemical analyses of samples collected from 

marbles A and B in the second phase of sampling (Nos. 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, table 1 and fig. 2) generally agree with the high CaCO3 content previously shown by samples 2 and 5 of grab 

samples taken earlier from the same localities. 

Sample 1, taken 4 miles southwest of location 

of samples 2, 3, and 4 (fig. 2), is almost identical 

to them chemically and supports field observations indicating that the marble in belt A is of 

high purity and lithologically similar throughout its extent. Although one can infer from a 

cursory examination of the analyses of marbles 

A and B that they are high-calcium limestones, 

determining the actual CaCO3 content of a 

marble from its analysis is not that simple. 

Most metamorphosed limestones contain some 

calcium-magnesium silicates such as tremolite 

and diopside. Phlogopite, a mica containing 

magnesium, is also generally present. As a consequence, the CaO and MgO is not only in calcite 

and dolomite but also in silicate minerals. Determining the approximate CaCO3 content is 

possible using a system similar to, but simpler 

than, determining normative mineral percentages of an igneous rock.

First, one must determine what silicate minerals are present. This can be done petrographically, or by dissolving the carbonate and 

identifying the insoluble minerals, or by deduction from the chemical analysis or by a combination of these. Phlogopite contains, among 

other elements, potassium and aluminum. If 

the analysis shows significant quantities of 

these elements one should calculate percentage 

of phlogopite present. However, since phlogopite 

has no calcium, it has no effect on the amount 

of CaO available for the carbonates and, therefore, can be ignored for the purpose of determining the CaCO3 content. The presence of calcium-magnesium silicates, diopside or tremolite, 

does affect the interpretation of the analyses, 

and the relative amounts of each should be 

known because diopside is 26 percent CaO,
" uu <M^r-*--*"- --*- T^-J ^

9/ u M u-'rv -*-_r .* ~. -/T / /6^ ?^^t//V-^>^&^^ ^//r / &'

Sample site 

Iron prospects

2000 3000 4000 FEET 

I . I

I 

500 1000 METERS

I//.JJ // -\//ff l/\J(l-fAff»~ JL-/ ,-%!ks>'^^ i|n~/-/f '-^^

75°30' Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Richville, 1956

FIGURE 4. Sample sites and outcrops in northeastern part of marble belt A.
TABLE 1. Chemical analyses of marbles in Beaver Creek drainage basin, St. Lawrence County, N.Y.

[Samples 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8 analyzed by method described under "single solution" in 

U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1401. Analyst: Z. A. Hamblin. Samples 2 and 5 analyzed by method described in U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1144-A, supplemented by atomic absorption method. Analysts: P. Elmore, J. Kelsey, G. Chloe, H. Smith, J. Glenn. Samples 9-14 analyzed by method described in U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 575-B, p. 187- 191. Analysts: P. Elmore, S. Boots, W. Curtis, J. Glenn, H. Smith, J. Kelsey]

Lab. No. ___.

Marble unit - Si02 ___ . AU-03 

Fe*0.

FeO

MgO ______ CaO _ 

NaaO __ _ K2 0 _______ H.O+ _. .

H.O- ______ Ti02 _______ P»0B

MnO ______ CO. _______ SO* ___ __.

. __ W190983._ _ 1

A

0.99

.00

.00

.04

.88

___. 55.4

.00.01.39

.06.01

.02

.00

___. 42.9.... ^.d.

W174851

2

A

0.42

.22

.00

.05

.53

53.7

.00.05

.32.07.00

.00

.00

43.6

n.d.

. W190981

3

A

0.40

.00

.00

.04

.87

55.0

.00

.01

.20

.04

.01

.01

.00

42.8

n.d.

W1909S2

4

A

0.89

.00

.00

.04

1.7

55.5

.03

.03

.34

.05

.02

.02

.00

42.6

n.d.

W174852

5

B

2.2

qi

.00

.15

1.1

52.5

.00

.03.39.07.02

.00

.00

42.4

n.d.

W190978

6

B

2.4

.09.05

.04

.81

55.2

.03

.01

.33.07

.02

.00

.00

42.4

n.d.

W190979

7

B

4.1

.00

.01

.04

1.5

55.3

.01

.05

.34

.06

.02

.03

.00

39.3

n.d.

