DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY yfl, x

//^a. .?

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR .- 

606

ORIGIN OF THE

ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE 

JOPLIN REGION

MISSOURI, KANSAS, AND OKLAHOMA

BY

C. E. SIEBENTHAL

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1915

CONTENTS.

Preface, by F. L. Ransome................................................. 9

Outline of the origin of the zinc and lead deposits of the Joplin region........ 11

Introduction.............................................................. 21

Field work.........................................".................... 21

Acknowledgments.................................................... 21

The 0 zark uplift........................................................... 23

Geography............................................................. 23

Are'al geology.......................................................... 24

Pre-Cambrian rocks................................................ 24

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks..................................... 24

Silurian rocks..................................................... 25

Devonian rocks..................................................... 25

\ Mississippian rocks................................................ 26

Pennsylvanian rocks............................................... 28

Post-Carboniferous rocks............................................ 29

Structural geology.................................................... 29

Historical geology..................................................... 31

Underground circulation in the Ozark region................................. 33

Importance of theories of circulation................................... 33

The artesian circulation................................................ 33

Flowing wells......................................................... 37

Genesis of the ores................\....................................... 38

General relations of the Joplin zinc and lead deposits..................... 38

Vertical distribution of the Joplin lead and zinc deposits................. 38

Historical outline of views of the origin of the Joplin ores................ 39

Chemistry of lead and zinc solutions.................................... 42

Nature of ore solutions............................................ 42

Solution and transfer as sulphates................................... 43

Solution and transfer as chlorides.................................. 46

Solution and transfer as sulphides and hydrosulphides............... 47

Solution and transfer as dispersed colloidal sulphides................. 50

Solution and transfer as zincates and sulphozincates................. 51

Solution and transfer as carbonates and bicarbonates................. 52

Formation of the carbonates and bicarbonates.................... 52

Solubility of lead carbonate in water containing carbon dioxide.. 56 

Solubility of sphalerite and galena in solutions imitating the deep

waters........................................................ 57

Precipitation as sulphides.......................................... 61

Precipitation by hydrogen sulphide............................. 61

Precipitation by thiosulphates.................................. 62

Precipitation by organic matter................................ 62

Summary of chemistry of lead and zinc solutions..................... 66

3

230913
4 CONTENTS.

Genesis of the ores Continued. Page.

Source of the metals.................................................... 66

Metala in igneous rocks............................................. 66

Results of chemical analyses.................................... 66

Solution of the metals from the crystalline rocks and their transportation to the sea. ......................................... 68

Deposition of disseminated metals in oceanic sediments........... 69

Deposition in clays and calcareous muds..................... 69

Deposition in dolomitic muda.............................. 70

Metals disseminated in oceanic sediments........................ 71

Origin of the metals in the oceanic sediments..................... 76

Metals disseminated in .the rocks of the region................. '....... 77

Metal content of the Archean rocks of Missouri.................. 77

Metal content of the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites.......... 78

Metal content of the Mississippian limestones.................... 79

Metal content of the Pennsylvanian shales....................... 79

Comparison of the metal content of different rocks................ 80

Conclusions....................................................... 81

The ore solutions...................................................... 81

Solutions in general............................................... 81

Geochemical interpretation of water analyses........................ 82

Properties of natural waters........................................ 83

Acidity, neutrality, and alkalinity of waters.......................... 85

Analyses of zinc-bearing and related waters......................... 88

Sources of information.......................................... 88

Foreign mineral waters........................................ 91

Mineral waters of Eastern, Central, and Southern States........... 91

Mineral waters of Kentucky.................................... 92

The occurrence of zinc in Kentucky mineral waters, by A. M.

Peter.................................................... 94

Well,-spring, and mine waters of Missouri........................... 98

Spring waters of Arkansas...............:....................... 98

Well and spring waters of Kansas................................. 98

Well and mine waters of Oklahoma.............................. 99

Well, spring, and mine waters of Colorado........................ 100

Well, spring, and mine waters of Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and

California.................................................... 100

Classification of zinc-bearing and related waters........................ 147

Synoptical outline of zinc-bearing waters........................... 148

Comparison of waters of interior and border wells of the Ozark uplift.. 155

3gation of the zinc and lead deposits of the Joplin region............ 157

Conditions in Paleozoic time...................................... 157

Presence of zinc, lead, and copper in the rocks of the Ozark region... 157

Selective solution of the metals in the crystalline rocks............... 158

Selective precipitation of the metals in disseminated condition in the

limestones forming on the sea floor............................... 158

Uplift near close of Paleozoic time.................................. 159

Erosion of Pennsylvanian shale and establishment of artesian circulation. ........................................................... 159

Character of the ground water of the region.......................... 159

Selective solution of the metallic sulphides disseminated in the dolomites and limestones of the central Ozark region and their transportation and segregation by the waters of the artesian circulation...... 160

Summary........................................................ 161
CONTENTS. ' 5

Page. 

Review of collateral corroborative evidence................................ 162

Items of the evidence. ............................................*..... 162

Reservoir sediments.................................................. 162

Results of analyses............................................... 162

Physical state of the transported metals............................. 166

Suspended or colloidal particles................................ 166

Wind-blown particles......................................... 168

Deductions from analyses showing metallic content and ratios of the 

metals in rocks, reservoir sediments, and ores..................... 169

Rate of deposition of zinc in reservoir sediments..................... . 173

Place relations of the zinc, lead, copper, iron, nickel, and cobalt deposits 

to the pre-Cambrian nucleus and to the post-Carboniferous center of the 

Ozark uplift........................................................ 173

Association of the ores with dolomite and jasperoid...................... 178

Relations of the metals to the gangue minerals...................... 178

Occurrence and formation of jasperoid............................. 179

Siliceous replacement of limestone................................. 180

R61e of colloidal silica in the formation of jasperoid................. 181

Occurrence and formation of dolomite............................. 183

Dolomite and jasperoid in the Aspen district, Colo............:..... 184

Spring deposits at Sulphur Springs, Ark............................. 185

Microscopic examination of deposits of sulphur springs, by H. E. 

Merwin.................................................... 186

Comparison of action of surface and artesian waters in relation to the formation of jasperoid and dolomite................................. 187

Absence of dolomite and jasperoid in Mississippian rocks beneath the 

Pennsylvanian in other regions.;................................ 191

Conclusion........................................................ 192

Relation of the Joplin ore deposits to the Chattanooga shale.............. 193

Ore deposits at the horizon of the Chattanooga shale................... 193

Absence of ore deposits, dolomite, and jasperoid above the Chattanooga 

shale where that formation is continuous......................... 196

Presence of ore, dolomite, and jaaperoid along the Seneca fault within 

the area underlain by the Chattanooga shale...................... 197

Heavier ore deposits at the northern margin of the Chattanooga shale. 198 

Distribution of mining districts in a circle concentric with the inner edge 

of the Pennsylvanian shale.......................................... 200

Lead and zinc deposits at great depths................................. 202

Ore deposits beneath Pennsylvanian shale.............................. 203

Bitumen at the base of the Pennsylvanian shale ........................ 205

The Pleasanton circle................................................. 206

Galena and sphalerite in Louisiana salt mounds.......................... 208

Lead and zinc deposits associated with other geanticlinal uplifts and 

marginal slopes of the central valley of the United States.............. 211

Deposits in uplifted areas in the central valley..................... 211

General conditions in the uplifted areas........................ 211

Wisconsin uplift.............................................. 211

Cincinnati uplift........ ^......................... 1.......... 212

Nashville uplift.............................................. 212

Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district............................ 213

Ouachita uplift................................................ 217

Arbuckle Mountain uplift....................................... 217

Llano uplift.................................................. 218
6 CONTENTS.

Review of collateral corroborative evidence Continued. Page. 

Lead and zinc deposits associated with other geanticlinal uplifts and 

marginal slopes of the central valley of the United States Continued. 

Deposits of lead and zinc associated with the eastern marginal slope of

the central valley.............................................. 218

Tennessee.................................................... 218

Virginia..................................................... 219

Pennsylvania................................................. 220

New York................................................... 222

Canada...................................................... 223

General occurrence of the ores in breccias.............................. 223

Constant inflow of mine water.......................................... 225

Noncorroborative evidence................................................. 229

Vertical order of the sulphides.......................................... 229

Vertical arrangement of lead, zinc, and iron sulphides in general..... 229

Vertical order shown by chronologic record of mine output of openground deposits................................................. 529

Vertical order of galena ar>d sphalerite in cavities in the sheet ground. 235

Vertical order of galena and sphalerite in cavities in the open ground. 237

Ore bodies in breccia-filled cavities................................ 238

Vertical order of ore bodies beneath the Pennsylvanian shale......... 239

Lateral order of sulphides in sheet ground near the '' Cornfield Bar ".. 240

Diffusion a greater factor than direction of flow..................... 241

Attempt to reproduce the vertical order experimentally in a quiescent

solution........................................... 1............. 241

Conclusion........................................................ 242

Synthesis of iron and zinc sulphides.................................... 243

Quantitative tests of the artesian-circulation theory.......................... 248

Sufficiency of source................................................... 248

Sufficiency of time for ore segregation.................................. 249

Dilution of connate water.............................................. 251

Enrichment.............................................................. 253

Extent of enrichment in the Joplin district............................. 253

Kesidual enrichment................................................. 255

Oxide enrichment.................................................... 255

Sulphide enrichment................................................. 256

Processes involved................................................ 256

Greenockite films................................................. 256

Galena films..................................................... 257

Covellite films.................................................... 258

Wurtzite crystals and stalactitic sphalerite......................... 258

Conclusion........................................................ 264

Impoverishment.......................................................... 265

Practical bearing of theories of origin on exploitation of the deposits.......... 266

Importance of the subject.............................................. 266

Occurrence of ore beneath marginal Pennsylvanian shale ............... 266

Occurrence of ore above the Chattanooga shale......".................... 267

Occurrence of ore at the level of the Chattanooga shale.................. 268

Occurrence of ore in Kinderhook rocks.................................. 268

Occurrence of deep deposits of ore...................................... 269

Possibility of igneous origin of the ores................................. 269

Summary................................................................ 271

Index.................................................................... 275
ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. 

PLATE I. Generalized topographic map of the Ozark uplift................... 22

II. Geologic cross sections of the Ozark uplift........................ 24

III. Geologic map of the Ozark uplift showing mining camps and reservoirs from which zinc and lead bearing sediments were obtained.. 26

IV. Map showing deformation of southwestern half of the Ozark uplift

and location of flowing artesian wells........................... 36

V. Specimens of sphalerite and galena etched from beneath a crust of

marcasite and pyrite........................................... 44

VI. At Specimen of jasperoid showing fine banding; B, Specimen of

crystallized chalcopyrite with parallel orientation on sphalerite, 

from cavity in the sheet ground................................ 172

VII. Map showing distribution of the metals about the Ozark uplift...... 176

VIII. A, Micrograph of jasperoid, showing sphalerite and dolomite; B,

Micrograph of limestone beginning to alter to jasperoid........... 178

I.. Chart of drill holes on the Granby Mining & Smelting Co.'s land at

Granby,- Mo.................................................. 194

X. Sketch map showing direction of artesian flow in the western part of

the Ozark uplift................'.............................. 198

XI. Map showing relation of lead and zinc deposits of the eastern half of 

the United States to uplifts and marginal slopes and to bordering 

shale formations................................................ 202

FIGURE 1. Diagram showing artesian circulation........................... 34

2. Diagram showing early stage in Ozark artesian circulation........ 35

3. Diagram "showing later stage in Ozark artesian circulation......... 35

4. Diagram showing still later stage in Ozark artesian circulation..... 36

5. Diagram showing late stage in Ozark artesian circulation.......... 37

6. Map of Kentucky showing location of zinc-bearing wells and springs. 93

7. Diagram showing solution, dissemination, and precipitation of

metals in Joplin region........................................ 161

8. Cross section of Belle Isle, La.................................. 208

9. Diagram representing the adsorption concentration curve before

and after precipitation in breccias............................. 224

10. Diagram showing vertical distribution of galena and sphalerite in

the original ore deposits.........................'............. 231

11. Diagrammatic reworked ore body showing vertical distribution of

galena and sphalerite after erosion and solution of upper deposits. 233

12. Sketch illustrating occurrence of "pockets" or cavities in the sheet

ground and the relation of galena and sphalerite in the cavities.. 235

13. Section of a cavity in sheet ground at the Underwriters' Land Co.'s

Yellow Dog mine, Webb City, Mo............................ 236

14. Galena over sphalerite in cavity in the Argosy mine, Spring City,

Mo......................................................... 238

15. Galena .over spalerite in the Halloweer^mine, Spring City, Mo.... 238

16. Manner of occurrence of the ores in the Kuby Trust mine, Granby,

Mo......................................................... 239

7

PREFACE.

By F. L. RANSOME.

The author of the present report has been studying the zinc and 

lead deposits of the Joplin region for the last 12 years, although his 

work has not lain continuously in that field. His knowledge of these 

deposits is consequently both intimate and extensive. It is usual in 

presenting the results of an investigation to publish with the conclusions all the facts upon which the conclusions rest. Mr. Siebenthal 

has not followed this plan. Having reached definite decisions on the 

question of how the ores were deposited, he has deemed it best to put 

these decisions and the significant facts on which they are based in 

form for immediate publication. A full presentation of his evidence 

will require an account of the general geology of the region, with 

detailed descriptions of local tracts and individual mines. The preparation of this descriptive material, which must necessarily include 

many maps and illustrations, will require considerable tune and some 

additional field work. The data will be published as a volume 

supplementary to the present report.

The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley are not only of 

great economic importance, but have long been intensely interesting 

to students of ore deposits. They constitute a conspicuous example 

of the occurrence of sulphide ores in a region where, so far as can be 

determined, plutonic or volcanic activities can have had no part in 

their genesis.

Naturally the Joplin deposits have been much studied, and Mr. 

Siebenthal, on pages 39-41 of the present bulletin, has summarized the 

views of his predecessors, among whom have been some very able 

workers in economic geology. As he shows, there is not an important 

formation in the region that has not, at one time or another, been 

regarded as a source of ore constituents. Under these circumstances 

it was scarcely to be expected that he would add to the number of 

more or less reasonable hypotheses that had already been suggested 

or developed in explanation of the origin of these ores. His particular 

opportunity was that of testing these hypotheses by careful consideration of a larger body of facts than was available to earlier workers, of 

discovering new evidence in these facts, and, by processes of elimination, selection, and combination, of building up a consistent theory 

of genesis for the ore deposits of the Joplin type.
10 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Mr. Siebenthal has succeeded well in his undertaking. In his 

thorough discussion of the artesian" circulation, of the zinc and lead 

contents of the deep waters, and of the chemistry of the ore-depositing 

solutions he has brought new and important evidence to the support 

of his conclusions. Time alone can show whether these conclusions, 

in their entirety, are final and whether the relative effects of deposition 

by ascending and enrichment by descending currents have been truly 

estimated. But there can. be no doubt that Mr. Siebenthal's careful 

observation and cogent reasoning have gone far to establish on a firm 

foundation the general conclusion that ordinary cold artesian water 

may under some circumstances be a very efficient agent in the solution, transportation, and deposition of the constituents of certain 

sulphide ores.
OUTLINE OF THE ORIGIN OF THE ZINC AND LEAD 

DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

GEOGRAPHY.

The Joplin region is one of four metalliferous areas bordering the 

Ozark uplif t, which is a low asymmetric dome with rudely elliptical 

outline, lying in southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, southeastern 

Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. The other areas are the central Missouri region, the southeastern Missouri disseminated lead 

region, and the northern Arkansas region.

The uplift as a whole is bounded by long, low northern and western 

slopes and by an abrupt southern slope. The surrounding plains 

have a general altitude of 500 to 750 feet above sea level. The 

Boston Mountains form a long, narrow plateau rising to 2,000 feet 

near and parallel to the southern border of the uplift. The center of 

the uplift has an elevation of about 1,700 feet. The St. Francis 

Mountains, the crystalline nucleus of the uplift, near its eastern 

border, also have an elevation of about 1,700 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Structurally the uplift is a broad geanticline in which the strata 

have no perceptible inclination except at the southern margin, where 

the Boston Mountains break off into a southerly dipping monocline. 

Superimposed upon the uplift are quaquaversal domes, of which the 

principal one is in the region of the St. Francis Mountains.

In the early history of the Ozark region parts of the crystalline 

rocks of the St. Francis Mountains were islands in an archipelago, 

and their erosion furnished the material that formed the Cambrian 

and Ordovician sandstones, which, with that which formed the 

associated dolomitic limestones, was spread out over Missouri and 

the adjacent States east, south, and west. Silurian limestones and 

shales were laid down on the southern and northeastern margin of 

the Ozark region, but apparently in all the western part of the 

region there was no Silurian sedimentation. During Devonian 

time limestone was deposited on the northern and eastern borders 

of the region and sandstone on the southern border. The principal 

Devonian formation of interest in connection with the ore deposits 

is the Chattanooga shale, which underlies a large triangular area in 

northwestern Arkansas, southwestern Missouri, and northeastern

11
12 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

Oklahoma. After the close of the Devonian period the Ozark region 

was submerged and the Mississippian limestones were laid down 

over probably the whole area. An elevation and a period of erosion 

followed, during which the limestone land developed a sinkhole or 

"karst" topography. This land was in turn submerged and upon 

its irregular, bowldery, cherty surface was laid down a series of 

shales and sandstones of Pennsylvanian age. It is in this basal 

breccia that much of the "broken" or "confused-ground" ore 

deposits are found. Until the close of Pennsylvanian time the crystalline area of the St. Francis Mountains was the structural and 

stratigraphic nucleus of the Ozark region. At the close of the Carboniferous period the Ozark region was upraised almost to its present 

height, the highest place coinciding closely with the geographic 

center. The uplifted area has since been subjected to minor 

warping only.

UNDERGROUND CIRCULATION.

When the covering of Pennsylvanian shale and Mississippian 

limestone had been eroded from the crest of the uplift the sandstones and dolomitic limestones of the Cambrian and Ordovician 

were exposed. As these rocks dip away on all sides and are overlain 

on the flanks of the uplift by impervious shale the conditions essential 

to artesian flow were fulfilled and an artesian circulation was consequently developed, with intake area at the central portion of the 

uplift, flow down the sides of the dome in sandy layers and between 

the limestone strata, and ascending discharge at the inner margin 

of the Pennsylvanian shale. As erosion removed the shale from 

more and more of the dome the radial artesian circulation lengthened 

and spread until the present conditions were established.

The quality of the water now in circulation is known from analysis 

of waters from deep wells, but as the water has been in circulation 

for a long period it must have undergone considerable change in its 

quality. The water in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks beneath 

the Pennsylvanian shale adjacent to the uplift is largely connate 

and should therefore better represent that of the original circulation 

than does the present artesian water in the interior of the uplift. A 

study of the analyses of waters from the deep wells in the Pennsylvanian area bordering the uplift in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma 

shows that they are alkaline-saline, with chlorides predominating 

and with high magnesium content, and that they contain free carbon 

dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. The original water of the Ozark 

circulation must have been similar. The analyses also show that the 

waters of many of the deep wells exterior to the uplift contain 

traces or weighable quantities of zinc, which precipitates as the 

sulphide on standing in a reservoir.
OUTLINE OF ORIGIN OF THE ORES. 13 

SEGREGATION OF THE ORES.

The large-quantity analyses made by J. D. Robertson show that 

the pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks of the St. Francis Mountains, the' 

Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites, and the Mississippian limestone 

all contain notable* proportions of lead, zinc, and copper. Waters 

charged with carbon dioxide dissolve the sulphides of the metals as 

bicarbonates with the evolution of hydrogen sulphide, according to 

this reaction:

ZnS + 2H20 + 2C02 = Zn(HC03 ) 2 + H2S

The underground water in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks, 

charged with carbon dioxide, coming in contact with the disseminated sulphides, dissolved them and liberated hydrogen sulphide. 

The solution containing the dissolved metals and the free hydrogen 

sulphide moved on down the side of the dome to the inner margin 

of the Pennsylvanian shales, where it rose to the surface. In the 

open, broken cavernous ground in the Mississippian limestones at 

the base of the Pennsylvanian shales the solutions came nearly to 

rest and the carbon dioxide escaped from its union with the metals, 

which were precipitated as sulphides by the hydrogen sulphide yet 

remaining in the solution. Though this was one of the simplest and 

probably the chief method of solution, transportation, and deposition 

of the metals, they may have been carried in part as sulphates, chlorides, sulphides, hydrosulphides, or carbonates, and the zinc may have 

been carried as zincate or sulphozincate. The metals were in some 

places precipitated as carbonates or silicates by reaction with the 

wall rock. Some ore has doubtless been segregated from the Mississippian limestone, but for reasons stated below it is believed that 

the greater part of the metals was drawn from the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks.

COLLATERAL CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE.

Items of the evidence. In addition to the kinds of evidence set 

forth in some detail below the report presents several others which 

there is not here space to give at length, among which are the occurrence of the mining camps in a circle bordering the inner margin of 

the Pennsylvanian shale, the occurrence of galena and sphalerite at 

great depths, the general occurrence of the ore in breccias, the 

occurrence of galena and sphalerite in a Louisiana salt mound, and 

the occurrence of lead and zinc ores in the Pleasanton circle.

Reservoir sediments. Twenty-one samples of reservoir or tank 

sediment deposited from waters of fifteen different deep wells, most 

of them in the Pennsylvanian area of Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, adjacent to the Joplin region, were analyzed and zinc was
14 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN BEGION.

found in 18 samples, lead in 17 samples, and copper in 15 samples. 

The following gives the average ratio of zinc to lead in the rocks 

analyzed by Robertson, the average ratio of zinc to lead in the 

reservoir samples, and the ratio of zinc to lead in the total ore mined 

in the Joplin region from 1907 to 1913, inclusive:

Average ratio of zinc to lead in rocks, sediments, and ores.

Pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks..........................................1:0.440

Mississippian limestones................................................. 1:1.107

Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites..................................... 1:0.224

Reservoir sediments..................................................... 1:0.211

Total ore mined from 1907 to 1913, inclusive............................. 1: 0.229

The thesis of this report is that the ores were derived from the 

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks and deposited by an ascending 

artesian circulation of alkaline-saline waters containing free carbon 

dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. The metals of the reservoir sediments were certainly so derived. The close correspondence of the 

ratios of zinc to lead in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks, in the 

sediments and in the ores, taken together with their discrepant ratios 

in the crystalline rocks and in the Mississippian limestones, strongly 

implies the common origin of the ores and the sediments.

Four analyses were made of sediment that had accumulated in the 

course of a year in the reservoirs of the Pittsburg, Kans., waterworks. From these analyses it is calculated that there was deposited 

in these reservoirs during the year 8| pounds of zinc sulphide. However, this was a very small part of the zinc contained in the known 

total water pumped into the reservoir. According to the average of 

two analyses, the water contains one-half of 1 part per million of zinc. 

This would make a total of 1,600 pounds of zinc, equivalent to 2,400 

pounds of zinc sulphide, in the water pumped in the course of a year.

Place relations of the metals. Gottschalk and Buehler have shown 

that the sulphides of the metals, arranged in pairs in moistened contact, exhibit differences of electric potential, and that the mineral 

showing the lower potential is dissolved, while the other is unaffected. 

The results of their experiments throw much light on the distribution 

of the metals about the Ozark uplift. The nickel and cobalt ores of 

Missouri occur near the crystalline nucleus, and the copper ores occur 

along with these and also a little farther from the nucleus. The iron 

ores, which have been derived from sulphide deposits, occur chiefly 

in a circle about the crystalline nucleus. The greatest deposits of 

lead are not far from the nucleus, and all the central part of the 

uplift has produced more lead than zinc. The region that has produced more zinc than lead forms a zone around the margin of the 

uplift.

If the metallic sulphides are finely disseminated through the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, particles of different sulphides must
OUTLINE OF ORIGIN OF THE OEES. 15

at many places be in contact. Under such conditions the ground 

water will dissolve first the sulphide of lowest potential, while the 

sulphides not in contact will go into solution hi the order of their 

solubility. As a result, the solution of sphalerite will be greater than 

that of galena and the solution of both greater than that of copper, 

and so on through the scale. And so, if the metals have been derived 

from the crystalline rocks and from the Cambrian and Ordovician 

limestones, we should expect to find, as we do in fact find, that the 

copper, iron, nickel, and cobalt remain near the nucleus, that lead lies 

near the nucleus and in the center of the uplift generally, and that 

zinc is deposited around the margin.

It follows that the more recent circulation should carry more 

copper and iron than the earlier. In consonance with this reasoning, 

we find that chalcopyrite and pyrites are the latest minerals of the 

ore deposits, and that there is considerably more copper in the 

reservoir sediments in proportion to the zinc than there is in the 

Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, and much more than there is 

in the ores.

Association of the ores with jasperoid and dolomite. The principal 

gangue minerals and rocks associated with the ores are calcite, dolomite, and jasperoid, the latter a siliceous rock formed by the metasomatic replacement of limestone. Calcite might easily have been 

derived from the wall rock of Mississippian limestone, but as that 

rock contains but little magnesium, that element would have to be 

greatly concentrated to form dolomite. The relations of the jasperoid, dolomite, and ores show that all three were derived from 

the same solution. The deep-well waters of the region, derived 

from the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites, contain much more 

magnesium in proportion to the calcium than do the waters derived 

from the Mississippian limestones or from the Pennsylvanian shale, 

though they contain less silica. The deep-well waters resemble sea 

water, which is the most common agent of dolomitization. These 

waters are therefore probably the agents of dolomitization and siliceous replacement, as well as of mineralization.

Relation of ore deposits to Chattanooga shale. Throughout the area 

underlain by the unbroken sheet of Chattanooga shale there are no 

deposits of ore, dolomite, or jasperoid. On the other hand, along the 

course of the Seneca fault, northeast and southwest of Seneca, Mo.> 

there are deposits of ore, dolomite, and jasperoid as far as 8 or 10 

miles within the area underlain by the shale, the solutions having 

ascended through the fault zone.

The Chattanooga shale caps the southwestern axial prolongation 

of the Ozark uplift. The water of the Cambrian-Ordovician circulation, which flows southwestward down the axis, finds itself 

impounded beneath this shale cap and can escape only by flowing to 

the lateral margins of the shale, where it can rise into the Mississippian
16 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION".

limestone above. The area underlain by the shale north of the axis 

is larger than that so underlain south of the axis, and, moreover, the 

north edge of the shale and the outlet are at a lower elevation than 

the south edge; hence most of the flow and the larger territory to 

be leached of its metals is north of the axis. The district between 

the north edge of the Chattanooga shale and the inner margin of 

the Pennsylvanian shale is therefore favored by two circulations, 

the one from beneath the shale to the south and the other the direct 

circulation from the center of the dome. It is significant that the 

principal mining camps of the Joplin region are hi this district.

Ore and bitumen beneath the Pennsylvanian shale. The lead and 

zinp deposits at Miami, Okla., lie beneath 40 to 220 feet of Pennsylvanian shale. The ore and the wall rocks at places contain much 

bitumen, and the mine waters are charged with hydrogen sulphide. 

Ore deposits are found also in Kansas, north of Miami and several 

miles west of the eastern margin of the Pennsylvanian shale. Ore 

has been struck in drilling deep wells in Kansas many miles from the 

border of this shale. The mine waters charged with hydrogen sulphide are similar to the deep-well waters. The bitumen is interpreted as the residue of an oil that has lost the lighter saturated 

hydrocarbons by fractionation in contact with shale. The fact that 

this residue was left at the base of the shale indicates that the lighter 

hydrocarbons escaped upward. The ore solutions can not have 

been descending because the shale is impervious and practically no 

surface water penetrates the mines. The mine waters, the bitumen, 

and the ore deposits are therefore in accord in indicating ascending 

currents.

Constant inflow of mine waters. In the Miami district the deposits 

are overlain by a thick, practically impervious cover of Pennsylvanian 

shale, as noted above. The region is nearly flat, and precautions are 

taken to prevent surface waters from entering the shafts. The quantity of mine water is remarkably uniform and is entirely without 

seasonal variation, increasing only with increase of depth and extension of mining. The character of the water, as noted above, indicates 

its deep-seated origin, which is further shown by the regularity of 

supply. Without doubt there is similar deep-seated water in the 

other camps of the region, but its character has been masked by the 

larger influx of surface waters.

Geographic association of lead and zinc deposits of the eastern part of 

the United States with geanticlinal uplifts and marginal slopes. In 

the central valley of the United States, in addition to the Ozark 

uplift with its four marginal mining districts, there are several areas 

of low, flat uplift which offer the requisite structural conditions for 

an artesian circulation, and the marginal slopes of all these uplifts are 

marked by lead and zinc deposits. In the Wisconsin uplift of the
OUTLINE OF ORIGIN OF THE ORES. 17

upper Mississippi Valley region the lead and zinc deposits lie around 

the inner margin of the Maquoketa shale. In the central part of the 

Cincinnati uplift, in Kentucky, there are numerous veins of galena 

with barite and fluorite gangue but without dolomite, and around 

its periphery there are small deposits of zinc ore. In the Nashville 

uplift, which is a southerly continuation of the Cincinnati uplift, the 

same general conditions prevail. Barite and fluorspar are common 

gangue minerals of the galena veins, but dolomite is absent.

In this report the suggestion is made that the lead and zinc ores 

of the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district have in part been derived 

from artesian circulating waters from the Cincinnati and Nashville 

uplifts, which passed beneath the Carboniferous rocks of western 

Tennessee and Kentucky and rose through the complicated faults of 

the low-lying fluorspar district. The central Kentucky well and 

spring waters are zinciferous, as is shown by a great number of 

analyses. The common occurrence of barite, the abundance of fluorspar, and the entire absence of dolomite show that these deposits are 

related to the veins of the Cincinnati and Nashville uplifts. On the 

other hand, the argentiferous character of the galena, the abundance 

of fluorspar, and the occurrence of igneous intrusions in the region 

suggest a connection between the ores and igneous activity. If this 

connection can be established, it would seem that there is in this 

region not a transition type of ore deposit but a juxtaposition of 

types one type due to normal artesian circulation and the other due 

to igneous action.

Ore deposits of minor importance occur on the flanks of theOuachita, 

Arbuckle, and Llano uplifts.

The lead and zinc deposits of eastern Tennessee and Virginia are 

associated with breccia zones in dolomitic limestones. The region 

is thrown into a series of long, parallel folds associated with thrust 

faults, so that artesian circulation transverse to these structures is 

necessarily limited. Nevertheless, Watson holds that the deposits 

of both Virginia and eastern Tennessee are the result of an ascending 

circulation of slight vertical extent, and Purdue expresses a similar 

view concerning the Tennessee deposits.

Scattered deposits in Pennsylvania, New York, and Canada lie for 

the most part in structural basins or on marginal slopes and are in 

such position that they seem to be the result of a local artesian 

circulation.

NONCORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE.

Vertical order of the sulphides. In the ores first mined in the Joplin

region, which were naturally those nearest the surface, galena largely

predominated. In-any soft-ground mine the ore of which reaches

into the zone of oxidation galena is invariably the predominant

84551° Bull. 606 15 2
18 ZING AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

mineral in the upper ground. In a deposit in open, cavernous ground 

below the zone of oxidation galena is generally in excess of sphalerite 

in the upper part of the ore body and sphalerite is in excess in the 

lower part, the iron sulphide increasing toward the bottom of the 

deposit. These facts led Van Hise and Bain to conclude that the 

present ore bodies are the results of extensive erosion and downward 

sulphide enrichment. The same facts led Buckley and Buehler to 

decide that the deposits are primarily the result of descending solutions and that the vertical order represents simply the order of 

solubility of the sulphides.

The conclusion reached in the present report is that galena predominates near the surface or in the upper ground because the associated sphalerite has been leached away by reason of its greater solubility, and that the increased proportion of zinc in depth is due partly 

to the deposition as carbonate and silicate of the zinc removed in 

solution from the upper part of the ore body and partly to the deposition in depth as sulphide of the zinc removed in solution from distant 

ore bodies. It is believed that galena is found above sphalerite in 

cavities because it is the habit of the two minerals to crystallize out 

in that relation in cavities, and that this arrangement has no connection with the order of deposition of the sulphides in descending 

solutions. In fact, there can be no order of sulphide deposition by 

descending solutions where the precipitant is present in excess, and 

neither Bain nor Buckley and Buehler have postulated a lack of 

reducing solution.

Synthesis of iron and zinc sulphides. Dr. E. T. Alien and his associates of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution have 

shown that pyrite and sphalerite are deposited from both acid and 

alkaline solutions, but that marcasite and wurtzite are deposited 

from acid solutions only, and they have further found that the lower 

the temperature the less acid is required to yield a given quantity 

of marcasite or wurtzite. Crystallized pyrite but no marcasite is 

forming in sediment from the neutral or slightly alkaline water of 

the springs at Sulphur Springs, Ark. The sulphides of the Joplin 

region are galena, sphalerite, marcasite, and pyrite. Wurtzite has 

been reported in small crystals fron\a single mine, where it is undoubtedly secondary and probably has been deposited by a descending acid 

solution. Since, according to the experiments, marcasite is deposited 

only from acid solutions and sphalerite and pyrite may be deposited 

from such waters, it is* but natural to see reason in this for believing 

that the Joplin ores must have been deposited from acid solutions.

Dolomite and calcite are common gangue minerals, and the Joplin ores are so related to them as to show that they were deposited 

from the same solution. The association of marcasite with calcite,
OUTLINE OF ORIGIN" OF THE ORES. 19

dolomite, and limestone is so well known that Alien was obliged to 

conclude that marcasite may be precipitated from solutions no more 

acid than calcium bicarbonate solutions. The artesian circulation 

was of this general character, perhaps at times slightly alkaline or 

slightly acid, but did not vary far either way from neutral. The ore 

solutions were, therefore, not strongly acid.

QUANTITATIVE TESTS OF THE ARTESIAN THEORY CIRCULATION.

Sufficiency of the source. The total zinc content of ores in the 

Ozark region mined to the end of 1912 is approximately 3,250,000 

tons. For the purpose at hand we may allow as much more for 

future mining. As the losses in mining and milling in the Joplin 

district are about 50 per cent, this would give 13,000,000 tons as the 

original zinc content of ores mined and to be mined. We may allow 

twice as much more for the zinc in deposits which are too lean to 

work or which may never be discovered, making a total of 39,000,000 

tons of zinc that has probably been leached from the Cambrian and 

Ordovician limestones. By figuring the volume of the Cambrian 

and Ordovician dolomitic limes tones that might yield their metals 

to the artesian circulation and multiplying by the average metal 

content shown by Robertson's large-quantity analyses we find that the 

possible supply is more than a thousand times the total given above.

Sufficiency of time for the ore segregation. Using as factors the 

volume and porosity of the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites and 

the average zinc content of the circulation as determined from 

analyses of deep-well waters from Pittsburg, Kans., and Claremore, 

Okla., we get a zinc content of 3,000,000 tons in the water contained 

in the pores and interstices of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks 

of the dome inside the Pennsylvanian border. To transport 39,000,000 

tons of zinc the pore water would require to be changed 13 times. 

The average radial path pursued down the dome is about 60 miles, 

so that the total distance traveled would be 780 miles. By Slichter's 

formula we may calculate the rate of flow down the dome through 

the St. Peter sandstone as about 6.8 feet per year. Taking 5 feet as 

a fan: rate and allowing for the expansion of the artesian area by 

erosion of the shale, we find that the time required to change the 

pore water 13 times would be 1,600,000 years, which is apparently 

not in excess of the time actually available.

Dilution of connate water. If salt water be diluted to twice its 

'volume 13 tunes in succession the solution will have only -^^ of its 

original strength. When the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks were 

laid down in the sea the pore spaces were filled with sea water. If, 

as seems true, these rocks were never exposed to general subaerial 

erosion until the elevation of the Ozark uplift and the removal of
20 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

*

the Pennsylvanian and Mississippian formations, then the 13 changes 

of pore water should start with a solution having about the constitution of ocean water. If we divide the mineral content of ocean 

water as found by Dittmar by 8,192, and compare the result with the 

average mineral content of 13 deep-well waters in the Joplin area, 

we find that the well waters have 9 times enough of the alkali metals, 

290 times enough of the alkaline-earth metals, 3 times enough of 

chlorine, and 44 times enough of sulphate. The diluting waters naturally add alkaline earths and sulphate, and possibly a little of the 

alkali metals and chlorine, but the fact that the alkali metals and the 

chlorine agree so well with the calculated dilution of -g^-j seems to 

indicate that the calculated dilution of the connate pore water was 

about of the order indicated.

ENRICHMENT.

Though difference of opinion exists as to the extent of sulphide 

enrichment, there is no question that residual enrichment and oxide 

enrichment have contributed greatly to the value of many of the 

ore bodies of the district. In residual concentration the ore body is 

enriched by the solution and removal of the more soluble constituents, whether metals or gangue. Galena, owing to its greater resistance to weathering and solution, has been more generally so enriched, 

but for the same reason the oxidized ores cerusite, smithsonite, and 

calamine have also been enriched by this method, which doubtless 

was an important agency in the formation of the rich shallow deposits 

that were worked in the early days of mining.

Owing to the prevailing geologic conditions of transportation and 

deposition of the metals in the district, it is exceedingly difficult to * 

distinguish in general between primary and secondary deposits. 

Nevertheless undoubtedly secondary sulphides have been recognized 

in the district. These are greenockite films upon ore minerals and 

gangue below the water level, galena and covellite films upon and 

penetrating sphalerite along cleavage planes, and stalactitic sphalerite 

with intergrown galena, surmounted by small wurtzite crystals. As 

a whole the recognizable secondary enrichment is inconsiderable.
ORIGIN OF THE ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE 

JOPLIN REGION, MISSOURI, KANSAS, AND OKLAHOMA.

By C. E. SlEBENTHAL.

INTRODUCTION.

FIELD WORK.

The writer spent the field season of 1902-3 as assistant to W. S. T. 

Smith in a geologic survey of the Joplin district, concerning himself 

chiefly with the stratigraphy and the structure. The results of that 

survey were published in the United States Geological Survey's Joplin 

district geologic folio (No. 148). During the field season of 1906-7 

he was employed in a geologic survey of the Wyandotte quadrangle, 

adjoining on the southwest the area covered by the Joplin district and 

lying partly in Missouri but mostly in Oklahoma. A short season in 

1910 was spent in a further investigation of the ore deposits of the 

Wyandotte quadrangle and in a study of some of the deeper deposits 

at Joplin. Another short season, in 1913, was spent on the ore deposits of the Wyandotte quadrangle, particularly in studying the recent 

developments at Miami.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

It is not easy to give credit in exact measure to each source of 

assistance where everything known to the writer as bearing on the 

subject has been laid under contribution. It is believed that the 

responsibility for the various parts of the Joplin folio is made clear 

therein. The ideas of artesian circulation set forth in that report 

are reiterated in this paper. The writer regards as original to this 

paper, first, the recognition of the limits of the Chattanooga shale and 

the consequence thereof upon the artesian circulation; second, the 

theoretical linking together, as deposited -by artesian circulating 

waters, of the lead and zinc deposits with the iron deposits of the 

central uplift region; and third, the discovery of the general occurrence of lead and zinc in the artesian waters of the bordering Pennsylvanian rocks and the sediments deposited from those waters. 

He hopes that something has been added to the knowledge of the 

chemistry of lead and zinc solutions by the experimental work herein 

recorded, and that the large collection of analyses of zinc-bearing

21
22 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

waters, together with their characterization and discussion, will be 

useful.

In the chemical part of the paper the author has received much 

help which it is a pleasure to acknowledge. Prof. W. George Waring, 

of Webb City, Mo., made several analyses of waters and a number of 

analyses of reservoir sediments especially for this paper and furnished 

copies of many other analyses of waters and ores of the district, made 

in the course of his professional work. Prof. A. M. Peter, of the 

Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station, contributed the section 

of this bulletin entitled " Zinc in Kentucky waters," and his work has 

.been further used in the tables of analyses. Prof. W. P. Headden, 

of the Colorado Agricultural College, furnished several analyses, some 

unpublished, of zinc-bearing waters of Colorado. Prof. E. H. S. 

Bailey furnished notes on the artesian water at Pittsburg, Kans. 

Prof. H. A. Buehler, State geologist of Missouri, kindly furnished the 

laboratory results of four analyses appearing in a chapter by the late 

Dr. E. R. Buckley in "Types of ore deposits." - Mr. George L. Heath, 

chemist of the Calumet & Hecla Smelting Works, furnished analyses 

of underground waters in the deep copper mines of Michigan. Dr. 

H. E. Merwin, of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution, furnished the note on the microscopic study of the sediments of 

the springs at Sulphur Springs, Ark., which is incorporated in this 

bulletin, and together withDr. E. T. Alien, of the same institution, has 

conferred with the writer regarding the precipitation of the sulphides 

of the metals.

Mr. Chase Palmer and Mr. Herman Stabler, of the United States 

Geological Survey, as responsible authors of the scheme of interpretation of water analyses herein adopted, have been freely consulted, 

and in particular Mr. Palmer has been a constant source of help in 

the study of the chemistry of the ore solutions. Mr. Roger C. Wells, 

of the United States Geological Survey, made the experimental 

studies of the solubility of sphalerite in the presence of calcite appearing herein and has given generously of his time to helpful discussion of the problems touching the side of physical chemistry. 

Mr. E. C. Sullivan, while connected with the United States Geological 

Survey, made the determinations of the relative solubilities of the 

bicarbonates of lead and zinc as compared with the carbonates of 

those metals.

The laborious and tedious task of recalculating the large number 

of water analyses to the geochemical form has been conscientiously 

performed by Mrs. Marion L. Clark.

Among those who furnished analyses, samples of water, or samples of sediment are Messrs. J. N. Wells and Benjamin Cuthbertson, 

superintendents of the Pittsburg Water Supply Co., Pittsburg, Kans.; 

J. P. Gooch, superintendent of waterworks at Vinita, Okla.; W. T.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN 606 PLATE I

GENERALIZED TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE OZARK UPLIFT.

Contour interval 250 feet.
THE OZABK UPLIFT. 23

Whitaker, of Pryor Creek, Okla.; F. H. Hawkins, superintendent, of 

waterworks at Columbus, Kans.; J. T. Marsh, manager of the Clinton 

Light & Power Co., Clinton, Mo.; W. E. Blackwell, chief engineer of 

Af ton waterworks, Af ton, Okla.; L. C. Church, Miami, Okla.; Charles 

Strong, chief engineer at State Hospital No. 1, Fulton, Mo.; D. K. 

Greger, Fulton, Mo.; W. J. Warner, manager of the Belcher Water 

Bath & Hotel Co., St. Louis, Mo.; W. 0. Buck, superintendent of 

United States Fish Hatchery, N.eosho, Mo.; C. E. Wells, Sulphur 

Springs, Ark.; R. D. Silver, St. Charles, Mo.; C. J. Light, Lanagan, 

Mo.; and others.

THE OZABK UPLIFT. '

GEOGRAPHY.

The Ozark uplift is a low asymmetric dome with rudely elliptical 

outline, lying in southern Missouri, northern Arkansas, southeastern 

Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. It is roughly bounded on the 

north and northeast by Missouri and Mississippi rivers, on the west 

by Spring and Neosho (Grand) rivers, on the west and south by 

Arkansas River, and on the southeast by Black River and some of 

its tributaries. To the north and west it merges into. the Prairie 

Plains; to the east and southeast it passes into the low-lying Gulf 

Coastal Plain; on the south it is separated from the Ouachita Mountains by the valley of Arkansas River. The uplift as a whole is a 

table-land bounded by long, low northern and western slopes whose 

inclination is generally imperceptible to the eye, and for much of 

its extent by an abrupt southern slope facing the open valley of 

Arkansas River. Near and parallel to its southern margin the 

uplift culminates topographically in the Boston Mountains, a long, 

narrow plateau rising to an elevation of 2,000 feet. The plains that 

surround the uplift have a general altitude of 500 to 750 feet. The 

central portion of the Ozarks is an upland lying somewhat below 

the crest of tho Boston Mountains. These features are well shown 

in the accompanying generalized topographic sketch map (PL I).

The erosional forms throughout most of this area are those characteristic of an early mature topography in "a region of nearly flatbedded rocks of varying degrees of hardness, the dip of which differs 

but slightly from the general surface slope. The entire northern 

slope of the uplift consists of a succession of broad plateaus. Over 

much of the region, especially the northern and western slopes, 

these broad uplands are cut by moderately shallow, open valleys, 

whose depth does not exceed a few hundred feet. Toward the south 

and east the dissection is greater, the forms are more rugged, and the 

plateau character is somewhat less evident, especially near the east 

end of the Boston Mountains. The drainage of the uplift is radial, 

many streams flowing outward to the marginal rivers. Of these 

streams Spring River is the largest in the Joplin region.
24 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

AREAL GEOLOGY.

Pre-Cambrian rocks. Van Hise and Leith 1 describe the pre-Cambrian rocks of southeastern Missouri as pre-Cambrian islands surrounded by Cambrian sediments. The pre-Cambrian system consists 

mainly of granites, felsites, porphyries, and porphyritic breccias. 

At Pilot Knob and in the adjacent area are found water-deposited 

rocks which comprise porphyry conglomerates, fine-grained beds 

of the same character, and well-bedded iron ores and ferruginous 

slates. The porphyry sediments and the iron-bearing rocks are 

interbedded in such a way as to suggest a deposition under water 

of nonfragmental iron-formation material similar to that in the Lake 

Superior region, this deposition being interrupted by the accumulation of volcanic material which itself was to a considerable extent 

worked over by water. The iron ores found at Iron Mountain occur 

largely as great irregular masses and veins in the porphyry and may 

be of different origin. The relations of the pre-Cambrian sedimentary rocks to the massive granites and porphyries are not known. 

The unaltered horizontal Paleozoic rocks rest on the deeply eroded 

crystalline rocks, the conglomerates adjacent to Pilot Knob and 

Iron Mountain containing numerous bowlders of iron ore.

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. The oldest Cambrian formation 

in southeastern Missouri is the Lamotte sandstone, which is the 

basal formation overlying the crystalline rocks in the disseminated 

lead district. The lower part of the formation is conglomeratic, 

containing pebbles and bowlders of the pre-Cambrian crystallines. 

The Lamotte sandstone occupies the depressions in the higher portions of the pre-Cambrian nucleus and also in the basins dipping away 

from it. This sandstone in depth holds water under strong artesian pressure, so that in drilling in the mines care is taken to avoid 

penetrating it, and when it is penetrated the holes are plugged to 

prevent the artesian flow from rising into the mines. Overlying the 

Lamotte sandstone is the dolomitic Bonneterre limestone, in the 

lower part of which the disseminated lead ores are chiefly found. 

In the shaly beds of transition from the Lamotte sandstone below 

to the Bonneterre limestone lead ore is also found; but here the 

galena is usually more or less mixed with the sulphides of iron, 

copper, nickel, and cobalt.

Above the Bonneterre limestone there are several other formations 

of dolomitic limestone, shale, and sandstone, among others the Potosi, 

Gasconade, Roubidoux, Jefferson City, St. Peter, Joachim, and 

Kimmswick formations, all belonging to the Cambrian and Ordovician systems. The St. Peter sandstone, of Ordovician age, is the

i Van Hise, C. R., and Leith, C. K., Pre-Cambrian geology of North America: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull 

360, pp. 740-741,1909.
pg

| Cedar Gap

{Ptneplarlt.

WkbbeRLver

> River

CurrerebBiver

---'c!r St. Francis Mtns. .
THE OZARK UPLIFT. . 25

uppermost of the three "Saccharoidal" sandstones of Swallow, which 

are shown in the structure sections (PI. II).

Silurian rocks. Formations of Silurian age are found on the southern and northeastern borders of the uplift, but they-are wanting in 

all the western part of the Ozark region and hence need not be here 

considered.

Devonian rocks. Limestones of Devonian age are found along the 

northeast quarter of the border of the uplift. On the southern 

border of the uplift there are interrupted outcrops of the phosphatebearing Sylamore sandstone member of the Chattanooga shale. The 

chief Devonian formation of interest hi connection with the ore 

deposits of the Joplin region is the Chattanooga shale. This formation underlies the Mississippian rocks and forms an apparently continuous sheet throughout that part of the uplift southwest of a line 

drawn through Granby and Cassville, Mo., and Eureka Springs, 

Ark., as shown by the stippled area on the map (PI. Ill), on which 

the heavy black line represents the outcrop of the shale and the 

light line represents its horizon where it is absent. The stippled 

area shows where the shale is present, though covered by other 

formations; in other words, where it is capable of preventing the 

ascent of the Cambrian-Ordovician circulation into the Mississippian 

rocks. In this area wherever the drainage has cut deep enough to 

expose the horizon of the Chattanooga shale, that formation has 

always been found. Although the border of the underlying shale 

body may not be as smooth as indicated .on the map, nevertheless 

that line must closely approximate the margin of the formation. 

The shale was struck in deep wells at Centralia, Welch, and Peoria 

in Oklahoma, and at Seneca, Neosho, Granby, and Exeter in Missouri. It is absent at Miami and Quapaw, Okla., at Joplin,.Carthage, 

Wentworth, McDowell, Aurora, and Springfield, Mo., and in some 

drill holes at Granby, Mo., indicating that the latter place is just on 

the border of the shale. The presence or absence of the shale at the 

places just mentioned fixes rather closely the location of the margin 

of the formation. In the vicinity of Eureka Springs, Ark., the 

tributaries of White River h r Te cut below the horizon of the shale, 

so that its exact limits can be determined. From this region the 

southern limit of the formation seems to bear southwest by Fayetteville, Ark., to the Oklahoma line, near the village of Morrow. 

Farther southwest, from this point to Arkansas River, tl 3 limit of 

the shale is determinable from several exposures of its hoi ;on along 

the valley of Sallisaw Creek. In this area underlain by the Chattanooga, the shale reaches its maximum thickness more than 90 

feet on Neosho (Grand) River, at the mouth of Honey Creek and 

near Spavinaw village, from which locality it thins away in all direc-
26 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

tions, northward to 5 feet at Seneca, westward to 40 feet at Claremore, southward to 20 feet at Marble, and eastward to 60 feet at 

Noel, and to 12 feet north of Eureka Springs.

Outcrops of the Chattanooga shale are mapped on Sac River north 

of Springfield, Mo., and it is reported to have a thickness of 7 feet in 

the Pennsylvania shaft near Ash Grove, indicating an area of the 

shale in that vicinity. Another area of the Chattanooga, southeast 

of Springfield, is mapped from outcrops on the tributaries of James 

Fork. A third small area is mapped from exposures in the vicinity 

of St. Joe, Ark.

It is evident from the attenuated margin of the shale and its discontinuous outcrop that it either never extended much farther up 

on the Ozark dome or that, if it once did so extend, it has since been 

removed by erosion. In either* event it was not present to separate 

the Cambrian-Ordovician and Mississippian underground circulations over the larger part of the uplift.

Mississippian rocks. The Mississippian series, more particularly 

the lower part of it, comprising the rocks of Osage and Kinderhook age and excluding the shales and sandstones (Chester group) of 

the upper portion, varies from 200 to 350 feet in thickness. The 

thickness in detail is: In Arkansas, at Batesville 250 feet, at Yellville 

325 feet, at Fayetteville 325 feet; in Oklahoma, at Tahlequah 300 feet, 

at Fairland 340 feet; and in Missouri, at Joplin 350 feet, at Springfield 300 feet, at Sedalia 200 feet, in Moniteau County 190 feet, at 

St. Louis 670 feet. These thicknesses, regularly disposed about the 

margin of the uplift, indicate a much greater former extension of 

the Mississippian upon the dome, and in fact Nason reports lower 

Carboniferous (Mississippian) fossils in limestone in a collapsed cave 

within 20 miles of the crystalline nucleus of the uplift. It is probable, 

however, that this inner extension of the Mississippian was considerably attenuated.

In the Joplin region the whole vertical section from the base of the 

Chester rocks to the underlying Chattanooga shale is included in the 

Boone formation. About 100 feet below the top of the Boone there 

is a stratum of oolite, from 2 to 8 feet thick, which has been named 

the Short Creek oolite member. This oolitic limestone occurs throughout the Joplin district quadrangle and the eastern half of the Wyandotte quadrangle and has been found also at Granby, Aurora, and 

Springfield, Mo., and near Harrison, Ark. Although, perhaps, not 

persistent throughout this entire area, it is nevertheless a useful 

stratigraphic datum plane. That part of the Boone above the 

oolite consists of limestone and light-colored chert interbedded. At 

some places, as at Carthage, the limestone not far above the oolite is 

massively bedded and the chert is very subordinate in amount and 

is confined to the partings between the limestone beds. The Carthage
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN 606 PLATE III

Outcrop of Chattanooga shale .Devonian. 

Where Chattanooga shale is absent, ,ts 

horizon is represented by a light line.. _ 

Wlississippian rocks outcrop between tnis 

horizon and borderof Pennsylvania shale 

Central unshaded area .contains 

Ordovician and Cambrian rocks.

Pennsylvaman shale

Pre-Cambrian 

crystalline rock's

Area underlain by

Chattanooga shale

(Devonian)

Zinc or lead mining camp

Reservoir with zinc and lead 

bearing sediment

30 40 50 60 70 80 Miles

S A. S

Tort Scott o

GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE OZARK UPLIFT SHOWING MINING CAMPS AND RESERVOIRS FROM WHICH ZINC AND LEAD BEARING SEDIMENTS WERE OBTAINED.
THE OZAEK UPLIFT. 27

quarries are at such a place. A hundred feet below the Short Creek 

oolite the Grand Falls chert member comes in, with a thickness of 

25 to 40 feet or so. At this horizon the Boone. generally contains a 

great deal of light to dark blue chert, interstratified with drab to 

bluish fine-grained limestone. At Grand Falls, on Shoal Creek just 

south of Joplin, the original chert constituted perhaps two-thirds of 

the total mass and the remaining third was limestone, which has been 

replaced for the most part byjasperoid. This replacement has converted the cherty beds into a massive resistant ledge known as the 

Grand Falls chert member, and in these rocks are found the deposits of 

sheet ground ore in the vicinity of Joplin, Carl Junction, and in the 

area from Oronogo to Duenweg. The Grand Falls chert is reported 

to occur at places in the bluffs of Shoal Creek as.far southeast as 

Granby. Between the Short Creek oolite and the Grand Falls chert 

the rocks consist of interstratified chert and limestone similar to the 

chert and limestone above the oolite, and in this, as in that series, there 

is usually a development of massively bedded limestone with little 

chert which here is not far below the oolite. In places on the outcrop 

these heavy beds of limestone seem to merge into one massive ledge 

without apparent parting. Such ledges have been quarried at the 

Joplin limekiln quarry and test openings have been made in others 

west of Grand Falls and northwest of Galena. Below the Grand Falls 

chert there is a series of limestones and lighter cherts, which weather 

chalky and are very irregularly bedded at places, especially where 

exposed in the southern part of the Wyandptte quadrangle. Toward 

the north the limestone of this series becomes shaly in part, forming 

the bluish shale or shaly limestone which is struck in the deep wells 

about Joplin and which was described from the Mystic shaft southwest of Joplin.1 Farther east this characteristic becomes still more 

pronounced, until, in the vicinity of Aurora, just above the base of 

the series, there is a considerable thickness of fine-grained bluish 

shale, in places breaking into massive slabs, which stain yellow. 

This shaly portion is locally ore bearing and has been mined at 

Springfield, McDowell, Aurora, Stotts City, southwest of Joplin, and 

at Hornet, Mo., and near Galena, Kans. At the base of the formation, just above the Chattanooga shale, there has been distinguished 

in the Wyandotte quadrangle and to the south and east the St. Joe 

limestone member, from 12 to 30 feet or more in thickness, consisting 

of massive limestone, which is practically without chert and which 

usually forms a projecting ledge, owing to the erosion of the shale 

beneath.

The formations of the Chester group are well developed along the 

southern margin of the uplift and extend northward along the western

i Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 2,1907, reprinted 1914.
28 ZING AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

margin to the southern line of Kansas. In the vicinity of Joplin 

the Chester rocks, corresponding approximately to the Batesville 

and Fayetteville formations, occur in sink-hole depressions. These 

rocks have been described in the Joplin folio as the Carterville formation. Such outcrops are known also at Granby and Aurora. In the 

Wyandotte quadrangle the Boone is overlain, slightly unconformably, 

by 20 to 40 feet of crystalline flaggy limestone, which is in places 

heavy bedded and massive, is in part oolitic, and is free from chert. 

This limestone grows arenaceous toward the top and is succeeded by a 

calcareous sandstone that on the weathered outcrop is a characteristic 

sandstone containing fossils which show that it is to be correlated 

with the Batesville sandstone. At Miami, Okla., the ore deposits 

first worked were found in this sandstone where it had been let down 

upon the Boone owing to the solution and removal of the underlying 

limestone, the bed between the sandstone and the Boone. Overlying 

the sandstone there is a black fissile unfossiliferous shale which in 

places, especially toward the north, gives way to a soft, drab clay 

shale, crowded with the characteristic fossils of the Fayetteville formation. Overlying the shales are limestones which also contain 

Fayetteville fossils and are generally in part oolitic. The formation 

is nearly everywhere lopped with reddish sandstones, presumably 

equivalent to the Wedington sandstone member of the Fayetteville 

formation, described in the Fayetteville folio. 1

Pennsylvanian rocks. The formations of the Pennsylvanian series 

of the Carboniferous follow the Chester rocks conformably along the 

southern border of the uplift. On the western border, however, 

there was a warping and tilting of the western part of the uplift by 

which the southern portion was elevated and the northern portion 

depressed and which caused the Pennsylvanian to transgress far 

upon the dome, as already described by the writer.2 The transgressing formation, the Cherokee shale, in Oklahoma, Kansas, and 

Missouri, is thus younger in age than the Pennsylvanian formations 

bordering the uplift on the southern and southwestern margins. 

When the transgressed limestone area was land, before the deposition 

of the Cherokee, it was subjected to erosion and solution with the 

result that a karst topography was developed over most of the area. 

Upon this karst surface the shale was laid down, filling up the sink holes 

and closed valleys and spreading far over upon the dome, its contact 

with the underlying Mississippian rocks being what the writer 3 has 

elsewhere called a solution unconformity, marked by a basal breccia 

instead of a basal conglomerate. Afterward, when the main body of

1 Adams, G. I., and Ulrich, E. 0., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Fayetteville folio (No. 119), 1905.

2 Siebenthal, C. E., Mineral resources of northeastern Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, pp. 

190-192,196, 211-213,1908.

a Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

pp. 8,9,1907.
THE OZARK UPLIFT. 29

shale was carried away by erosion, which extended down to the level 

of the limestone, the shale in the sink holes and depressions remained 

as "roots" of the former deposits, and these constitute the sink-hole 

shale patches which dot the upland part of the dome, and many of 

which contain thick beds of coal. Patches of shale have been 

reported in Crawford, Phelps, and Dent counties witmn a few miles 

of the crystalline nucleus of the Ozark area, and the sediments laid 

down in the Pennsylvanian sea undoubtedly covered the dome with 

deposits of shale and sandstone well up to the pre-Cambrian center. 

It is in the "basal breccias" at the contact of the shale and the limestone that the "open-ground" or "confused-ground" deposits of 

lead and zinc ore are found in the Joplin region.

The Pennsylvanian rocks are chiefly shales, though they include 

interbedded sandstones and limestones, and this statement is true of 

the older Pennsylvanian formations, which outcrop along the Arkansas 

border of the uplift as well as of the Cherokee shale, which outcrops 

on its west and north sides. The essentially shaly. character of these 

formations is here emphasized, as it is indispensable to the contention 

that the Pennsylvanian rocks form an effective cover for the artesian 

water circulating through the dome.

Post-Carboniferous rocks. The Tertiary and Quaternary rocks of 

the Mississippi Embayment overlap the uplift on its southeastern 

border. Earlier gravels are found on the uplands over most of the 

dome and later gravels are found on terraces in the valleys of the 

larger streams, but these formations are of interest principally for 

their record of the physiographic history of the region in postCarboniferous time, so that it will not be necessary to describe them

at this place.

STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY.

The Ozark uplift is a broad geanticline in which the strata have local 

dips though their general inclination is imperceptible except at the 

southern margin, along the south side of the Boston Mountains, where 

the level-bedded strata that make up these mountains break off into a 

southward-dipping monocline. The broad essential structure of the 

uplift is shown in the two horizontal cross sections forming Plate II, 

which is modified from diagrams prepared by Buckley.1 These sections show plainly that the uplift reaches its structural culmination 

near the center of the area bounded by the outcropping Pennsylvanian shales. The north-south arching of the uplift is also shown 

by the relations of the outcrops of the Cambrian and the Ordovician 

rocks to the topography in the way these outcrops in the valleys of 

the southward flowing streams rise up as they approach the center of 

the uplift.

i Buckley, E. K,., Lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: .Types of ore deposits, p. 129,1911.
30 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Superimposed upon the geanticline are faults, folds, and quaquaversal domes. The region of the St. Francis Mountains, the crystalline nucleus of the uplift, has, in some sort, a quaquaversal structure. 

The Cambrian rocks, which surround the crystalline rocks, dip away 

from them on all sides and display a synclinal structure between the 

crystalline arefs. A small area in Crawford County * is described as 

composed of rocks showing quaquaversal structure. A small area in 

Camden County known as the Decaturville dome 2 has a nucleus of pegmatitic granite, about which the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks dip 

away on all sides. Other quaquaversal structures upon the Ozark 

dome are shown on the map forming Plate IV. This map has been 

greatly generalized, partly for simplicity but mainly owing to the absence of detailed mapping over much of the area. It is offered as a 

preliminary map only, showing the structure of the southwestern half 

of the uplift, but it is believed to present a fairly true picture of the main 

structural features of that part of the Ozark region. The structural 

contours are based, upon the upper surface of the Chattanooga shale, 

or where that is lacking upon the contact of the Mississippian with 

the lower rocks. It is thus the result of an attempt to reproduce 

the present contour of the surface on which the Carboniferous rocks 

were laid down. The culmination of the uplift as shown is in or 

about Wright County, but the map shows also another interesting 

area almost as pronounced. This upraised area appears to be the 

culmination of an anticlinal fold extending northwestward to Joplin 

from a point 50 miles southeast of Berryville. In the Joplin district 

geologic folio the writer has described the plunging north end of this 

fold as the Joplin anticline. As a result of the existence of this 

upraised area near Berryville, the axis of the southwestern prolongation of the uplift is shifted much farther southward than a study 

of the areal geology would indicate. From the culmination of the 

'uplift in Wright County the axis extends southwestward to the Berryville area and then swings nearly due west to the western border of 

the uplift. The relation of this southerly location of the axis to the 

ore deposits of the Joplin district is discussed on page 199.

The folds and faults in northern Arkansas have been discussed by 

Hopkins 3 and Branner.4 Their trend is in the main north of west, 

paralleling rather closely the north face of the Boston Mountains.

1 Hughes, V. H., Reconnaissance work: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines Biennial Rept. of State geologist to Forty-sixth General Assembly, pp. 48-54,1911.

2 Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 432-434,1894. Shepard, 

E. M., Spring system of the Decaturville dome, Camden County, Mo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 110, pp. 113-125,1905.

8 Hopkins, t. C., Marbles and other limestones: Arkansas Geol. Survey Ann. Rept. 1890, vol. 4, pp. 

401-417, 1893.

« Branner, J. C., The zinc and lead region of north Arkansas: Arkansas Geol. Survey Ann. Rept. 1892, 

vol. 5, pp. 36-63,1900.
THE OZARK UPLIFT. 31

Toward the west, the Walnut Ridge fold and fault bears northwestward and comes into general alignment with the folds and faults 

of Greene County, which have been described in some detail by 

Shepard.1 In the Joplin district folio the present writer has described 

the Joplin anticline, which passes through Joplin with a northwesterly trend. In another publication 2 he has described the Horse 

Creek anticline, which extends from a point south of Vinita, Okla., 

in a direction north of east for about 30 miles, and also the Seneca 

fault, in the same region, in general double, letting down a block 200 

to 1,500 feet wide and more than 70 miles long, with a maximum 

displacement of 125 feet. Doubtless there are numerous folds and 

faults throughout the central region of the uplift, but that territory 

has been explored only by rapid reconnaissance surveys and not much 

of the detail of its structure is known. Farther east, in Washington 

and St. Francois counties, there are faults of very considerable throw 

and extent, which have been mapped and described by Buckley.3

HISTORICAL GEOLOGY.

In Cambrian and Ordovician time the crystalline rocks of the St. 