W190980 1

8

B

5.0

.39.05

.04

1.2

53.4

.01

.19.34

.07

.03.04.01

39.4

n.d.

5V171816 \

9

B

1.1

.08

.10

.28

20.4

30.0

.00

.00.00

1.1

.00

.04

.05

46.4

n.d.

^171817

10

B

1.4

.11

.05

.04

2.4

51.0

.04

.12

.00

1.3

.00

.07.05

43.4

n.d.

W171818 '

11

B

1.5

99.

.17

.16

4.0

49.3

.10

.20.03

.66

.00

.09.07

43.5

n.d.

W171821

12

B

10.4

1.6

1.5

.72

7.6

38.5

.28

.41.11

.90

.10

.29

.09

33.9

2.5

W171820

13

C

0.34

.08

.17

.16

3.70

49.9

.03.00.03.94

.00

.04

.08

44.4

n.d.

W171819

14

C1.8

.00

.15

.24

3.5

49.7

.04

.12

.02

1.2

.00

.02

.02

43.3

n.d.

Sum 100.7 99.0 99.4 101.2 99.2 101.5 100.8 100.2 99.6 100.0 100.1 98.9 99.9 100.1

1 n.d. = not determined.

LITHOLOGIC DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLES

1. Very coarse-grained (1-2 cm) calcitic marble exposed for 22.9 meters (m) transverse to strike. Sample consists of 10 cm cores from drill holes spaced at regular 

Intervals across zone.

2. Selected specimen of very coarse, white calcitic marble similar to 1, above.

3. Chip sample of calcitic white marble same as sample 2, above. Exposed zone is 

10.7 m wide transverse to strike.

4. Very coarse calcitic marble (1-2 cm) having flow banding vaguely outlined by 

fine-grained phlogopite and graphite. Sample is 13 short cores from holes spaced at 

regular intervals for 24 m across strike.

5. Selected specimen of light-gray to white, coarse-grained (0.5 to 1 cm) calcitic 

marble with accessory graphite in 1 mm flakes.

6. Sample is composite of short cores from holes spaced about 1.2 m apart across 

strike for 12 m of outcrop width. Rock is coarse-grained calcitic marble, same as sample 5, above.

7. Sample is composite of short cores from holes spaced about 1 m apart across 

strike for 5.5 m. Rock similar to sample 6, above.

8. Sample and rock as above from 11.6 m zone across strike.

9. Selected specimen of light-gray, graphitic dolomite with 1 to 5 mm grain size.

10. Selected specimen of light-gray, calcitic marble with layering outlined by dark, 

closely spaced dark-gray graphitic zones 5 to 10 mm wide.

11. Selected specimen of medium-grained (2 to 5 mm), medium gray, calcitic marble 

flecked with fine graphite and phlogopite flakes.

12. Selected specimen of dark gray, medium-grained scapolitic, graphitic and phlogopitic marble.

13. Selected specimen of white, coarse-grained (3 to 8 mm) marble flecked with 

1 to 2 mm flakes of graphite and phlogopite.

14. Selected specimen of medium- and light-gray banded coarse-grained (2-5 mm) 

marble; contains graphite and phlogopite.
whereas tremolite is only about 14 percent CaO. 

Because tremolite is hydrous and diopside is 

not, the presence of significant water of crystallization in the analysis is an indication that the 

calc-silicate phase is probably tremolite rather 

than diopside, although the presence of diopside 

is not precluded. Samples 1 through 8 all contain 

water, and the calc-silicate mineral is assumed 

to be mainly tremolite. In order to further 

verify the noncarbonate mineral phases present 

in marble at sample sites 3 and 5, a 55-gram 

sample was dissolved in 15 percent HCL. The 

insoluble minerals were then identified microscopically, and identifications were verified by 

X-ray diffraction by Patricia Loferski of the 

U.S. Geological Survey. The most common 

minerals identified were tremolite, phlogopite, 

and graphite. Also present were a few grains 

of purple fluorite and a trace of pyrite. Therefore, calculations based on the suite tremolite,

dolomite, calcite should give a close approximation of the CaC03 content for marble A.