Francis Mountains formed a rugged archipelago and their erosion 

furnished in part the material making up the "First," "Second," 

and "Third" sandstones of Swallow, which, with the associated limestones, were spread out over Missouri and the adjacent States east, 

south, and west. At the close of Cambrian and Ordovician sedimentation the Ozark area was lifted slightly above the water level 

and deposition ceased over most of the area. Silurian deposits 

on the southern and northeastern borders of the uplift indicate 

that the land area at that time corresponded in those directions 

with the borders of the present uplift. The absence of Silurian 

rocks on the north and west at the Devonian contact points to an 

extension of the Silurian land in those directions. In the succeeding 

period, however, the Devonian sea covered the western half of the 

uplift and Devonian black shale (Chattanooga shale) was laid down 

over northwestern Arkansas and the southern part of southwestern 

Missouri, and Devonian limestone was laid down on the north and 

east. This period of sedimentation was apparently succeeded by 

a period of slight elevation during which the Chattanooga shale was 

partly eroded, leaving several isolated areas separated from the main, 

area in southwestern Missouri, northwestern Arkansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. With the beginning of the Mississippian epoch

1 Shepard, E. M., A report on Greene County: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 12, pp. 155-160,1898.

2 Siebenthal, C. E., Mineral resources of northeastern Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, pp. 

197-198,1908.

3 Buckley, E. E., Geology of the disseminated lead deposits of St. Francois and Washington counties: 

Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, vol. 9, pp. 80-84 [1909].
32 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

the land subsided and the limestones of that time were laid down 

over most if not all the Ozark area.

The Mississippian deposition was closed by an elevation which 

raised considerably above water most of the Ozark area except that 

portion south and west of a line drawn from Miami, Okla., to the 

vicinity of Fayetteville, Ark. The limestone upland was then subjected to erosion and solution, and upon it was developed a typical 

karst topography, with sink holes, closed valleys, and underground 

passages. The southern border of the uplift was then depressed and 

pre-Cherokee Pennsylvanian formations were laid down. An oscillating warp next skewed the western part of the uplift, making land 

out of the region which is now the Boston Mountains and depressing 

the northwestern and northern margins of the uplift so that the 

Cherokee shale transgressed far upon the Mississippian rocks in those 

areas, and in fact practically if not quite completely covered that part 

of the uplift lying north of the Boston Mountains. The superficial 

depressions hi the limestone were filled and many of the subterranean 

openings were wholly or partly filled by shaly sediments which, 

together with the residual chert and limestone, formed the basal 

breccia that was afterward mineralized.-

About the close of Alleghany time, or the middle of the "Lower 

Coal Measures," an uplift raised the Ozark region above water. At 

the close of the Carboniferous period the region shared in the general deformation, which gave it much the same contour that it 

now has. After the close of the Carboniferous period the region was 

for a long tune subjected to sub aerial erosion, which eventually 

reduced it to a peneplain. During this time chert nodules were etched 

from their limestone matrix, reduced to smaller size, and rounded by 

water. In the later part of the period, when the land stood near 

base-level, the gravels must have covered much of the surface with a 

heavy mantle and lain deeply in the wide, shallow waterways and 

drainage basins. The deposition of the lignitic Eocene of southeastern Missouri was followed more or less closely by the uplift of the Ozark 

region to nearly its present position an uplift that quickened the 

sluggish streams of the peneplain, which swept the accumulated 

gravels down the sides of the dome and out upon the Mississippi 

delta plain. The rejuvenated streams attacked the peneplain with 

renewed energy, cutting canyons 25Q to 300 feet or more in depth 

and removing the Cherokee mantle from most of the area. A slight 

subsidence, which resulted in the deposition of sand and gravel 

terraces in the canyon bottoms, was followed by an elevation which 

removed most of the terrace material from the valleys.
ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION. 33

UNDERGROUND CIRCULATION IN THE OZARK REGION.

IMPORTANCE OF THEORIES OF CIRCULATION.

In any discussion of the origin of the lead and zinc ores of the 

Ozark region the form of the conception of the circulation of the 

underground waters must play an important part and must be especially considered in any discussion of the deposition of these ores 

in southwestern Missouri. An attempt will be made under this general heading to present a conception of this circulation in a cross 

section of the Ozark dome from its summit to its margin in the southwestern or Joplin district and to represent its development by stages 

to the present time and condition. In this attempt the principles 

developed by King and Slichter in their experimental work with 

homogeneous materials are applied to the heterogeneous strata and 

structures of the geologic cross section of the dome.

THE ARTESIAN CIRCULATION.

The circulation of underground water in the Ozark dome is doubtless limited principally to the stratified rocks above the pre-Cambrian 

basement complex. The circulation of water through the cleavage 

planes and joint systems of the crystalline rocks must be relatively 

slight. The circulation in the upper part of the stratified rocks must 

largely exceed that in the lower part, which, however, has the accessory factors of increased temperature and pressure, so that it may be 

questioned which part of the circulation is the more effective for 

solution and transportation.

In the preceding pages and on the geologic map (PL III) it has 

been shown that the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks make up the 

central and eastern parts of the dome except the small nucleal area 

of crystalline rocks, that the nonpersistent Chattanooga shale is limited to the southwestern part of the dome, that the shaly phase of the 

Kinderhook is confined to the northern half of the dome, that the 

Mississippian formerly extended nearly to the summit of the dome, 

and finally that the Pennsylvanian shale formerly covered almost all 

if not quite all of the dome.

When, after the close of deposition of the Pennsylvanian shale, 

the Ozark dome was elevated into land, the crest of the dome 

was subjected to erosion, which then, or as soon as the overlying 

Pennsylvanian shale and other rocks were removed, exposed Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. The exposed Cambrian and Ordovician sandstones and dolomitic limestones dipped away from the 

crest of the dome, on all sides and were overlain on the flanks by the 

impervious shale of the Pennsylvanian, forming the receiving area 

of a practically perfect artesian system, a cross section of which would

84551° Bull. 606 15 3
34 ZJNC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

lit

ii/i.

'//is ' ' '

'!*'

'f!

c3 O

1 >

 8 s

o a

f "S

c8 o>

* g 

.Q £1

correspond almost exactly with Slichter's diagram * (reproduced here

as fig. 1), showing the flow of water in a series 

of inclined pervious beds lying between two 

impervious beds.

At that time the ground-water level maybe 

assumed to have been near the surface of the 

crest of the dome. Water falling upon the 

surface would sink into the ground and would 

then flow outward down the slope of the dome 

into the partings between the strata. If the 

whole stratified section of the dome be taken 

into account, the crystalline basement furnishes the lower practically impervious limit. 

As the impervious Pennsylvanian shale overlaps upon the flanks of the dome and forms 

the upper impervious limit, the requisite conditions of the diagram are established. In 

the diagram the water is represented as taking 

a fairly direct course from K to C. This 

obviously is its main path that pursued by 

the main volume of flow but undoubtedly 

the whole triangular area between C, K, and 

the base of the upper impervious bed above 

K is filled with water moving with less velocity toward C. So we may reason that 

the undersurface of the upper impervious 

bed for some distance from its margin is the 

upper limit of asheet of water flowing upward 

to C. This reverse flow is distinguished here 

because in the present writer's opinion it 

has an important relation to the theory of 

ore genesis here presented. The writer conceives that this body of stagnant or slowly 

moving water in the broken ground or basal 

breccia just below the Pennsylvanian shale 

was favorable to the escape of carbon dioxide 

and hence to the deposition of the ores.

The general outline of the circulation 

having been established from this diagram, 

it will be helpful to picture, by a series of 

diagrams, the stages in the development 

of the circulation as the Pennsylvanian 

shale border is eroded farther and farther 

down the flanks of the dome. In order that

M -a

!!H &

i Slichter, C. S., The motions of underground waters; U, S, Geol, Survey Water-Supply Paper 67, p. 36, 

fig. 13,1902,
UNDERGROUND CIRCULATION IN THE OZARK REGION. 35

the relation of the different stages to each other may be perfectly 

clear the same diagrammatic radial cross section will be used in 

each diagram of this series, modified for each stage to represent the 

progressive erosion of the dome.

At the stage represented in figure 2 the Pennsylvanian shale has 

been eroded to B, or perhaps has never extended beyond that point. 

The circulation will thus be in a very early stage of development. 

The ground-water level shown by the dotted line is near the surface,

FIGUEE 2. Diagram showing early stage in Ozark artesian circulation. A-E, Stages in erosion of Pennsylvanian shale, a, Pennsylvanian shale; 6, Mississippian limestone; c, Chattanooga (Devonian) shale; 

d, Ordovician and Cambrian rocks; e, pre-Cambrian rocks.

and the underground journey of the water from the points where it 

enters the circulation to the points where it emerges at the margin of 

the shale is not long. Theoretically, the circulation sweeps through 

the whole column of stratified rocks, but as a matter of fact the circulation in the lower rocks is infinitely slower than in the rocks nearer 

the surface. As the strata making up the slope of the Ozark dome 

are of different degrees of porosity and are separated by parting planes 

through which the water circulates more freely, they constitute an 

artesian slope, and water under artesian head may be.found not only

D

FIGURE 3. Diagram showing later stage in Ozark artesian circulation. A-E, Stages in erosion of Pennsylvanian shale, a, Pennsylvanian shale; b, Mississippian limestone; c, Chattanooga (Devonian) shale; 

d, Ordovician and Cambrian rocks; e, pre-Cambrian rocks.

beneath the Pennsylvanian shale but also within the area of the slope 

from which that shale has been eroded.

At the stage shown in figure 3 erosion has progressed until the 

inner margin of the Pennsylvanian shale rests at point C. The circulation is well established but is practically confined to the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. The direction of flow at the point B, 

which in the preceding stage was upward, has under artesian pressure been reversed and is now directly downward to the underground
36 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN BEGION.

water table and then outward down the slope of the dome. The 

flow at C is upward under hydrostatic pressure, which drives the flow 

on beneath the Pennsylvanian shale cover for some distance, producing a reverse flow inward beneath the shale, as explained above.

The erosion of the Pennsylvanian shale at the stage shown in figure 

4 has proceeded until its inner edge rests at point D. The flow is now 

downward at C as well as at A and B, and is upward under strong 

artesian pressure in the strip of territory adjacent to the edge of the 

shale. The Pennsylvanian shale is probably unbroken down the sides 

of the dome, and the water inclosed in the sedimentaries beneath the 

shale is practically stagnant. The flow pursues the theoretical paths 

of the cross section, modified by the conditions of more active and less 

active flow in various parts of the stratified series. In the absence of 

the Chattanooga shale and of the more shaly phases of the KinderA

FIGURE 4. Diagram showing still later stage in Ozark artesian circulation. A-E, Stages in erosion of 

Pennsylvanian shale, a, Pennsylvanian shale; &, Mississippian limestone; c, Chattanooga (Devonian) 

shale; d, Ordovician and Cambrian rocks; e, pre-Cambrian rocks.

hook, the circulation of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks and the 

Mississippian rocks is one, the contact being no more capable of 

separating them than is the contact between two individual limestone 

beds in either series. Water falling on the central area of the dome 

out to the-circle drawn through D, except the run-off and the water 

evaporated, is drawn into the sedimentary rocks, flows down the dip 

of the rocks, and rises to the surface again in the territory adjacent 

to the shales.

The foregoing diagrams (figs. 2, 3, and 4) represent the orderly 

development of the underground circulation of the doine with progressive erosion of the overlying impervious cover, the Pennsylvanian 

shale, uncomplicated by the intercalation of the Chattanooga shale.

Another diagram may be added to show the .complexities imposed 

upon the circulation by the occurrence of lenses or larger bodies of 

shale intercalated between the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones 

and the Mississippian limestones. The diversions forced upon the 

ascending currents by these perched water tables are similar to those 

imposed by the edge of the Pennsylvanian shale. Figure 5 shows 

also the condition that exists when the Pennsylvanian shale has 

been cut through farther down the dome and when strong artesian 

currents rise to the surface.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN 606 PLATE IV

MAP SHOWING DEFORMATION OF SOUTHWESTERN HALF OF THE OZARK UPLIFT AND LOCATION OF FLOWING ARTESIAN

WELLS.

Figures on structure contours represent approximate elevation of the base of the Mississippian limestone above sea level; parts shaded with diagonal lines represent areas in which Pennsylvanian shale is 

at the surface; areas with strokes and dots represent exposures of crystalline rocks; large black dots represent flowing wells.
UNDERGROUND CIRCULATION IN THE OZARK REGION. 37

The diagrams probably show the conditions as plainly as words can 

express them, but a few points should be emphasized. One point 

is that notable currents are not established in the limestones until 

the overlying Pennsylvanian shale has been removed. The first 

currents set up at the edge of the shale are ascending currents. 

Where the shale is cut through the currents are necessarily ascending 

until erosion of the surrounding country has lowered the groundwater table below the junction of the underlying limestones with the 

Pennsylvanian shale. Another point brought .out by inspection of 

the diagrams is that water which has entered the circulation on the 

summit of the dome, has penetrated deeply into the stratified rocks, 

and has risen to the surface again will not be likely to penetrate so 

deeply a second time. This is equivalent to saying that water entering the strata on the outcropping edges flows along the bedding more 

easily than it penetrates the underlying strata. The effect is to conD

FIGURE 5. Diagram showing late stage in Ozark artesian circulation. A-E, Stages in erosion of Pennsylvanian shale, a, Pennsylvanian shale; 6, Mississippian limestone; c, Chattanooga (Devonian) shale; 

d, Ordovician and Cambrian rocks; e, pre-Cambrian rocks.

centrate in the upper circulation any mineral matter taken into solution by the water during its passage through the rocks.

FLOWING WELLS.

The distribution of the flowing wells about the dome (PL IV) is 

just what should be expected from the foregoing discussion. The 

flowing wells in Missouri are in a circle that borders the uplift from 

St. Louis to the southwest corner of the State, either in the bordering 

area of Pennsylvanian rocks or in the adjoining zone of the uplift. 

The central part of the dome yields no wells that flow at the surface. 

In southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma there are 

flowing wells near the border of the uplif t, but along all the southern 

border of the uplift there are only one or two flowing wells. The 

reasons for this absence of flowing wells are not far to seek; first, 

the limestone area north of the Boston Mountains is so well supplied 

with large springs of pure water that there has been no necessity for 

sinking deep wells; second, in the valley of the Arkansas, south of the 

Boston Mountains, where the surface water supply would render 

artesian water desirable, the depth to the water-bearing sandstones 

of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks is too great to induce the 

boring of such wells.
38 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

GENESIS OF THE ORES. 

GENERAL RELATIONS OF THE JOPLIN ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS.

The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley occur in three 

groups: (1) Those of the Ozark region; (2) those of the upper Mississippi Valley, including the deposits of southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa, and northern Illinois; and (3) those of outlying districts, 

including the central Kentucky, the Kentucky-Illinois, the southern 

Arkansas, and the Arbuckle Mountain, Okla., districts. The deposits 

of the Ozark region are by far the most important.

The Ozark region contains four districts: The southeastern Missouri disseminated lead district; the central Missouri district, characterized by small ore bodies yielding both lead and zinc; the Joplin 

or southwestern Missouri district, the main zinc-producing area; and 

the northern Arkansas district, producing chiefly zinc. These four 

districts are arbitrarily so chosen as to include the chief ore-producing 

centers. If all the scattered lead and zinc deposits known in the 

region were included, a continuous zone (except for the break between 

Miami, Okla., and Fayetteville, Ark.) would be outlined, beginning 

with the southeastern Missouri district on the east, thence circling to 

the northwest, thence to the south, not far from the margin of the 

Ozark uplift, and finally extending eastward along the northern slopes 

of the Boston Mountains.

Two forms of the iron-ore deposits of Missouri the secondary limonite deposits and the hematites of the filled sinks were originally deposited as sulphides. These deposits, which in the opinion of the writer 

are genetically related to the lead and zinc deposits, are practically 

confined to the area occupied by the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks 

and are most plentiful in the central and southern parts of this area.

The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley are distinguished 

from one another by certain differences in the form and structure of 

the ore bodies and in the mode of occurrence and character of the ore. 

The Joplin district is characterized by the absence of well-defined 

fissures and by the common occurrence of the ores in large elongate 

bodies of generally slight horizontal extent, known as "runs," or in 

comparatively thin tabular bodies of great horizontal extent, known 

as "blanket breccias" or "sheet ground." The ores consist of zinc 

and lead sulphides, which occur in the runs mainly as a cement to chert 

breccias and in the sheet ground mainly as jasperoid replacements in 

horizontal layers between slightly disturbed beds of chert.

VERTICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE JOPLIN ZINC AND LEAD

DEPOSITS.

In connection with the descriptions of the different geologic formations in the district given in the chapter on areal geology the most 

productive ore. horizons were pointed out, but for convenience they 

may be briefly summarized here, beginning with the uppermost.
GENESIS OF THE OKES. 39

1. The highest ore. horizon stratigraphically lies in the rocks of 

Chester age immediately beneath the Pennsylvanian shale, and extends downward into the Boone formation. Ores from this horizon 

have been mined extensively at Miami, Okla., and drilling has shown 

that similar deposits extend northeastward into Kansas.

2. The great horizon of the "open-ground" or "confused-ground" 

deposits of the Joplin region is in that part of the Boone formation 

which lies above the Grand Falls chert member. These deposits were 

the first mined and they have yielded the great bulk of the ores so far 

produced by the district. A few of these deposits extend downward 

through the Grand Falls chert where the " open ground" cuts through 

that member, but generally where the deposits reach as deep as the 

upper surface of the Grand Falls chert that member teTTni-nfl.te.fl the 

ore and becomes the "bedrock."

3. The "sheet ground" of the region is formed in the upper part 

of the Grand Falls chert. This horizon has been productive in places 

at Galena, in Kansas, and in the territory immediately west of Joplin, 

in the area reaching from Oronogo to Duenweg, at Granby, and at 

Pioneer, in Missouri.

4. Disseminated and "open-ground" deposita of zinc and lead 

occur in that part of the Boone below the Grand Falls chert member, 

in rocks of Kinderhook age. These deposits have been opened at, 

Galena, Kans., and at Hornet, Granby, Oronogo, Stotts City, McDowell, 

and Aurora, Mo.

5. A f airly persistent ore horizon at the level of the Chattanooga 

(Devonian) shale has been demonstrated by a drilling campaign,at 

Granby, Mo.. No shaft has as yet been sunk to these deposits.

6. Some ore has been mined in the Sand Ridge mine at Aurora, 

Mo., below the horizon of the Chattanooga shale in rocks that probably belong to the Jefferson City limestone of Ordovician age. Ore 

below the horizon of the Chattanooga shale has also been reported in 

drilhng in the Joplin region a number of times.

HISTORICAL OUTLINE OF VIEWS OF THE ORIGIN OF THE JOPLIN

ORES.

If considered as to their genesis, the zinc and lead deposits of the 

Joplin district have long been acknowledged to be among the most 

puzzling in the whole category of ore deposits, and this statement is 

easily borne out by a perusal of the diverse views set forth in the following brief resume" of the various theories presented to account for 

their deposition:

Schmidt and Leonhard,1 who were the first geologists to make a 

detailed investigation of the zinc and lead deposits of southwestern 

Missouri, concluded as the result of their studies that the ores were

1 Schmidt, Adolph, and Leonhard, Alexander, The lead and zinc regions of south west Missouri: Missouri 

Geol. Survey Kept. 1873-74, pp. 412-414,1874.
40 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

deposited contemporaneously with the dolomitization of the Mississippian rocks, apparently by laterally moving but not surface solutions.

Jenney, 1 studying the deposits 20 years later, held that the ores 

were derived frx>m the pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks through fissures 

of indefinite vertical extent and were deposited by solutions of 

moderate or normal temperature, cooled by the long journey from 

their sources. E. M. Shepard, 2 discussing the Greene County deposits 

a few years later, concurred in this view.

F. L. Clerc,3 in a short description of the geology of the mines of the 

district, suggested that the ores were leached from the sink-hole 

[Cherokee] shale patches which dot the region and which "may be 

only a small part of those that once existed."

Haworth,4 writing in 1904 upon field work done in 1898-99, concluded that the ores were in the main derived from the overlying 

Cherokee (Pennsylvanian) shale, and carried down and concentrated 

in the Mississippian limestones and cherts.

Buckley and Buehler,5 in their report on the geology of the Granby 

area, state their belief that the metals of the present concentration 

were disseminated in the overlying Pennsylvanian shale, during the 

erosion of which the metals were oxidized and taken into solution, 

carried downward into the Mississippian limestones and cherts, and 

there concentrated and deposited by the mingling of oxidizing and 

reducing solutions.

Winslow 6 showed by the large-quantity analyses of Robertson 

that zinc and lead are disseminated through the Archean, Cambrian, 

Ordovician, and Mississippian rocks of the Ozark region, and he 

argued that these rocks by their decomposition in turn furnished the 

metals for the succeeding rocks; that the caverns and sink-hole 

breccias of the pre-Pennsylvanian erosion furnished favorable sites; 

that the solutions from the limestone land furnished the metals, and 

that the organic matter deposited by the Pennsylvanian sea constituted a suitable precipitant; wherefore he held that beneath the 

margin of the Pennsylvanian sea the conditions were most favorable 

for the concentration of the ores. With this view Branner 7 , Keyes,8

1 Jenney, W. P., The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans./vol. 

22, pp. 219-224,1894.

2 Shepard, E. M., Geology of Greene County: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 12, pp. 169-173,1898.

s Wilson, J.,N., Lead and zinc ore of southwest Missouri mines; authenticated statistics, with contributions.by F. L. Clerc and T. N. Davey, Carthage, Mo., pp. 8-11,1887.

< Haworth, Erasmus, Special report on lead and zinc: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pp. 117-126, 

1904 (distributed 1907).

6 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., Geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

2d ser., vol. 4, pp. 78-110,1906.

6 Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 477-487,1894.

7 Branner, J. C., The zinc and lead region of north Arkansas: Arkansas Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1892, 

vol. 5, pp. 15-35,1900.

8 Keyes, C. R., Diverse origins and diverse times of formation of the lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trails., vol. 31, pp. 607-611,1902; Osark lead and zinc deposits: their 

genesis, localization, and migration: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 40, pp. 184-231,1910.
GENESIS OF THE OBES. 41

and Adams 1 .are in substantial agreement, though Branner thinks 

that a part of some of the bedded deposits is of contemporaneous 

sedimentation with the inclosing rocks. Branner and Keyes also lay 

special stress on synclinal structure as favorable to the concentration 

of ore bodies.

Bain 2 adopted the theory, previously worked out by Van Hise for 

the upper Mississippi Valley region, of a primary deposition by ascending artesian currents and a secondary concentration by descending currents keeping pace with the lowering of the land level by 

erosion. Bain further contributed the view that the ore-bearing 

currents in the Joplin region ascended from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks through fault zones cutting the " Devono-Carboniferous" shales, thus accounting for the localization of the ores and the 

occurrence of dolomite.

In the Joplin district folio 3 Smith accepted, with modifications, 

the Van Hise-Bain idea of a primary concentration of the ores by 

ascending waters that had derived their metal content from either 

the Mississippian or the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, 

although convincing evidence was not at hand to decide from which 

source the metals were chiefly derived. He greatly minimized the 

importance of sulphide enrichment by downward currents, maintaining that the vertical order, frequently observed, of galena above, 

next blende, with iron sulphide in depth, is one normal to primary 

deposition by ascending solutions. In the chapters on stratigraphic 

and structural geology in that folio the junior author (the present 

writer) showed that only minor faulting was found in the area under 

discussion and pointed out that the Chattanooga (Devonian) shale 

was not persistent and hence not a complete barrier to the ascent 

of solutions from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks.

The writer, in the present paper, still maintains that the rocks of 

Kinderhook age that is to say, the lower part of the Boone formation even in their more shaly phases are, nevertheless, decidedly 

arenaceous and are not an effective barrier to the ascent of the orebearing solutions from the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones 

below. This view he holds to be proved by the finding of ore rich 

enough to justify mining at places in those rocks, notably at Springfield, Aurora, McDowell, Stotts City, Joplin, Hornet, and Galena, 

He further holds that the Chattanooga (Devonian) shale is an effective barrier to the ascent of the solutions, as is proved by the absence 

of ore bodies over the known distribution of that formation as shown

1 Adams, G. I., Zinc and lead deposits of northern Arkansas: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 24, pp. 43-46, 

1904.

2 Bain, H. F., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: U. S. Geol. Survey Twenty-Second Ann. Kept., pt. 2, pp. 204-215,1901.

«Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 

148), pp. 18-19,1907.
42 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

on the map (PL III). The writer also believes that, directly or indirectly, the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones and dolomites have 

furnished the major part of the ores now found in the Joplin district; 

that these ores were precipitated from ascending alkaline-saline sulphureted waters similar to those now rising in artesian wells within 

the Pennsylvanian area immediately west of the Joplin district; 

that the pyrite and marcasite deposits which gave rise to the secondary limonite deposits and the hematite deposits in the filled 

sinks of the Cambrian and Ordovician area are of similar origin to 

the lead and zinc deposits; that the solution, transfer, and redeposition of sulphides by such solutions is simple, as is shown in the chapter on the chemistry of lead and zinc compounds; that such metals as 

are carried by sulphate acid waters'in the district have resulted from 

oxidation of the ore deposits and represent merely a local transfer of 

such metals; that the deeper waters of the district now carry less 

mineral matter in solution that is, less salts of the alkalies and 

metals than formerly because they have been "sweetened" by longcontinued circulation, whereas the artesian waters drawn from the 

same horizons west of the Joplin district have preserved their pristine 

character because they have been impounded beneath the Pennsylvanian shales; all of which beliefs the writer holds are substantiated 

by the facts herein set forth.

It will be observed that in the foregoing views the rocks at practically all geologic horizons in the area have been drawn upon as 

sources of mineralization, namely, the pre-Cambrian, Cambrian and 

Ordovician, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian. This paper will be 

confined to an endeavor to show that the ores were derived chiefly 

from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks and will not attempt to 

'discuss even obvious objections to other conclusions unless such 

discussion appears necessary to elucidate points in connection with 

the view that the ores were deposited by ascending circulating artesian waters.

CHEMISTRY OF LEAD AND ZINC SOLUTIONS. 

NATURE OF OEE SOLUTIONS.

Ore solutions, which are in general dilute solutions charged with 

divers metallic salts in various degrees of concentration, are regarded 

by the physical chemist as complex but homogeneous systems in 

which the salts are dissociated in various degrees of ionization and 

hydrolyzation and in which the acid and base radicles exist in all 

possible combinations as well as in individual ions, the relative 

quantity of each depending on the ionization constants, the solubility products, and the original concentration of the salts. This 

view no doubt presents a true picture of the actual constitution of
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 43

an ore solution, but for the purposes of this discussion it will be 

preferable to regard an ore solution as a mixture of various simple 

salt solutions, the reactions of each of which may be considered 

separately. As the ionized radicles in a salt solution are balanced 

against one another hi harmonious equilibrium, the violence done 

to the physico-chemical conception by thus treating the ore solution 

as a mixture of simple solutions is more apparent than real.

In this paper it will be assumed that the metals of the ores were 

originally disseminated through the limestones as sulphides, and an 

attempt will be made to picture the solution of these sulphides, then1 

transportation, and their redeposition.

SOLUTION AND TRANSFER AS SULPHATES.

The sulphides of the metals coming in contact with air or oxidizing 

solutions are changed to sulphates, the end results being expressed 

by the following reactions:

= PbSO4 

= ZnS04 

FeS2 + 70 + H2O = FeSO4 4- H2SO4

The sulphates of the metals, except that of lead, which is moderately 

insoluble, are readily soluble and enter into the general ground-water 

circulation. The metals are transferred hi quantity as sulphates 

probably for short distances only. As shown farther on (pp. 55-56)' 

zinc sulphate in an underground circulation carrying earthy bicarbonates, organic matter, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulphide 

may react with the earthy bicarbonates and remain in solution to a 

small extent as zinc bicarbonate or, according to Bailey (see p. 69), 

it may be precipitated as zinc carbonate; or it may react with the 

limestone country rock and form zinc carbonate, thus:

ZnS04 + CaCO3 = ZnCO3 + CaSO4

or (see pp. 62-66) it may be reduced by organic matter and be deposited as the sulphide:

ZnS04 + CH4 = ZnS + 2H2O + CO2

or, as shown by Bischof,1 it may be precipitated as the sulphide by 

hydrogen sulphide, thus:

ZnS04 + H2S + CaC03 = ZnS + CaS04 + CO2 + H20

In mines that contain considerable iron pyrites and that are alternately dry and wet there is likely to be rapid oxidation. If the water 

from such a mine does not come in contact with limestone it is likely 

to be heavily charged with the sulphates of the metals. For the 

reasons pointed out this transfer is likely to be of limited horizontal

i Bischof, Gustav, Elements of chemical and physical geology (translation by B. H. Paul and J. Drummond), vol. 1, p. 15, London, Cavendish Society, 1854.
44 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN BEGION.

extent, in general from upper to lower levels in the mine. The 

few scattered "buttermilk" springs of the district, which carry large 

quantities of zinc sulphate, mark the outcrop of exclusively cherty 

strata which have elsewhere received either mine drainage or drainage 

from oxidizing sulphide ore bodies that has not been neutralized 

by contact with limestone. (See analysis No. 116 in the synoptical 

table.) The "alum" springs similarly mark the emergence of drainage from sulphide deposits undergoing oxidation. (See analyses 

Nos. 117 and 118.)

As before stated, the transfer of the metals as sulphates in quantity probably covers short distances only. Few if any of the analyses 

of deep waters fail to reveal the presence of more or less sulphate 

radicle. If such waters carry traces or measurable quantities of 

zinc, one can not say that the ionized solution does not carry potential 

zinc sulphate. Minute quantities of the metallic sulphates may 

therefore, in effect, be carried for long distances.

Gottschalk and Buehler 1 have made and published a series of 

important experiments to show the order of oxidation of the sulphides. They found that the natural sulphides show differences 

in conductivity and may be arranged in a series analogous to the 

electromotive series of the metals. In moistened contact in pairs 

they act as batteries; the mineral that stands lower in the electromotive series is dissolved, and the mineral that stands higher is 

protected from oxidation. The following measurements of the 

conductivity of minerals have been taken from the much fuller 

table in the more recent of the two articles cited. The measurements 

are in volts and are made against a copper wire.

Table of conductivities of natural sulphides.

Volt. 

Marcasite..................-......'........................... +0. 37

Chalcopyrite........................................ +0.18 to + .30

Pyrite....................................................... + .18

Galena...................................................... .+ -15

Metallic copper.............................................. .00

Sphalerite ......................................... .2 to .4

In accordance with this series we should expect, as pointed out 

by the authors cited, that with galena and sphalerite in contact 

in oxidizing waters, the galena would be preserved at the expense of 

the sphalerite; !and that, with pyrite or marcasite in contact with 

either galena or sphalerite, the lead or zinc sulphide would go 

into: solution, leaving behind the iron sulphide. As a matter of 

fact, this is what happens, both in the laboratory and in the field. 

The laboratory experiments showed that marcasite in contact with 

sphalerite dissolved only one-sixth to one-fourth as rapidly as when

i Gottschalk, V. H., and Buehler, H. A., Economic geology, vol. 5, pp. 28-35,1910; vol. 7, pp. 15-11, 1912.
BULLETIN 606 PLATE V

SPECIMENS OF SPHALERITE AND GALENA ETCHED FROM BENEATH A CRUST OF 

MARCASITE AND PYRITE.

The five upper specimens show etched galena; the lower specimen shows etched sphalerite.
GENESIS OF THE OEES. 45

alone, and marcasite in contact with galena dissolved only one 

forty-fourth to one-sixteenth as rapidly as when alone. In the same 

experiments the sphalerite in contact with marcasite dissolved 10 to 

14 times as fast as when alone and the galena in contact with marcasite dissolved 6 to 14 times as fast. This action is analogous 

to the electrolytic action by which the zinc coating protects the 

iron in galvanized iron. In the field in the Joplin district the writer 

has seen marcasite incrusting crystals and surfaces of both galena 

and sphalerite and continuing beyond their present limits, thus 

marking former extensions of those faces that have been etched 

away, leaving the unaltered marcasite crusts. Plate V shows 

a specimen of sphalerite and several specimens of galena etched 

from beneath a crust of marcasite. The marcasite is bright and 

fresh and some individual crystals of it that extend inward beyond 

the plane of former faces of galena or sphalerite suggest that marcasite has to a small extent been deposited since the zinc and lead 

sulphides were carried away. Evidence of this sort of action is 

most clearly presented in the sheet ground of the district, where, 

owing to its depth below the surface and below the normal groundwater level, oxidation and solution have not gone beyond the capacity 

of the zinc and lead sulphides to protect the marcasite. Nearer the 

surface, and above the ground-water level, oxidation and solution, 

have generally reached the stage where all three sulphides are gone. 

Moreover, the necessary condition of moist contact of the sulphides 

may not exist in many of the shallower deposits. Again, the galena 

in this situation protects itself by forming an enveloping film of lead 

carbonate. Hence the shallower deposits may yield galena that 

is practically free from sphalerite and marcasite.

On the other hand, the writer has seen cubes of galena from the 

230-foot level of the Sullivan mine, at Miami, which were covered 

with a thin crust of small ruby crystals of sphalerite and in which 

the galena plainly had been etched from beneath the sphalerite. 

Close examination showed that a little pyrite was dusted between 

the galena and the sphalerite. With pyrite-galena forming one 

couple and pyrite-sphalerite another couple, it may be that the 

greater mass of the galena operated to cause it to go into solution 

faster than the sphalerite. In the mines there usually does not 

seem to be much difference in the etching of adjacent galena and 

sphalerite.

Fox, 1 in 1830, while working on electric currents developed between 

separate parts of metalliferous veins, investigated the conductivity 

of the minerals of the veins and published a table which in sequence 

agrees in essential particulars with the one cited above. A little

i Fox, R. W., On the electromagnetic properties of metalliferous veins in the mines of Cornwall: Roy. 

Soc. London Philos. Trans., pt. 1, pp. 399-414,1830.
46 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN BEGION.

inore than 40 years later, Skey, 1 while engaged in a study of the 

amalgamation of gold ores, discovered independently the voltaic 

relations of the sulphide minerals and gave a table of their relative 

conductivities very similar to the table prepared by Fox.

Gottschalk and Buehler, in their measurements of the electromotive force of the minerals, immersed them in distilled water. 

They noted that the potential of some minerals (of sphalerite, for 

instance) paired with pyrite was at first high, but that it dropped 

to one-tenth in a few seconds. Wells, 2 who has more recently 

studied the electrochemical activity of certain ore minerals, finds 

that the potential developed, depending as it does upon the oxidation of one of the minerals, varies with the mineral, with the character of the solution, and with the length of time covered by the 

experiment. As these are factors that would enter into any ore 

deposition it is obvious that the data which Wells gives represent 

more nearly the natural conditions. Gottschalk and Buehler give 

the order of initial potential in distilled water, whereas Wells gives 

the order in various solutions after action has gone on for some time. 

However, the order of the ore minerals with which we are here 

concerned is the same in both tables, though the .spacing may be 

somewhat different, and consequently it will not. be necessary to 

pursue the comparison further.

SOLUTION AND TRANSFER AS CHLORIDES.

The solubility in water of certain haloid compounds of zinc, 

notably the chloride, the bromide, and the iodide, is remarkably 

high, the quantities of the anhydrous salt of these compounds held 

in solution by 1 liter of water at 18° C. being, respectively, 2,039, 

4,782, and 4,190 grams.3 In contrast with these, the solubility 

of the equivalent lead compounds is 14.9, 5.98, and 0.8 grains, 

respectively. The solubility of the compounds of lead and zinc, and in 

particular of the sulphides of those metals, in saline solutions of the 

alkalies and alkaline earths is quite another matter, however; and 

it is with the solubility of the metallic sulphides that we are concerned.

Lindgren 4 has this to say relative to the transportation of lead 

as the chloride:

Galena, on the other hand, is one of the most insoluble sulphides. It is said to 

be slightly soluble in water and also in solutions of sodium sulphides. 5 Lead sulphate,

1 Skey, William, On the capability of certain sulphides to form the negative pole of a galvanic circuit or 

battery: New Zealand Inst. Trans. and Proc., vol. 3, pp. 222-225,1871; and On the electromotive power of 

metallic sulphides: Op. cit., pp. 232-236.

2 Wells, R. C., Electrochemical activity between solutions and ores: Econ. Geology, vol. 8, pp. 571-577, 

1913; also Electric activity in ore deposits: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 548, 1914. 

s Smith, Alexander, Introduction to inorganic chemistry, rev. ed., p, 544, New York, 1910. 

< Lindgren, Waldemar, Mineral deposits, p. 415, New York, 1913. 

6 Doelter, C., Min. pet. Mitt., vol. 11, p. 319,1890.
GENESIS OP THE OBES. 47

according to Konlrausch and Rose, 1 is soluble to the extent of 46 milligrams in 1 

liter of pure water. The presence of free acids decreases the solubility. Chlorides 

are more effective. According to Fresenius lead sulphate is soluble in ferric chloride 

and sodium chloride decomposes it slowly. Becquerel found that 1 liter of saturated 

solution of sodium chloride dissolves 660 milligrams of PbS04 and in this condition 

it is probably converted to the much more soluble lead chloride by mass action. 

PbCl2 is soluble in pure water at the rate of 0.909 per cent at 15° C., rising to 3.34 

per cent at 100° C.; 2 a 5 per cent solution of sodium chloride, having a common ion, 

retards the solubility about one-fourth.

From all this it appears probable that solutions of sodium chloride are the most 

effective carriers of lead * * * and in many cases at least such solutions mixed 

with sulphates probably were active in the genesis of these deposits [that is, lead and 

zinc deposits in sedimentary rocks]. * * * When such solutions encountered 

hydrogen sulphide or abundant organic matter precipitation of the lead as sulphide 

undoubtedly would follow.

But little data are at hand concerning the solubility of zinc sulphide in solutions of sodium chloride. In the experiment by Wells, 

detailed on page 58, the quantity of zinc dissolved by a solution of 1 

gram of sodium chloride in a liter of water was a little less than half 

that dissolved by water saturated with hydrogen sulphide and less 

than one-sixth that dissolved by water saturated with carbon dioxide. 

Certain strong brines from Kentucky, to be noted later, show traces 

and measurable quantities of zinc, reported as the carbonate, however. 

Also the waters of the German springs, the Solquelle "Bonifazius" 3 

and the Viktoriaquelle,4 both nearly pure solutions of salt, contain 

respectively a trace and a measurable quantity of zinc.

SOLUTION AND TRANSFER AS SULPHIDES AND HYDEOSULPHIDES.

Weigel 5 gives a table showing the solubility in pure water of 

various crystalline metallic sulphides, as determined by the conductivity of the solution, and from this table are taken the data relative 

to the sulphides with which we are concerned.

Solubility of crystalline sulphides in pure water, at 18° C. (65° F.).

Millerite ......................................................................

Wurtzite. .....................................................................

Gram-mol 

per liter.

1.21X10-8 

1.21X10-0 

3.1 X10-6 

6.63X10-0 

6.65X10-0 

8.99X10-8 

16.29X10-6 

28.82X10-« 

40.84X10-8 

48.89X10-0

Grams of 

mineral 

dissolved 

per liter of 

water.

0.00029 

.00029 

.00049 

.00065 

.00065 

.00130 

.00148 

.00281 

.00490 

.00587

1 Kohlrausch, I\, and Rose, F., Zeitschr. physikal. Chemie, vol. 12, p. 241, 1893.

2 Landolt and Bornstein, Physikalisch-chemische Tabellen, Berlin, 1905.

3 Analysis No. 29 in the synoptical table, p. 150. 

< Analysis No. 50 in the synoptical table, p. 150.

6 Weigel, Osk'ar, Die Loslichkeit von Schwermetallsulfiden in reinem Wasser: Zeitschr. physikal. 

Chomie, vol. 58, p. 293,1907,
48 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF 'THE JOPLIN EEGION.

It will be observed that sphalerite is much more soluble than galena 

and ranks between galena and pyrite. Field experience in general 

corroborates Weigel, though of course the conditions are not exactly 

parallel, as oxidation enters into the solution of the sulphides under 

field conditions in the superficial zone. On the other hand, under 

some conditions, as shown by the example cited on page 45, galena 

appears to be less resistant than sphalerite, for it has been etched 

from beneath a crust of that mineral.

Becker and Melville investigated the solubility of various sulphides in solutions containing sodium sulphide and sodium hydroxide. 

The results as regards sphalerite and galena are as follows :

A solution containing a little less than 1,000 parts of Na^S and about 100 parts of 

NaHO dissolved 1 part of ZnS at 20°. The sulphydrate dissolves only a very small 

quantity of zinc sulphide. Sodic carbonate partially saturated with sulphydric acid 

also dissolves zinc sulphide. Over 1,000 parts of neutral sodium carbonate which 

had been semisaturated with hydrogen sulphide were found necessary to dissolve 1 

part of zinc sulphide at 20°. * * *

The sulphides of lead and silver seem to be entirely insoluble in solutions of sodic 

sulphide, of sodic sulphydrate, or in solutions of sodic carbonate partially saturated 

with hydrosulphuric acid. We have obtained no evidence of solution with these sulphides even when heated above 100° with the reagents in closed tubes.

The foregoing experiments show that there is a series of compounds of mercury of 

the form HgS, nNa^S one "or the other of which is soluble in aqueous solutions of 

caustic soda, sodic sulphydrate, or sodic sulphide, and apparently also in pure water, 

at various temperatures. These solutions subsist, or subsist to some extent, in the 

presence of sodic carbonates, borates, and chlorides. * * * Bisulphide of iron, 

gold, and zincblende form double sulphides with sodium, which appear to be analogous to those of mercury. Copper also forms a soluble double sulphide, but combines more readily with sodic sulphydrate than with the simple sulphide. All of 

these soluble sulphosalts may exist in the presence of sodic carbonates. 1

When hydrogen sulphide is passed through waters containing neutral carbonate at 

ordinary temperatures the following reaction is known to take place: Na2C03+H2S= 

NaHCOs+NaHS; so that, if the solution of the neutral carbonate be moderately 

strong, a portion of the less soluble acid carbonate is precipitated by hydrogen sulphide. If hydrogen sulphide be passed through the solution until it is only semisaturated or if a saturated solution be added to a solution of the neutral carbonate, the 

composition will be

In this connection attention is called to the fact that nearly half 

the Kentucky waters which contain hydrogen sulphide contain also 

sodium sulphide, and that of the 89 waters yielding zinc (see p. 92), 

36 contain hydrogen sulphide, and of these 17 are reported to contain sodium sulphide. The waters from the Whitaker well at Pryor 

Creek, Okla., and from the waterworks well at Pittsburg, Kans., both 

in the Ozark region, contain alkaline sulphides, and probably many 

other of the sulpho-saline waters of the district and of the region 

immediately west of it also contain alkaline sulphides.

1 Becker, G. F., Natural solutions of cinnabar, gold, and associated sulphides: Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., 

vol. 33, p. 208, 1887.

2 Becker, G. F., Geology of the quicksilver deposits of the Pacific slope: U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 13, p. 