One could also calculate CaC03 on the basis 

of the suite quartz, dolomite, and calcite but 

since quartz was not noted petrographically nor 

was it found in the one test for insoluble minerals in marble A, it was assumed to be essentially absent. However, in samples from marble 

unit B, after removing tremolite on the basis 

of available MgO, excess Si02 remains. In these 

samples, quartz is probably present. This is consistent with field observations of quartz in the 

calcitic marbles in unit B.

Table 2 lists the calculated CaC03 contents 

for samples 1 through 8; samples 9 through 14 

were not calculated because they are too impure for high-calcium limestone. Note that 

after determining the calcite from CaO that 

remained after satisfying the formula for 

tremolite and dolomite in order to consume

TABLE 2. Calculated maximum and minimum CaCO3 content for marble units A and B based on the mineral

suite tremolite, dolomite, quartz, and calcite

Conversion factors for determining mineral content percentages from chemical analyses:

Calcite = 1.78 X CaO 

Dolomite =4.6 X MgO

Tremolite = 1.69 X SiO2

4.05 X MgO

7.23 X CaO

Diopside =1.8 X

5.4 X MgO 

3.86 X CaO

Note: These determinations are limited, of course, by availability of other oxides to satisfy the mineral formula.

Factors used to determine oxide contained in known percentage of mineral: 

CQS __ percent calcite CQ _ percent dolomite CaCOs = percent dolomite CaO _ percent dolomite

2.27 2.09 1.84 3.28

Sample 

No.

*1 

2 1

*2 

2 2 

*3 

2 3 

M 

2 4 

*5 

2 5 

*6 

2 6 

*7 

2 7 

*8 

*8

Calculated mineral percentage

Tremolite

1.67

1.67

.7

..._ . .7

.68

.68

1.5

_._ 1.5

3.72

_____ __ ___________ _____ _ 3.72 

3.28

3.28

6.1

_____ _ ____ . 6.1

____ _ __ __ _____ ___ ______ 4.9

________ _____ -_-____. 4.9

Quartz

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1.9 

1.9 

.5 

.5 

2.1 

2.1

Dolomite

2.16 

2.16 

1.7 

1.7 

3.22 

3.22 

6.1 

6.1 

.9 

.9 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0

Calcite

97.0 

95.0 

94.5 

97.2 

96.0 

93.7 

95.1 

90.1 

92.9 

95.6 

97.5 

96.2 

98.4 

89.2 

95.0 

89.4

Total CaCOa 

in calcite 

and dolomite

98.2 

96.2 

95.4 

98.1 

97.7 

95.4 

98.4 

93.4 

93.4 

96.1 

97.5 

96.2 

98.4 

89.2 

95.0 

89.4

Deficient or surplus 

oxides, in percent

0.9 

1.1 

1.2 

0.9 

1.0 

1.7 

2.2 

3.0 

1.2 

1.7 

0.5 

0.7 

4.0 

5.2 

2.4 

3.2

CO2 

CaO 

CO, 

CaO 

CO* 

CaO 

CO2 

CaO 

C02 

CaO 

CO2 

CaO 

CO2 

CaO 

CO2 

CaO

deficiency 

surplus 

surplus 

deficiency 

deficiency 

surplus 

deficiency 

surplus 

surplus 

deficiency 

surplus 

surplus 

deficiency 

surplus 

deficiency 

surnlus

1 Calcite calculated on basis of CaO available after removing CaO required to form tremolite and dolomite from available SiOa 

and MgO.

2 Calcite calculated on basis of CO2 available after removing CO2 required to form dolomite from remaining MgO after tremolite.

3 Maximum and minimum for each analysis.
Si02 and MgO, there is a deficiency of C02 in 

the analyses of some samples. Where a deficiency of CO2 exists, CaCO3 can be determined 

on the basis of CO2 left after accounting for 

dolomite from MgO remaining after the percentage of tremolite is determined. Thus, two 

figures for total CaCO3 are obtained which can 

be used as maximum and minimum values for 

CaCO3 for each sample. Despite the irregularities inherent in this method of approximation, 

the minimum total CaCO3 for most samples 

here is 95 percent or greater, which qualifies 

them as high-calcium limestones.