427,1888.
GENESIS OF THE OEES. 49

Many of the waters considered in the table of analyses given in 

this paper (pp. 107-146) contain alkaline and earthy bicarbonates and 

hydrogen sulphide, and if they contain these they probably contain 

also more or less sodium sulphide or similar alkaline-earth sulphides, 

as indicated by the following reactions :

Ca(HCO3) 2 + 2NaCl + H2S = Na2S + CaCl2 + 2H20 + 2C02 

2NaH(C03) + H2S = Na2S + 2H20 + 2C02 

Ca(HCO3) 2 + H2S = CaS + 2H2O + 2CO2 '

In the presence of hydrogen sulphide sodium sulphide forms the 

hydrosulphide, as shown by this equation:

Concerning the action of sodium sulphide and hydrosulphide on 

zinc salts Thomsen 1 has this note [translated and equations supplied by the present writer] :

When a dilute solution of zinc sulphate is treated with an equivalent of sodium 

sulphide solution, a precipitate is formed which contains all the zinc and all the sulphur, leaving a neutral solution of sodium sulphate [ZnS04+Na2S=ZnS(a;H20)-|- 

Na^SOJ; the precipitate is hydrous zinc sulphide. When the zinc sulphate solution 

is precipitated by an equivalent of sodium hydrosulphide solution, the decomposition 

is also complete; the precipitate contains the whole of the zinc, and the solution 

reacts weakly acid [ZnS04+2NaHS=Zn(HS)2+Na2S04]; the precipitate is apparently 

zinc hydrosulphide. When, however, a zinc sulphate solution is treated with a 

double quantity of the solution of sodium hydrosulphide, there is no precipitate, but 

a clear or weakly opalescent fluid [ZnS04+4NaHS=Na2ZnS2+Na2S04+2H2S]. The 

solution yields, with sodium hydroxide and with acids, a precipitate of zinc sulphide, 

or more probably zinc hydrosulphide. After standing for a few hours there gradually 

forms in the solution a slimy precipitate, but this is redissolved on heating the solution.

The behavior of the zinc-sulphate solution toward sodium hydrosulphide is, therefore, strictly analogous to its behavior toward sodium hydroxide; for an equivalent 

quantity of sodium hydroxide decomposes the zinc sulphate solution completely, 

with the formation of a precipitate of zinc hydroxide, whereas an excess of sodium 

hydroxide gives a clear solution containing zinc oxide-sodium hydroxide [Na2Zn02= 

sodium zincate]. Zinc hydrosulphide is soluble in sodium hydrosulphide just as 

hydrated zinc oxide is soluble in sodium hydroxide.

The very similar calcium hydrosulphide may be formed directly 

from calcium carbonate and hydrogen sulphide, as shown by 

Be"champ 2 in the reaction:

2CaC03 + 2H2S = Ca(HC03) 2 + Ca(HS)2

The efficacy of calcium hydrosulphide in the solution and transportation of zinc is considered on page 58.

Another set of conditions that must be brought about to some 

extent in the deep waters of the Joplin district in their circulation

1 Thomsen, Julius, Notes on zinc sulphydrate: Chem. Gesell. Ber., vol. 11, pt. 2, p. 2044, 1878.

2 B£champ, A., Recherches sur l'4tat du soufre dans les eaux mine'rales sulfure'es; essai sur 1'une des 

causes probables de la formation de ces eaux: Annales chim. et phys., 4th sen, vol. 16, p. 202, 1869. Quoted 

by Chaso Palmer in U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, p. 455, 1908.

84551° Bull. 606 15 4
50

through the limestones would give opportunity for the action of 

sodium sulphide or sodium hydrosulphide (and also of the alkalineearth sulphides and hydrosulphides) on zinc sulphide. These waters 

contain, among other constituents, sodium chloride and hydrogen sulphide in relative abundance. The sodium chloride will be almost 

completely ionized, but the weaker hydrogen sulphide will be ionized 

to a small extent only, the quantities of the nonionized compounds, 

of the ion combinations, and of the free ions depending on the ionization constants of sodium sulphide and sodium hydrosulphide and 

the concentrations of the original salts and on the solubility products 

of the insoluble salts. We should expect a system to be formed 

such as the following :

If this solution percolating through the limestones encounters disseminated zinc blende or galena, we should expect the sodium sulphide or the sodium hydrosulphide to link itself to the lead or zinc 

sulphide in some combination of double sulphides which is soluble 

and thus carry it into the solution. When the solution eventually 

reaches the surface a part of the nonionized or free hydrogen sulphide will escape. The concentration of the free- hydrogen sulphide 

having been thus lowered, equilibrium will be restored by the withdrawal of a part of the ionized hydrogen sulphide from the system, its withdrawal breaking up a part of the alkali sulphide and 

hydrosulphide and resulting in the precipitation of zinc blende or 

galena. In this, as in other reactions which depend on the participation of hydrogen sulphide, the effectiveness of the reaction will 

vary as the quantity of hydrogen sulphide in solution, which may 

undoubtedly be large in the deep waters, since the hydrogen sulphide 

is set free in depth, where the water will have great capacity for 

holding the gas in solution on account of the hydrostatic pressure. 

As such solutions approach the surface, and the pressure grows less, 

the hydrogen sulphide will escape, the result being a readjustment of 

equilibrium by the splitting up of the soluble sulphides and the deposition of the simple sulphides.

SOLUTION AND TKANSFER AS DISPERSED COLLOIDAL SULPHIDES.

Tolman and Clark 1 have recently presented experimental evidence 

to show that hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide are very effective 

dispersing agents for copper sulphides. Hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide are universally present in the deep-well waters of the 

Joplin region, the latter in greater abundance than the former. If

i Tolman, C. F., and Clark, J. D., The oxidation, solution, and precipitation of copper in electrolytic 

solutions and the dispersion and precipitation of copper sulphides from colloidal suspensions, with a geologic discussion: Econ. Geology, vol. 9, pp. 559^592, 1914. Clark, J. D. , A chemical study of the enrichment 

of copper sulphide ores: New Mexico Univ. Bull., vol. 1, No. 1, pp. 75-150, 1914.
GENESIS OF THE OEES. 51

the dispersing power of these agents should be found to extend to 

the sulphides of lead -and zinc, it would apparently offer a simple 

method of explaining the transportation and deposition of the metals 

of the Joplin zinc and lead deposits, as we have only to conceive 

the sulphides of those metals taken into colloidal suspension in the 

underground water through the action of carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, carried to the surface by the artesian circulation, and 

there precipitated by the escape of the gaseous dispersing agents.

However, it remains to be seen whether the action exhibited in 

the simple solutions used in dark's experiments is effective in such 

heterogeneous mixtures of very dilute salt solutions as the deep 

waters of the Joplin region. Moreover, most of those waters are in 

reaction nearly neutral, some being faintly acid and others faintly 

alkaline. Clark 1 says that the dispersion of sulphides is least in 

acid solutions and enormously greater in alkaline solutions. Therefore, effects comparable to the maximum results of his experiments 

are certainly not to be expected in the underground waters of the 

Joplin region. The same author 2 gives the results of several experiments upon colloidal copper sulphide in a ^ ^ 0- normal solution 

of potassium carbonate and potassium chloride. When hydrogen 

sulphide was added the colloidal copper sulphide remained in suspension, but when carbon dioxide was added to another portion 

there was a clean-cut flocculation. Thus in an alkaline solution, 

which is the most favorable for dispersion, carbon dioxide caused 

flocculation. In the underground waters of the Joplin region, which 

were dilute, nearly neutral, containing chlorides of the alkalies and 

bicarbonates of the alkaline earths, and carbon dioxide in amount 

exceeding the hydrogen sulphide, it seems doubtful whether metals 

transported as dispersed colloidal sulphides have played any great 

part in the formation of the ore deposits. Other reasons leading 

to the same conclusion are given on page 167.

SOLUTION AND TRANSFER AS ZINCATES AND SULPHOZINCATES.

Soluble sodium zincate is formed by the action of an excess of 

sodium hydroxide upon zinc sulphate, thus:

ZnSO4 + 2NaOH = Na2Zn02 + H2S04

The same compound may be formed by the action of sodium bicarbonate on zinc sulphide, thus:

ZnS + 2NaHCO3 = Na2Zn02 + H2S + 2C02

As calcium bicarbonate is much more plentiful than sodium bicarbonate in the deep waters of the district, it will be more appropriate 

to write the equation for the similar calcium zincate thus:

ZnS + Ca(HC03) 2 = CaZn02 + H2S + 2C02

i Tolman, C. F., and Clark, J. D., op. cit., p. 132. 2 Idem, p. 141.
52 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Thomsen 1 noted that soluble sodium sulphozincate is formed by 

the action of sodium hydrosulphide upon zinc- sulphate according to 

the reaction:

ZnS04 + 4NaHS = Na2ZnS, + Na2S04 + 2H2S

It seems likely that sodium sulphozincate may be obtained directly 

from sphalerite by sodium hydrosulphide according to the equation:

ZnS + 2NaHS = Na2ZnS2 + H2S

With the escape of hydrogen sulphide at the surface, the sodium sulphozincate would split up into sodium sulphide and zinc sulphide, 

and the latter would be precipitated.

Similarly calcium sulphozincate may be derived from sphalerite 

by the following reaction:

ZnS + Ca(HC03) 2 + H2S = CaZnS2 + 2H20 + 2C02

It will be shown later that sphalerite is dissolved as the bicarbonate 

by the artesian circulation with the liberation of hydrogen sulphide. 

Such a solution coming in contact with more sphalerite would fulfill 

the first half of the equation last given, and it is therefore reasonable 

to suppose that the metals may be in part transported as zincates and 

sulphozincates.

As the solutions approach the surface some of the carbon dioxide 

will escape, and in the subsequent readjustment both zincate and sulphozincate will-be broken up, zinc sulphide and calcium carbonate 

(calcite) being deposited thus:

CaZn02 + H2S + C02 = ZnS + CaC03 + H2 0 

CaZnS2 + H2 0 + C02 = ZnS + CaCO3 + H2S

The deeper waters of the Joplin district circulating through the 

dolomitic limestones of Cambrian and Ordovician age take up so 

much magnesium that dolomite is to be expected rather than calcite 

as a result of the foregoing reactions. Calcite is a common gangue 

mineral hi the Joplin district, but dolomite is so generally an accompaniment of the zinc deposits that it has passed into a miner's saying 

that "Spar [dolomite] is the mother of 'jack' [zinc blende]." Hence, 

a posteriori, one would be inclined to think the foregoing reaction 

would be effective in the genesis of the Joplin deposits.

SOLUTION AND TRANSFER AS CARBONATES AND BICARBONATES. 

FORMATION OF THE CARBONATES AND BICARBONATES.

The carbonates of the metals may be formed by reaction of the 

sulphates of the metals with the earthy carbonates and bicarbonates, 

as shown in a preceding section, or they may be formed by solution

i Thomsen, Julius, Notes on zinc sulphydrate: Chem. Gesell. Ber., vol. 11, pt. 2, p. 2044,1878.
GENESIS OF flttfi ORES. 53

of the sulphides in waters carrying carbonic acid according to the 

following reactions:

PbS + C02 + H20 = PbC03 + H2S

PbS + 2CO2 + 2H20 = Pb (HC03) 2 + H2S

ZnS+C02 + H20 = ZnC03 + H2S

ZnS + 2C02 + 2H20 = Zn(HC03) 2 + H2S

The carbonates of lead, and zinc are soluble to a considerable extent 

in water, but the bicarbonates of these metals are many times more 

soluble than the carbonates. The experiments described below were 

performed by E. C. Sullivan in the chemical laboratory of the United 

States Geological Survey in order to obtain accurate data upon this 

point:

A weight of 5 grams of zinc carbonate (Schuchardt puriss.) was stirred in 1 liter of 

water several hours and filtered. The solution was evaporated and the zinc weighed 

as sulphate. The zinc sulphate found was equivalent to 0.0093 gram of zinc carbonate 

per liter in water.

A weight of 5 grams of zinc carbonate (Schuchardt puriss.) was taken in 1 liter of 

water, carbon dioxide was passed through, the mixture was stirred for some hours, 

and filtered at 12° 0. The solution was evaporated and the zinc weighed as zinc 

sulphate. The sulphate found showed that 0.7797 gram of zinc carbonate had dissolved in 1 liter of water, equal to y^ of the weight of the water. Bischof 1 says that 

water saturated with carbonic acid dissolves ^-5- of its weight of artificial carbonate 

of zinc.

A weight of 0!5 gram of lead carbonate (c. p. Schuchardt) was taken in about 1 liter 

of C02-free water, the mixture stirred vigorously for one day and part of another and 

filtered at 7° C., ammonium sulphate was added, hydrogen sulphide passed into the 

solution, and the lead finally weighed as sulphate. The weight of the sulphate gave 

0.0019 gram as the lead carbonate dissolved in 1 liter of water.

A weight of 0.5 gram lead carbonate (c. p. Schuchardt) was taken in about 1 liter of 

water, carbon dioxide passed into the mixture, with stirring several hours daily for four 

days; filtered at 13° C. Filtrate contained no chloride and no sulphate. Ammonium 

sulphate was added, hydrogen sulphide passed into the solution, and the lead finally 

weighed as sulphate. The lead found was equivalent to 0.0395 gram lead carbonate 

per liter.

These results corroborate the data quoted from Pleissner and 

Auerbach on pages 56-57 and show that, under the conditions of the 

experiment, zinc bicarbonate is 83.8 times as soluble as zinc carbonate and that lead bicarbonate is 20.8 times as soluble as lead 

carbonate. The value of the experiments with lead carbonate, however, is somewhat impaired by the greater length of time and the 

higher temperature involved in the solution as bicarbonate. These 

results indicate that, of the reactions mentioned at the beginning 

of this section, those yielding the bicarbonates would be the ones 

generally followed in the presence of a plentiful supply of carbon

i Bischof, Gustav, Elements of chemical and physical geology (translated by B. H. Paul and J. Drummond), vol. 1, p. 15, London, Cavendish Society, 1854
54 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

dioxide. Unless there is an excess of carbon dioxide (or bicarbonate 

radicle) over that needed to form normal carbonate, however, the 

hydrogen sulphide will precipitate the metals as sulphides.

Chase Palmer 1 has found by experiment that zinc will not be 

precipitated by hydrogen sulphide in the presence of sufficient 

carbon dioxide. A similar reaction for iron was long ago suggested 

by Peter, 2 who wrote:

It is remarkable in regard to these waters [of the Estill Springs], as well as those of 

the Olympian Springs, and of several other springs of the State, that bicarbonate of 

soda appears to exist, in the recent waters, in solution with bicarbonate of lime, magnesia, and iron, even in the presence of a trace of sulphureted hydrogen. These substances being all held in harmonious solution by the excess of carbonic acid present, 

when that gas escapes, however as when the water is allowed to stand exposed to the 

air, or is boiled the earthy carbonates fall down as insoluble precipitates, along with 

the iron which is thrown down as peroxide, or, in the presence of alkaline and earthy 

carbonates and sulphureted hydrogen, partly as sulphuret of iron.

Buckley and Buehler 3 recognize this reaction and cite it to account 

for the deposition of pyrite in the Granby area, for hydrogen sulphide 

will not precipitate iron in acid solutions and organic matter will not 

reduce ferrous sulphate. Peale and Schweitzer are cited as giving 

numerous analyses of waters that contain hydrogen sulphide, salts of 

iron, and carbonic acid. Buckley and Buehler add:

The presence of this acid [carbonic acid] in excess will cause iron to be carried in 

solution even in the presence of a large excess of hydrogen sulphide. * * *

In the Granby area it is thought that the presence of carbon dioxide in the oxidized 

solutions carrying the iron' salts was the cause of the retention of the iron. After 

mingling with the alkaline solutions the iron was precipitated Only after the carbonic 

acid had been largely used in dissolving calcium carbonate.

A. M. Peter 4 also, as a result of his work on the waters of Kentucky, as set forth on pages 94-97, thinks that the zinc, iron, and 

lead, in alkaline-saline sulphureted waters are held in solution in the 

presence of hydrogen sulphide by carbon dioxide, being precipitated 

as sulphides on the escape of carbon dioxide at the surface.

The fact that carbon dioxide (CO2) or carbonic acid (H2C03) can 

keep zinc in solution in the presence of hydrogen sulphide can be 

best understood by taking into account the principle of the "solubility product." The action is like that which occurs in analytical 

routine when the metals of the copper and arsenic groups are precipitated by hydrogen sulphide from solutions acidified with hydrochloric or sulphuric acids, whereas metals of the zinc group remain 

in solution. In a mixture of zinc sulphate or other sulphates of the

1 Oral communication.

2 Peter, Eobert, Third chemical report: Kentucky Geol. Survey, vol. 3, old ser., p. 246,1854.

3 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., Geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

vol. 4, pp. 94-95 [1906]. 

* Personal communication, under date of May 20,1912.
GENESIS OF THE OEES. 55

zinc group and hydrogen sulphide the action of these acids in preventing the precipitation of zinc and its related metals depends on 

the production of a sufficiently high concentration of the hydrogen 

ion to keep the concentration of the sulphide ion below the point 

where the solution can become supersaturated with zinc sulphide. 1 

Carbonic acid ionizes to a much less extent than the stronger acids, 

but when it is in excess the concentration of the sulphide ion is smaller 

than it would be in the same solution without carbon dioxide, and 

consequently the conditions are such as favor the retention of the 

zinc in solution.

Carles 2 has shown that barium, as well as strontium and lead, may 

remain in solution as bicarbonate in the presence of sulphate ions. 

He writes:

Researches made by us develop the fact that the waters of Neris-les-Bains contain 

lead, copper, barium, lithium, fluosilicates, and fluoborates. As these waters are both 

sulphated and alkaline-bicarbonated, the existence of soluble bicarbonate of barium 

in the presence of alkaline sulphates has been doubted. This contradiction of Berthollet's laws surprised us at first, for we had supposed that the barium would be precipitated by the sulphate, even in the presence of bicarbonates. Heat and the pressure 

of carbonic acid seemed to us to tip the balance in favor of the bicarbonates. As we 

recognized, however, that we have never been able to establish this experimentally, 

our former doubts persisted.

We recently learned that in the neighborhood of Neris there were several fluorite 

and even one barite quarry in operation. Analysis shows that the barite contains a 

sensible proportion of fluosilicates. Its character being established, it occurred to 

us to submit this barite to the chemico-geologic conditions indicated above, but under 

a pressure of carbonic gas.

To this end we finely triturated several grams of it and boiled it for three hours in 

water containing double the quantity of pure carbonate of soda. The solution then 

contained undecomposed sulphate and fluosilicate of barium, carbonate of soda in 

excess, and, as the result of their reaction, carbonate of barium, and sulphate and fluosulphate of sodium. A few drops of phenolphthalein indicated the alkalinity of the 

liquor. It is certain that if we had added to the mixture an acid capable of dissolving 

the carbonate of barium, the sulphate of soda would have rendered it entirely insoluble.

This mixture suitably diluted with water was put in a siphon for carbonated water 

and supersaturated with carbonic acid by means of sparklets. At the end of 12 hours 

the liquid passed through a filter was of irreproachable limpidity.

At this stage it was divided into two equal parts, one of which was introduced into 

long, narrow tubes and the other was placed in conical Bohemian flasks with very large 

bases. In this way one of the two liquids had larger air surface and the other had 

greater depth. The liquids remained thus for several days in the open air without 

change, but toward the end of the third day the liquid in the flask with the large air 

surface began to become turbid. In the deep and narrow tubes, on the contrary, turbidity was produced only after about twice the time.

This detail seemed to us important enough to be noted both from the point of view 

of conservation and of the handling of the bicarbonated waters at the spring.

In order to hasten the decomposition of these two liquids, they were put into a 

water bath. The carbonic acid is very slowly released, and as a result a very manifest

i Stieglitz, Julius, The elements of qualitative chemical analysis, vol. 1, pp. 199-215,1912. 

2Carles, M. P., Pr&ence de la baryte dans les eaux mine'rales sulphatdes: Annaleschim. anal., vol. 7, pp. 

91-93,1902.
56 SfffC AND LEAD f)fiP6SiTS OF ?SE JOPLlff REGION.

precipitate is formed. On close examination it was seen that there were two substances of unequal density. In reality analysis discloses first the carbonate of lime, 

then carbonate of barium, and finally traces of strontium. The barium was in a 

relatively no table -proportion and sufficient to respond clearly to the reactions of the 

sulphate of lime, sulphate of strontium, chromate of potassium, and finally to be 

detected by the spectroscope.

Therefore it is indubitable that sulphated and bicarbonated waters with excess of 

carbonic acid are capable of decomposing sulphate of barium and preserving soluble 

bicarbonate of barium in the presence of alkaline sulphates.

It is extremely probable that the presence in these same waters of soluble bicarbonate of lead, strontium, and lime is the result of similar reactions.

These facts seem to us to be somewhat important from a hydrologic viewpoint. 

They prove that we have not yet determined the end of the combinations made by 

metals in bicarbonated waters.

SOLUBILITY OF LEAD CARBONATE IN WATER CONTAINING CARBON DIOXIDE.

The following data by Leitmeier l show that the quantity of lead 

carbonate soluble in water bears a definite relation to the quantity 

of carbon dioxide in the water; in other words, in the presence of 

carbon dioxide, lead carbonate goes into solution as the bicarbonate, 

the quantity of which in solution is found to be proportional to the 

concentration of the carbon dioxide.

. Lead carbonate is only slightly soluble in water; but it becomes soluble with very 

small quantities of C02 , which may be so small that they can not be detected in the 

usual way, as established by Pleissner and Auerbach, to whom principally we owe 

our knowledge of the solubility of PbC03 . Therefore the data of W. Bottger and H. 

Kohlrausch regarding the conductivity and solubility of PbC03 in pure H20 are 

rather uncertain since always small variable quantities of C02 were present.

If, as Pleissner and Auerbach 2 have done, we assume a complete ionization of the 

PbC03 solution, the solubility product is L=PbXC03 , in which Pb represents the 

concentration of the lead as determined by analysis and C03 represents the concentration of carbonic acid. The C02 concentration is reckoned according to the formula

in which & t and kz are the dissociation constants of carbonic acid. Now if c0 is the 

carbonic-acid content of the original solution, then the CO/' can be reckoned from the 

equations

and

c0+Pb"=H2C03+(HC(V)

From these three equations a fourth may be derived:

4k (Pb)" 3 L [solubility product] =-r-2- p, ..

KI CQ ±U

This equation shows the relation of the solubility of lead carbonate to the C02 

content of the original solution. 

The authors give the following table for a temperature of 18° C.:

1 Leitmeier, H., Bleicarbonat, in Doelter, C., Handbuch der Mineralchemie, vol. 1, pp. 513-514, 1912.

2 Pleissner and Auerbach, tiber die Loslichkeit einiger Bleiverbindungen, Berlin, 1907; cited by Abegg, 

K., Handbuch der anorganischen Chemie, Bd. 3, Abt. 2, Leipzig, 1909.
GENESIS OF TfiE OSES, . 57 

Ratio of solubility of lead carbonate to carbon dioxide content of original solution.

C02 content, per liter.

Milligrams 

CO2 .

0.0 

2.8 

5.4 

14.4 

26.0 

43.5 

106

Millimol Co.

0.000 

.064 

.123 

.3218 

.592 

. .988 

2.40

Pb content, per liter.

Milligrams 

Pb.

i.75 

6.0 

7.0 

8.2 

9.9 

10.9 

15.7

Millimol Pb.

0.008 

.029 

.034 

.040 

.048 

.053 

.076

L=Pb--XC03".

6400X10-'^ 

11.9X10-14 

7.7X10-14 

3.8X10-H 

3.5X10-14 

2.9X10-14 

3. 2X10-14

Corrected C02 

concentration.

Millimol Co' 

per liter.

0.000 

.011 

.075 

.134 

.339 

.603 

.999 

2.41

After equation 

above, with 

Pb content 

reckoned on 

Millimol CD' 

per liter.

0.0002 

.008 

.022 

.028 

.039 

.047 

.057 

.076

L [the solubility product] shows a strikingly high figure in solutions containing little 

C02 ; hence the authors concluded that in these solutions the content of C02 was 

greater than that shown by the analysis. With higher concentration this value does 

not hold (as may be seen from the table) and the average of the four last determinations may probably be taken as the true figure of the solubility:

£=3.3X10~14

From this the solubility of PbC03 in absolutely C02-free water may be reckoned at 

0.0002 millimol [or 0.4 milligram] per liter.

SOLUBILITY OF SPHALERITE AND GALENA IN SOLUTIONS IMITATING THE DEEP

WATERS.

The original character of the deep waters of the Joplin district 

having been established by analyses of well waters in Missouri, 

Kansas, and Oklahoma drawn from the same horizon as those of 

the Joplin district but impounded beneath the Pennsylvanian shales, 

it became desirable to ascertain quantitatively the solubility effect 

upon sphalerite of each of the different constituents of the deep 

waters and the solubility effect of the combination of these constituents of the natural waters as compared with the effect of distilled 

water. The deep waters are salt, sulphureted, and carbonated. 

Common gangue associations of the sulphides are limestone, calcite, 

and dolomite. To reproduce the conditions of nature as exactly as 

possible, finely powdered sphalerite intimately mixed with finely 

powdered calcite was tested for solubility with a dilute solution of 

sodium chloride, with a saturated solution of hydrogen sulphide, with 

a saturated solution of carbon dioxide, and finally with a combination of these solutions. The experiments were made in the chemical 

laboratory of the United States Geological Survey by R. C. Wells, 

whose discussion of methods used and results obtained is as follows:

A determination of the solubility of sphalerite in water by Weigel 1 gave the value. 

6.63X10~* mol ZnS per liter at 18° C., equivalent to 0.00043 gram Zn. This value

i Weigel, Oskar, Die Loslichkeit von Schwermetallsulflden in reinem Wasser: Zeitschr. pnysikal. 

Chemie, vol. 58, pp. 293-300,1907.
58 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

is the solubility calculated from the electric conductivity of a solution of sphalerite 

obtained by repeatedly washing the sphalerite with "conductivity" water.

It was desired to determine the solubility of sphalerite in several salt solutions in 

the presence of calcite. The method of electric conductivity would not be applicable in such a case, so that a direct method was resorted to. This consisted in allowing 

the solution under investigation to flow very slowly through a tube, 1 centimeter in 

diameter and 80 centimeters long, filled with powdered sphalerite and calcite, under 

40 mesh, and closed with glass wool, which effectually filtered the solution. With a 

head of about 250 centimeters the flow was about 200 cubic centimeters a day, a rate 

of flow which was probably sufficiently slow to allow saturation to be attained.

Two preliminary experiments were made without taking special precautions to 

exclude air from the solutions flowing through the tube. In the. first experiment 

water alone was used, in the second experiment water saturated with carbon dioxide. 

These two experiments gave, respectively, per liter, with water alone, 0.0003 gram 

zinc; water with carbon dioxide, 0.0051 gram zinc.

Of course, under these conditions, there may have been some oxidation of the 

sphalerite. Accordingly in the remaining experiments the solutions were carefully 

protected from access of'air. Boiled water was rapidly cooled, then saturated with 

the desired gases and preserved in a reservoir whose atmosphere was supplied by a 

generator of the gas under investigation, or hydrogen. Thus.air was practically 

excluded from all the substances concerned in the experiment. In the four following 

experiments the solutions passed over the sphalerite and calcite were (1) water containing 1 gram of sodium chloride per liter, (2) water saturated with hydrogen sulphide, (3) water saturated with carbon dioxide, and (4) water containing all these 

substances. The quantities of zinc found per liter are given below. There is also 

added an approximate determination of the calcium. The solutions were at a mean 

temperature of about 23° C. From 1 to 2 liters were used in each experiment and 

evaporations were conducted in platinum.

Solubility of sphalerite and calcite in certain solutions.

Solution.

1. Sodium chloride. .............................................................

4. All three .....................................................................

Zinc.

Gram. 

0.00015

fWWfi

00097 nfinw

Calcium.

Gram. 

0.015

10

qi

The quantity of zinc found in the dilute solution of salt is less than that found by 

Weigel in pure water. This discrepancy may be due to the difference in method 

of determination or, as seems more probable, the calcite may have retained the zinc 

as basic carbonate. It is not known whether the basic carbonate of zinc is less soluble 

than sphalerite or not. As for the other determinations, it appears that the presence 

of hydrogen sulphide increases the solubility of zinc, possibly by forming a hydrosulphide, as well as by carrying the calcium into solution. Carbon dioxide acts similarly, 

but to a greater extent. A mixture behaves in an intermediate way.

In a separate experiment some boiled water was saturated with carbon dioxide and 

allowed to stand 5 months, with occasional agitation, in a tightly closed bottle with

calcite and sphalerite. The solution then gave on analysis:

Gram per liter. 

Free carbon dioxide..................................................... 0. 374

Calcium................................................................. .285

Zinc.................................................................... . 0034

It was desired to determine what effect, if any, dolomite would have upon the 

solubility of the sphalerite. Experiments similar to those made with a long tube
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 59

described above were accordingly made, dolomite being used in place of calcite. 

Three solutions were investigated (1) water alone, (2) water saturated with carbon 

dioxide, (3) water saturated with hydrogen sulphide. The solubilities found were as 

follows, in grams per liter:

Solubility of calcite, dolomite, and sphalerite.

Solution.

& 

1. Water .................................................................

Calcium.

0.0059

.130

.294

Magnesium.

0.0009

.051

.070

Zinc.

0.0002

.00028

These results show about the same order of solubility as the first ones. They have 

not much quantitative value, as in the first place the quantities of zinc were very 

small for weighing and in the second place the results would evidently depend 

somewhat on the length of the tube. It is evident that both carbon dioxide and 

hydrogen sulphide increase the solubility of sphalerite under the conditions obtaining in the experiments. No doubt the solutions that came through the tube were not 

saturated with the gases even if they started in that condition, so that the equilibrium 

reached must have been one somewhat between that corresponding either to an excess 

of calcite or an excess of the gases. The fractional removal of the calcium from the 

magnesium, is also indicated in the last experiments.

In order to obtain greater accuracy another set of experiments was 

undertaken by Wells, in. which he used much larger quantities of 

solution, so that the quantities of zinc obtained in solution should, 

when precipitated, be easily weighable. In a duplicate set of experiments galena was substituted for sphalerite to determine the 

relative solubilities of the two minerals under the different conditions 

of the experiments. The results are discussed by Wells as follows:

The term "solubility" is used with various meanings, two of which it may be well 

to distinguish before the experiments that follow are described. In a rather loose 

sense, sphalerite and galena may be said to be soluble in atmospheric water under 

ordinary conditions at the surface of the earth; but actually before appreciable 

solution can be effected under these conditions the sulphides are oxidized and the 

compounds that go into solution are likely to be the very soluble sulphate of zinc 

and the sulphate of lead. In other words, the solution is effected through a radical 

chemical change in the initial substance, and this substance can not again be obtained 

in solid form by mere concentration of the solution. In a stricter sense a substance is 

soluble in a given solvent when its constituents are present in the solution in such 

form that the original substance may be obtained again in the solid form by concentration. It is this kind of solubility that was in mind in the following experiments.

Let us consider first the solubility of sphalerite. In accordance with the conception of the solubility product a solution of sphalerite may hold a zinc content varying anywhere from practically nothing up to perhaps a gram of zinc per liter, the 

quantity depending on a similar inverse variation in sulphide content. The sulphide 

ion content in turn depends on both the total sulphide content and the acidity of the 

solution. In the following experiments it was sought to imitate natural conditions 

by fixing the acidity of the solution by an excess of dolomitic limestone; that is, the 

acidity could not exceed if it could equal that of a solution saturated with carbon 

dioxide or hydrogen sulphide. The Ca:Mg ratio of this dolomite was 1:0.73.
60 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS Off THE JOPLlff REGION.

Experiment 1. Eighteen liters of distilled water were agitated in a large carboy foU 

several days with a little powdered iron for the purpose of removing all oxygen, 

About 20 grams of sodium chloride (to prevent colloidal effects) and 10 grams of 

powdered sphalerite were then added. The carboy was sealed, rotated for half a 

day, and then allowed to stand a week. After filtering, the solution appeared neutral to phenolphthalein but somewhat alkaline to methyl orange; that is, it was 

practically neutral. Evaporated, 17.6 liters gave 0.39 gram FeO, 0.39 gram CaO, 

0.0008 gram MnO, and 0.0006 gram ZnO. This is 0.000027 gram Zn per liter, a value 

which represents, in my opinion, a maximum for the zinc content of a solution of 

sphalerite in practically neutral water.

Experiment 2. Eighteen liters of water were saturated with hydrogen sulphide. 

Twenty grams of sodium chloride, 50 grams of dolomite, and 10 grams of sphalerite 

were added, and the introduction of hydrogen sulphide continued for several days. 

After rotation and standing as in the previous experiment the solution was found to 

contain 1.03 grams H2S and 0.000019 gram Zn per liter. Briefly, the quantity of zinc 

was not appreciably different in the solution containing hydrogen sulphide from that 

obtained in the first experiment.

Experiment 3. In this experiment no special precautions were taken to free the 

water entirely from oxygen; in consequence some zinc sulphate may have been 

formed by oxidation of the sphalerite. It was expected that, if formed, this would 

react with the dolomite to produce a basic carbonate of zinc. The experiment was 

really therefore a determination of the solubility of the basic carbonate -of zinc. 

Eighteen liters of water were taken, 20 grams of sodium chloride, 15 grams of dolomite, and 10 grams of sphalerite. By the same process employed in the other experiments the solution finally gave 0.00008 gram Zn per liter, a value very nearly of the 

same order as the solubility of zinc sulphide in water.

Experiment 4. The conditions were -similar to those last described except for the 

introduction of carbon dioxide in excess. As before, it was expected that if much 

zinc sulphate Were present it would give zinc carbonate as the solid phase and zinc 

bicarbonate in solution. The products obtained from 15.6 liters were 15.6 grams 

C02 (existing as 10.6 grams free C02 and 5.0 grams bicarbonate radicle), 1.95 grams 

CaO, 1.29 grams MgO, 0.0661 gram ZnS04°. This is 0.0017 gram Zn per liter. The 

increased content of zinc due to the carbon dioxide, 0.0017 compared with 0.00008, 

is clearly shown. The part played by the sphalerite in this experiment may have 

been to furnish some zinc sulphate through oxidation or in addition it may have 

reacted with the carbon dioxide to form some zinc bicarbonate and hydrogen sulphide.

Experiments 5, 6, 7, and 8. Experiments exactly similar to these above were 

made, galena being used in place of sphalerite. The quantity of lead found in every 

experiment was too small to admit of analytical determination, although hydrogen 

sulphide produced a cloud in all the concentrates, that produced in the solution 

which had contained an excess of carbon dioxide being distinctly heavier than the 

others. Presumably these faint precipitates were due wholly to lead, but this presumption could not be positively established. It is evident that galena is appreciably less soluble than sphalerite so insoluble, in fact, that 18 liters of a neutral 

solution do not contain as much as 0.1 milligram of lead. Knox * has given for the 

solubility product of lead sulphide the value 2.6X10"15 ; but Stieglitz 2 has pointed 

out that the true value is probably much smaller than this. The solubility relations 

of lead carbonate in the presence of an excess of carbon dioxide have been more 

completely studied by Pleissner and Auerbach, whose results leave nothing to be 

desired. (See pp. 56-57.)

' i Knox, Joseph, A study of the sulphur anion and of complex sulphur anions: Faraday Soc. Trans., 

vol. 4, p. 44,1908. 

2 Stieglitz, Julius, The elements of qualitative analysis, pt. 1, p. 212,1911.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 61

PRECIPITATION AS SULPHIDES. 

PRECIPITATION BY KYDROGEN SULPHIDE.

Among the suggested precipitants of the sulphides which may be 

regarded as having been efficient in the Joplin region are hydrogen 

sulphide, thiosulphates, and organic matter. The most effective of 

these is undoubtedly hydrogen sulphide, which is present in greater 

or less quantity in practically all the deep waters of the region. It 

is released in the formation of carbonates and bicarbonates of the 

metals by the action of carbonic acid (H2C03 ) upon the sulphides of 

the metals, as shown in the reactions indicated in the foregoing pages. 

It is freed also in the formation of calcium and sodium zincates and 

sulphozincates by the action of sodium and calcium carbonates and 

bicarbonates upon zinc sulphide. It is therefore a by-product of the 

solution of the disseminated sulphides according to those reactions 

which are believed to have been the most efficient in the segregation 

of the ore deposits. Hydrogen sulphide may also, to some extent," 

have been liberated by the hydrolytic action of the ground water on 

pyrite, as indicated in experiments made by Clark.1

By these reactions hydrogen sulphide is liberated in equivalents of 

the metals taken into solution and is carried along in the solution of 

the metals by the artesian flow of the underground circulation until 

it reaches the surface, where the carbon dioxide escapes and .the 

hydrogen sulphide precipitates the metals as sulphides.

A fact which has an important bearing on the concentration of the 

carbon dioxide in solution in the underground water and on the quantity which may escape at the surface is that meteoric waters entering 

the artesian circulation upon the crest of the Ozark uplift carry dissolved oxygen. This will react with the iron pyrites disseminated 

through the rocks, liberating sulphuric acid according to this equation:

FeS2 + 70+H20 = FeS04 + H2S04

The free sulphuric acid attacks the limestones through which the 

water circulates, resulting in the formation of calcium sulphate and 

carbon dioxide, thus:

H2S04 + CaC03 = CaS04 + H2O + C02

In their journey downward and outward through the Cambrian and 

Ordovician limestones the waters thus become more and more acid 

through the liberation of carbon dioxide, the concentration of which 

rises higher and higher with increase in depth. The carbon dioxide 

liberated in the deep underground water, which is under hydrostatic 

pressure, goes into solution in that water in much greater volume

. i Clark, J. D., A chemical study of the enrichment of copper sulphide ores: New Mexico Univ. Bull., 

vol. 1, p. 115, 1914.
62 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

than in water at surface pressure. When the waters finally rise to 

the surface, the pressure of the carbon dioxide is lowered and it 

escapes into the atmosphere. The acidity of the water is thereby 

decreased and the hydrogen sulphide present becomes able to precipitate the metals as sulphides, the reverse of the action described 

on pages 54-55 in the discussion of the solution of zinc sulphide as 

bicarbonate in the presence of carbon dioxide in excess.

PRECIPITATION BY THIOSULPHATES.

Stokes l has shown that pyrite and marcasite are decomposed by 

circulating alkaline waters with the. formation of alkali sulphides and 

thiosulphates. Alien 2 and associates precipitated zinc sulphide from 

sulphate solution by the action of sodium thiosulphate at a temperature of 100° C. Thiosulphate radicle was found by Wells in the water 

from the Church mine and by Failyer and Willard in water from the 

well at Columbus, Kans. (Analyses Nos. 18 and 5 in synoptical table, 

p. 149). It was also recognized by Hillebrand in water from the 

Federal Loan mine (No. 81 in the table) and from the Black Prince 

mines, in California. It was found by Headden in the Doughty 

Black Spring (No. 6 in the table) in Colorado, and by Waring in the 

Johnson well (No. 106 in the table) in Texas. Thiosulphate is seldom 

tested for in commercial analyses, and is undoubtedly more common 

in the deep waters of the Joplin region than the analyses indicate. 

It therefore may have contributed to the precipitation of the sulphide 

ore bodies of the region by reactions analogous to the following, 

cited by Alien:

ZnS04 + 4Na2S203 = ZnS + 4Na2SO4 + 4S

The free sulphur that gives the milky bluish color to the deep-well 

waters stored in the reservoirs may be due in part to sulphur set free 

in the foregoing reaction as well as to sulphur freed by the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide, thus :

PRECIPITATION BY ORGANIC MATTER.

The reduction of sulphates by organic matter, though generally 

accepted as a fact, does not seem to have been actually demonstrated 

by any experiment yet reported that negatives the possibility of 

the evolution of hydrogen sulphide from organic matter by the agency 

of bacteria or even the possibility of the direct reduction of sulphates 

by sulphur bacteria. The writer has been orally informed by Dr. 

E. T. Alien, of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution, by Prof. H. A. Buehler, of the Missouri Geological Survey,

1 Stokes, H. N., Experiments on the action of various solutions on pyrite and marcasite: Econ. Geology, 

vol. 2, pp. 14-15, 1907.

2 Alien, E. T., and Crenshaw, J. L., The sulphides of zinc, cadmium, and mercury; their crystalline forms 

and genetic conditions: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 34, pp. 351, 352, 1912.
GENESIS OF THE OEES. 63

and by Dr. Chase Palmer, of the United States Geological Survey, 

that they have not succeeded in reducing sulphates by organic 

matter. Clark * put cupric sulphate, ferrous sulphate, sulphur dioxide, and powdered coal in a flask, which was shaken daily for 122 

days, but there was no formation of copper sulphide at the end of 

the experiment, from which he concludes that carbon alone would 

not precipitate the sulphide. Hoppe-Seyler 2 describes the reduction 

of a sulphate by nascent methane (CH4 ) derived from the fermentation 

of cellulose, but the fermentation was probably caused by bacteria, 

and hydrogen sulphide may have been thus evolved in and have 

caused the reduction of the sulphate. Hydrogen sulphide is plentiful 

in certain Russian lakes and seas, cited by Stutzer,3 which do not have 

an effective vertical circulation. In the water of Wiessowo Salt 

Lake, for instance, there is 30 times as much hydrogen sulphide at a 

depth of 61.3 feet as at a depth of 52 feet. In the Black Sea there 

is about 20 tunes as much hydrogen sulphide at a depth of 8,000 feet 

as at a depth of 700 feet. This hydrogen sulphide results from the 

reduction of sulphates in the sea water by products of the decomposition of organic substances on the sea floor, through the action of 

anaerobic bacteria. According to Murray and Irvine 4 this decomposition takes place in two stages, represented by these reactions:

MgS04 + 2C = 2C02 + MgS 

MgS + C02 +H20=MgC03 +H2S

No laboratory proof is given that the sulphate is actually reduced 

by the organic matter as indicated in the first reaction. It may be 

noted in passing that although ferrous sulphide is of common occurrence in deep-sea sediments, iron disulphide has been recognized 

from such deposits in the Black Sea alone, where it occurs as minute 

rods of pyrite [marcasite ?].

Alien, Crenshaw, and Johnson 5 have shown that ferrous sulphate 

can not be reduced to the disulphide by the action of organic matter, 

though they find that hydrogen sulphide will reduce ferric sulphate 

to the disulphide in two stages as follows:

- Fe2 (S04) 3 + H2S = 2FeS04 + H2S04 + S 

FeS04 +.S -h H2S = FeS2 + H2S04

In oxidized solutions some of the ferrous sulphate will be oxidized to 

ferric sulphate, thus:

6FeSO4 + 3O = 2Fe2 (S04)/-FFe2O3

1 Clark, J. D., A chemical study of the enrichment of copper sulphide ores: New Mexico Univ. Bull., 

vol. 1, No. 2, p. 117,1914.

2 Zeitschr. physiolog. Chemie, Band 10, p. 401,1886,cited from Stutzer, O., Die wichtigstenLagerstatten 

der "Nicht-Erze," p. 258,1911. 

8 Stutzer, 0., Die wichtigsten Lagerstatten der "Nicht-Erze," p. 260,1911.

4 Murray, John, and Irvine, Robert, Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Trans., vol. 37, p. 496,1895.

5 Alien, E. T., Crenshaw, J. L., and Johnson, John, The mineral sulphides of iron, with crystaHoj^aphic 

study by E. S, Larsen: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., voU 33, pp, 171-173,1912, \
64 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

Any natural water containing iron sulphate will contain also sulphates of the alkaline earths and perhaps also sulphates of the 

alkalies. Schweitzer 1 quotes T. Sterry Hunt 2 as authority for the 

statement that when water containing calcium sulphate and carbon 

dioxide comes into contact with organic matter hydrogen sulphide 

is formed, thus: ,CaS04 + CH4 = CaS + C02 + H20

CaS + C02 + H20 = CaC03 +H2S

Schweitzer says:

This action is so well established that in bottling waters containing much, carbonic 

acid and calcium sulphate great care must be exercised not to let fibers of straw or 

similar organic matter get into the bottles, since in such case sulphureted hydrogen 

would be sure to make its appearance..