Marble, particularly from unit A and some 

from B, appears suitable for specialized applications requiring a high CaCO3 content, and 

the low MgO, Fe2O3 , and P2O5 greatly enhances 

their value for a variety of industrial uses, inArea underlain by marble B 

Outcrop of marble B 

Sample site

0 1000 2000 3000

, , , , I i I______'

 i | [

eluding glass manufacture. Samples of the highcalcium marble from unit A were also pulverized to determine whiteness and possible use as 

a mineral filler. Results were unfavorable because the finely ground material proved to be 

off-white owing to the minor quantity of 

graphite. Unless the graphite could be removed, 

the rock apparently is not suitable for use as a 

filler. It was also noticed that the coarsely 

crystalline character of the marble made grinding to a soft powder difficult because each particle is a tiny calcite cleavage rhomb.

The rock sampled from marble B at the 

northeast part of the area mapped in figure 5 

(samples 5 through 8, table 1) is also a highcalcium rock, but represents a smaller surface 

area and therefore, is a smaller potential resource than marble A. Marble unit B sampled

75°22'30"

Base from U.S. Geological Survey, Heuvelton. 1963

FIGURE 5. Sample sites and outcrops in northeastern part of marble belt B.
elsewhere is more dolomitic, and typically the 

unit contains a great .range of marble compositions from calcitic or dolomitic (sample 9) to 

quartz- and silicate-rich (sample 12). Marble B, 

represented by samples 10 and 11, might be 

chemically acceptable for some high-calcium 

uses such as in the manufacture of cement. 

However, the highly variable composition of 

marble in this belt stands against its use'because of the difficulty of proving a large tonnage of uniform composition.

The marble in belt C is more uniform in composition than marble B and contains minor 

quantities of silicates. Samples 13 and 14 show 

it to be nearly pure, slightly magnesian marble.

CONCLUSIONS

A potentially large volume of high-calcium 

marble lies west of Beaver Creek. According to 

reconnaissance sampling, it contains greater, 

than 95 percent CaCO3 and is low in MgO, 

FeaOa, and P2O5, and thus is suitable as a raw 

material for a variety of chemical and metallurgical uses. The deposit is only 27.5 kms by 

road or railroad from port facilities on the St. 

Lawrence Seaway that can supply inexpensive 

transportation to markets along the Great 

Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, and possibly 

the east coast of North America.

Two other marble belts east of Beaver Creek 

also contain some high-calcium marble, but are 

more variable in composition and lithology than 

is the rock of the belt west of Beaver Creek.

REFERENCES CITED

Brown, C. Ervin, 1969, New talc deposit in St. Lawrence 

County, New York: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1272-D, 

p. D1-D13.

Brown, J. S., and Engel, A. E. J., 1956, Revision of 

Grenville stratigraphy and structure in the BalmatEdwards district, Northwest Adirondacks, New 

York: Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., v. 67, no. 12, pt. 1, 

p. 1599-1622.

Buddington, A. F.f 1934, Geology and mineral resources 

of the Hammond, Antwerp, and Lowville quadrangles: New York State Museum Bull., no. 296, 

251 p.

Carr, D. D., and Rooney, L. F., 1975, Limestone and 

dolomite in Lefond, S. J., ed., Industrial Minerals 

and Rocks, 4th ed.: New York, N.Y., Am. Inst. of 

Mining and Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers, Inc., p. 757-789.

Gushing, H. P., and Newland, D. H., 1925, Geology of 

the Gouverneur quadrangle: New York State 

Museum Bull, no. 259, 122 p.

Hubbard, H. A., and Ericksen, George E., 1973, Limestone and dolomite in Brobst, D. A., and Pratt, W. 

P., eds., United States mineral resources: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 820, p. 357-364.

Lamar, J. E., and Willman, H. B., 1938, A summary of 

the uses of limestone and dolomite: Illinois State 

Geol. Survey Rept. Inv. 49, 50 p.

New York State Museum and Science Service, 1971, 

Geologic Map of New York, 1970: New York State 

Mus. and Sci. Service, Map and Chart Ser. no. 15, 

6 sheets (5 map sheets at scale 1:250,000; 1 sheet 

containing generalized tectonic metamorphic map, 

sources of geologic information, and master 

legend).

Prucha, John James, 1953, The white crystal dolomite 

deposit near Gouverneur, New York: New York 

State Sci, Service, Rept. Inv. no. 9, 13 p.

&U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE: 1978 O-261-221/62