Bischof 3 also notes the decomposition of alkaline and earthy 

sulphates by carbonaceous substances, with the formation of sulphides and hydrogen sulphide, especially in mineral waters which 

have remained in corked bottles for some time. He hermetically 

sealed several bottles of mineral waters, containing a notable quantity 

of sulphate of soda as well as iron in solution, to which he had added 

a small quantity of sugar. After standing three and one-half years 

there was complete reduction of the sulphate of soda, with the evolution of hydrogen sulphide and deposition of a flocculent black 

powder which, as shown by analyses, "had nearly the composition 

of iron pyrites."

Stutzer * uses reactions similar to the foregoing to account for the 

hydrogen sulphide which by oxidation has formed native sulphur 

deposits.

Therefore, whether or not the sulphates of the metals are reducible 

by organic matter, when the solutions containing sulphates come into 

contact with shales rich in decomposable organic matter there will 

be formed hydrogen sulphide, concerning the ability of which to precipitate the metallic sulphides there is no question.

The fact that charcoal reduces gold cyanide solution-and precipitates metallic gold has long been known. Clennell 5 says:

No satisfactory explanation of the reaction has yet been given. It has been alleged 

to be due to occluded hydrogen, or hydrocarbons contained in the pores of the charcoal. 

The method has been used in several small plants in Victoria, Australia, on a working 

scale. . 

1 Schweitzer, Paul, The mineral waters of Missouri: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 3, pp. 4, 10,1892.

2 Hunt, T. Sterry, Chemical and geological essays, 2d ed., pp. 99, 230,1878.

s Bischof, Gustav, Elements of chemical and physical geology (translated by B. H. Paul and Dr. 

J. Drummond), vol. 1, pp. 15,163, London, Cavendish Society, 1854. 

«Stutzer, 0., Die wichtigsten Lagerstatten der "Nicht-Erze," p. 258,1911. 

6 Clennell, J. E., The cyanide handbook, p. 308, New York, 1910.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 65

Recent work by Green * indicates that the occluded gas chiefly 

effective in the reduction is carbon monoxide, with a minor quantity 

of hydrogen. It seems not unreasonable to conclude that the 

precipitating action of carbonaceous shales on the ore solutions 

may be due in part to such occluded gases. Shales rich in carbonaceous matter are laid down under conditions unfavorable to complete 

oxidation, and the gases mentioned may be among those formed and 

adsorbed by the shale.

As has been pointed out in the preceding pages, the sulphate is not 

the only form in which the sulphide of a metal is taken into solution 

and transported; in fact hi the deeper circulation and in the ascending 

currents soluble forms like the bicarbonates, the zincates, and the 

double sulphides are believed to be relatively much more effective 

than the sulphates in removing the disseminated sulphides and transporting them to the surface. As deposits of the metallic sulphides 

are common in the Joplin district in such relation to bodies of shale 

as to indicate that they were deposited from ascending solutions and 

were precipitated through influence of the shale, it becomes important 

to inquire how the organic matter of the shale may cause precipitation 

of sulphides. The reducing power of organic matter has, of course, 

been recognized and reactions have been written 2 which involve the 

carbonates of the metals, the sulphates of the alkaline earths, and the 

carbon of organic matter, and indicate the precipitation of metallic 

sulphides, thus:

ZnC03 + CaS04 + 2H20 + 2C = ZnS + CaC03 + 2H2C03

The changes involved in this reaction take place in three stages, 

thus:

CaS + C02 + H20 = CaC03 + H2S 

ZnC03 + H2S = ZnS + H2CO3

It is therefore essentially a reduction of calcium sulphate by 

organic matter to obtain hydrogen sulphide for a precipitant of the 

zinc, with carbon dioxide as a by-product of the reaction. As has 

been pointed out, an excess of carbon dioxide will hold zinc in solution 

in the presence of hydrogen sulphide. Since the lead and zinc 

bearing deep waters of the district, as shown by the analyses given 

on pages 124-140, are already carbonated and sulphureted, it is not 

probable that the sulphides will be precipitated from the deeper 

waters of the district by. the foregoing reaction.

1 Green, Morris, The effect of charcoal in gold-bearing cyanide solutions with reference to the precipitation 

of gold: Inst. Min. and Met. Trans., vol. 23, p. 77, 1914.

2 Jenney, W. P., The chemistry of ore deposition: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 33, p. 450, 1903.

84551° Bull. 606 15 5
-66 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

If, however, the reducing power of the organic matter be considered 

as applying directly to the zinc carbonate, the following reaction is 

very probably obtained, CH4 being used as a representative hydrocarbon:

2ZnC03 + 2H2S + 20 = 2ZnS + CH4 + 3CO2

or with .the bicarbonate thus :

2Zn(HC03 ) 2 + 2H2S + 30 = 2ZnS + CH4 + 2H2O + 6C02 

and with the zincate thus:

CaZn02 + 2H2S + 20 = ZnS + CaS + CH4 + C02

In case the zinc be carried as the sulphozincate, it does not appear 

that the organic matter of the shale will have any influence on the 

splitting up of the complex sulphide, that only happening when the 

excess of hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide escape at the surface.

SUMMARY OF CHEMISTRY OF LEAD AND ZINC SOLUTIONS.

It has been shown that the metals disseminated as sulphides may 

be taken into solution and transported as sulphates, as chlorides, as 

3 sulphides and hydrosulphides, as zincates and sulphozincates, and as 

carbonates and bicarbonates. Anticipating a little, it may be 

stated at this point that the writer, while recognizing all these as 

possible forms of transportation, each of which has doubtless been 

effective at times, nevertheless believes that the great mass of the 

ores has been transported as bicarbonates. He conceives that the 

metals, which were disseminated as sulphides through the limestones 

and dolomites, were taken into solution as bicarbonates by the 

alkaline-saline water containing dissolved carbon dioxide, according 

to reactions like the following:

ZnS + 2C02 + 2H20 = Zn(HC03 ) 2 + H2S

This solution, incorporated into the artesian circulation, eventually rose to the surface, where the carbon dioxide escaped and the 

metals were again precipitated as sulphides by the equivalent of 

hydrogen sulphide resulting from their solution as bicarbonates 

and still remaining in the circulation. If the metals were in part 

carried in solution as double sulphides they, too, would be deposited 

on the escape of the hydrogen sulphide at the surface, or on its being 

used up in the precipitation of the metals in solution as bicarbonates.

SOURCE OF THE METALS.

METALS IN IGNEOUS ROCKS. 

RESULTS OF CHEMICAL ANALYSES.

Winslow 1 has adequately summarized the earlier investigations 

bearing on the occurrence of lead and zinc in igneous rocks, in sediments (both shales and limestones), and in sea water. In brief, lead

i Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 6, pp. 30-33,1894.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 67

and zinc are found commonly in minute quantities in all these. Clarke 

and Steiger* give the lead and zinc content of a composite made up 

of 329 samples of igneous rocks which have been analyzed in the 

United States Geological Survey's chemical laboratory, as follows:

Lead and zinc content of a composite sample of igneous rocks. 

[George Steiger, analyst.]

Nickel (Ni)................................................. 0. 00515

Arsenic (As)................................................. . 00048

Copper (Cu)................................................ .00932

Lead (Pb).................................................. .00075

Zinc (Zn)................................................... .00513

Clarke and Steiger 1 say:

In a series of 36 igneous and metamorphic rocks of British Guiana, Harrison found a 

mean percentage of 0.025 copper. In 23 of his samples lead was also sought for, and 

detected in 5 of them, the maximum amount being 0.02 per cent. In a typical specimen of the Columbia River basalt Wells found 0.034 of copper, and the same quantity 

was determined by Jensen in an andesite from Fiji. In the porphyries of Leadville, 

Colo., Hillebrand was able to determine lead. Out of 18 samples, taken at points 

remote from ore bodies, the average amount found was 0.002 per cent of PbO: One 

porphyry also yielded 0.008 per cent of zinc oxide, and a rhyolite contained 0.0043 per 

cent.

Winslow 2 gives the results of the determination hi duplicate of 

copper, lead, and zinc in four igneous rocks from southeastern 

Missouri by J. D. Robertson, using large quantities of material. 

These figures are given in detail on page 78.

Finlayson 3 gives the following determinations of the lead and zinc 

content of a number of both igneous and sedimentary rocks of Great 

Britain. The large-quantity methods of Hillebrand and of Robertson 

were used.

Lead and zinc content of igneous and sedimentary rocks from Great Britain.

Igneous rocks:

Do...........................................

Do...........................................

Do...........................................

Diabase (Whin Sill) ..............................

Do...........................................

Total...........................................

Sedimentary rocks: 

Slate. ............................................

Do...........................................

Do...........................................

Total. . .........................................

Locality.

Threlkeld...................

Glendalough. . ..............

Dartmoor. ..................

Halkyn. ....................

Matlock. ....................

Lead.

O ftfU

.003

.004

.002

.003

.001

.0025

.006

.0255

.0032

.001

.0005

.001

.0015

.004

.001

Zinc.

0.005

.011

.001

.002

.0005

.001

.000

.002

.0125

.0016

.000

.0015

.0005 nni

003

.00075

'Clarke, F. W., and Steiger, George, The relative abundance of several metallic elements: Washington 

Acad. Sci. Jour., vol. 4, p. 60,1914.

2 Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, p. 479,1894.

 Finlayson, A. M., Problems of ore deposition in the lead and zinc veins of Great Britain: Geol. Soc. 

London Quart. Jour., vol. 66, p. 301,1910.
68 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Finlayson 1 says:

The foregoing analyses, like those of Luther Wagoner for gold and silver in rock 

at San Francisco, 2 show a higher percentage of rnetals in the igneous than in the sedimentary rocks, suggesting the conclusion that the metals in the later rocks have been 

derived by denudation from the older igneous and crystalline rocks.

That the igneous rocks are the ultimate source of the metals in 

general, including those disseminated through the 'limestones, will 

be generally admitted.

SOLUTION OF THE METALS FROM THE CRYSTALLINE ROCKS AND THEIR 

TRANSPORTATION TO THE SEA.

The metals are included in the igneous rocks probably in part as 

small disseminated particles of the sulphides and probably in part 

as integral constituents of the minerals, chiefly silicates, which make 

up the rocks. The metals are freed from their environment mainly 

by the decomposition and erosion of the rocks, the sulphides of the 

metals being oxidized to the sulphates, which are easily soluble in 

the ground waters, and the silicates of the metals being decomposed 

and taken into solution, principally as bicarbonates. The metals 

in the rocks below the immediate surficial zone may be in part taken 

into solution by the ground water circulating in deeper joints and 

crevices of the rocks, being transported chiefly as bicarbonates.

The transfer of the metals by streams as sulphates may be indicated 

by the significant observations of Dr. E. H. S. Bailey 3 on the comparative zinc and sulphate content of the water of Spring River in 

Missouri and Kansas at different stations above, in, and below the 

Joplin zinc and lead fields.

The essential parts of the analyses made by Bailey are included in 

the following table:

Partial analyses of water of Spring River at places in Missouri and Kansas. 

[In parts per million. E. H. S. Bailey, analyst.]

Station and date.

1. Carthage, Mo., Mar. 7, 1904. .................................

3. Above dam at Lowell, Kans., Mar. 30, 1905. . ................

4. Below dam at Lowell, Kans., Mar. 30, 1905. .................

Calcium.

50.0

52.6

42.2

40.4

68.0

Sulphate 

radicle 

(S0<).

25.0

70.0

157: 2

19 0

72.0

Zinc.

Undet.

16.2

3.7

10.0

Total 

solids.

178.0

97Q fi

228.0

179.0

9V1 n

Between stations 2 and 3 Shawnee Creek empties into Spring River 

from the northwest, draining an agricultural country. Between

i Finlayson, A. M., op. cit.

8 Wagoner, Luther, The detection and estimation of small quantities of gold and silver: Am. Inst. Min. 

Eng. Trans., vol. 31, pp. 809-810,1901.

8 Bailey, E. H; S., Preliminary report on stream pollution by mine waters in southeastern Kansas: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 273, pp. 349-361,1911.
GENESIS OF THE OKES. 69

stations 3 and 4 Shoal Creek enters from the east, carrying 67.2 parts 

calcium per million, 15.6 parts sulphate radicle (S04), 11 parts zinc, 

and 198.8 parts total solids. The influence of the stretch of quiet 

water above the Lowell dam, between stations 2 and 4, on the total 

solids is recognizable, for they decrease through that stretch. As a 

whole, the results are less convincing than they would be had the 

samples been taken consecutively downstream so as to insure nearly 

similar conditions for sampling. Determinations of zinc at stations 

1 and 5 would have added to the value of the data. 

Bailey says: x

Since the zinc seems to diminish in quantity, the question arises whether this 

diminution is due merely to dilution with waters of other streams or to precipitation 

by calcium and magnesium carbonates in solution in the water. As there still remains 

in the water at Lowell more S04 than ia found in the water in the upper part of the 

course of the stream, it would seem to indicate that much of the zinc had been precipitated, otherwise it would have increased proportionately with the sulphates.

Bailey concludes that the zinc has been precipitated as the carbonate by reaction with the calcium and magnesium bicarbonate in 

solution in the water thus:

ZnS04 + Ca(H2C03 ) 2 = ZnC03 + CaS04 + H20 + C02

Apparently the metal may take any one of four possible courses when 

zinc sulphate is added to stream water containing calcium bicarbonate 

in solution. It may continue in solution as the sulphate; it may be 

precipitated as the carbonate according to the foregoing reaction; it 

may react with the calcium bicarbonate and remain in solution as 

zinc bicarbonate; or it may be reduced from the sulphate and precipitated as the sulphide by hydrogen sulphide in the stream. The very 

small quantity of sulphate radicle (S04) at station 4, below the Lowell 

dam, seems to indicate that the reducing reaction last mentioned is 

notably effective in the stagnant water above the dam. Such zinc 

bicarbonate as is formed .will remain in solution unless the solution 

encounters hydrogen sulphide, in which case the zinc will be precipitated as the sulphide.

DEPOSITION OF DISSEMINATED METALS IN OCEANIC SEDIMENTS.

Deposition in clays and calcareous muds. As the nature of sediments 

is determined by conditions in the drainage basin furnishing them, a 

sea in which carbonaceous shale and coal are being deposited will be 

bordered by low-lying land and will be fed by streams laden with 

carbonaceous sediment. Zinc taken into solution as the sulphate 

from the oxidation of the sulphides and carried seaward by such 

streams stands the various chances of precipitation outlined above. 

Taken into solution and carried as the bicarbonate it may be precipitated by lowering the concentration of carbonate radicle (CO3 ) in the

i Bailey, E. H. S., op. cit., p. 354.
70 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF T^E JOPLIN REGION.

water (not a probable contingency in such water) or by hydrogen 

sulphide, the supply of which, owing to the paucity of animal life in such 

waters and to their prevention of decay, is likely to be small. The 

zinc bicarbonate in solution which is not precipitated either in the 

streams on the way to the sea or in the coal-depositing sea itself will 

be diffused through the sea until it reaches beyond the limits of 

deposition of the coal measures, where animal life and sulphur bacteria are abundant and hydrogen sulphide is available for the precipitation of the metal as sulphide, and it will thus be deposited in 

calcareous sediments. Hence zinc sulphate solutions stand many 

chances of deposition before reaching the sea, whereas zinc bicarbonate solutions will likely pass beyond the coal-measure sea and be 

deposited where limestones are being laid down.

Streams contributing to a sea where limestones are being laid down 

adjacent to land will carry lime, magnesium, and carbonate radicle 

(C03 ) in excess, but will carry little carbonaceous matter. Much of 

the mineral matter carried by the stream will, be taken into solution 

by the underground drainage and will be contributed to the surface 

streams by springs. Under these circumstances zinc and lead disseminated through the rocks as sulphides will be taken into solution 

as bicarbonates, as shown by Wells' s experiments, described on a 

previous page, and will be carried out to sea, where precipitation as 

sulphide by the hydrogen sulphide always present in sea water will be 

a natural consequence.

Reasoning a priori we should conclude that among the sedimentary 

rocks the natural places of deposition of primary disseminations of 

lead and zinc are the limestones, and that the occurrence of such 

deposits should be less common among the carbonaceous sediments. 

Peter has pointed out (see p. 95) that the waters which carry zinc in 

Kentucky are principally those derived from the limestone formations 

of the Ordovician system. It is true that analyses show the presence 

of lead and zinc in carbonaceous sediments, as is indicated above and 

as has been shown for various shale formations of Europe by Dieulefait, Bischof, and Sandberger. But disseminated lead and zinc in 

carbonaceous sediments that overlie limestones which contain lead 

and zinc and which are saturated by water under artesian p'ressure 

can not be safely assumed to be of primary or sedigenetic origin, for 

the conditions indicated afford every facility for the precipitation of 

the metals of ascending solutions in the shale.

Deposition in dolomitic muds. It will be noted that the Cambrian 

and Ordovician limestones of the Ozark region, taken in this report 

to be the immediate source of the metals, are dolomitic. The Galena 

dolomite, according to Chamberlin, Van Hise, Bain, Grant, and 

others, originally held in disseminated form the lead and zinc which
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 71

was later concentrated into the ore deposits of the upper Mississippi 

Valley region. The zinc deposits of the Arbuckle Mountains, Okla., 

are found in the dolomitic Arbuckle limestone. The east Tennessee 

deposits occur in the Knox dolomite and are believed by Purdue to 

have been derived from that formation. The Virginia deposits are 

likewise believed by Watson to have been derived from disseminated 

lead and zinc in the dolomitic Shenandoah limestone. The Ueberroth, Saucon, and Hartman zinc mines of Pennsylvania occur in magnesian limestone. So, too, many of the other deposits, which are 

later mentioned as occurring in the central valley of the United 

States are found in dolomitic limestone and are believed to have 

been segregated from a minutely disseminated state in such limestones. Indeed, the association of ore deposits with dolomitic limestones has long been noted, and T. Sterry Hunt 1 has offered this 

suggestion to explain the association:

In the preceding sections we have supposed the waters mingling with the sofution 

of sulphate of magnesia to contain no other bicarbonate than that of lime; but bicarbonate of soda is often present in large proportion in natural waters, and the addition 

of this salt to sea water or other solutions containing chlorides and sulphates of lime 

and magnesia will, as we have shown, separate the lime as carbonate and give rise 

to liquids, which, without being concentrated brines, as in the previous case, will 

contain sulphate of magnesia, but no lime salts. A further portion of bicarbonate of 

soda will produce bicarbonate of magnesia, by the evaporation of whose solutions, as 

before, hydrated carbonate of magnesia would be deposited, mingled with the carbonate of lime which accompanies the alkaline salt and, in the case of the waters of 

alkaline springs, with the compounds of iron, manganese, zinc, nickel, lead, copper, 

arsenic, chrome, and other metals which springs of this kind still bring to the surface. 

In this way the metalliferous character of many dolomites is explained.

METALS DISSEMINATED IK OCEANIC SEDIMENTS.

There are several good analyses of deep-sea sediments that show 

their lead and zinc content. These consist of the analysis of manganese nodules collected by the Challenger 2 expedition, and the analyses 

made in the chemical laboratory of the United States Geological Survey of composite samples of pelagic "red clay" and terrigenous "blue 

mud" collected by the Challenger expedition and reported by Clarke.3 

To these should be added the analyses, cited by Clarke and Steiger,4 

of a composite sample of silt from the Mississippi River delta. The 

analyses of the oceanic sediments which follow differ in their form 

of statement from those given by Clarke in that they present all the 

constituents found by the analysts, whereas Clarke rejected calcium 

carbonate, sea salts, etc., and recalculated to 100 per cent.

1 Chemical and geological essays, 2d ed., p. 88,1878.

2 Gibson, John, Report on an analytical examination of manganese nodules; Deep-sea deposits: Voyage 

of H. M. S. Challenger, Appendix 2, p. 422,1891.

3 Clarke, F. W., The data of geochemistry, 2d ed.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 491, p. 490,1911,

4 Clarke, F. W., and Steiger, George, The relative abundance of several metallic elements: Washington 

Acad. Sci. Jour., vol. 4, p. 59,1914.
72 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION. 

Analyses of deep-sea and delta deposes.

Si02 . ..................................................

AlsOs..................................................

Fe2O3 ..................................................

FeO.... ...............................................

MgO...................................................

CaO.. ..................................................

Na2 0..... .............................................

K2O...................................................

H2O-.... .............................................

H20 + .................................................

Ti02 .... ...............................................

Zr02 ...................................................

C02 . ...................................................

PiOj......... ..........................................

S03 ... .................................................

Cl......................................................

F... ...................................................

S... ....................................................

TP

BaO......... ..........................................

SrO..... ...............................................

(XHihO. ..............................................

MnO.... ............................................... ViOi.r..................................... ............

Cr2O3 . .................................................

Mo03 ... ............................................... As2 o3 ..........................................:.......

(Ni.Co)O............ ..................................

CuO...................................................

PbO ...................................................

ZnO.... ...............................................

T1SO.... ...............................................

C.... .........................'.........................

0......................................................

1

45.32

13. 26 

7.20

.70

3.05

6.82

3.63

2.43

3.28

5.93.

.82

(V)

3.91

.25

.48

9 77

TVapA?

1.70

.046

.83

.035

.011

.0007

.032

.020

.007

.004

101.01 

.62

100. 39

2

13.38

5.49

14.33

2.34

2.31

1.81

.25

23.00

6.65

.13

.29

.13

.83

.96

Tr&cG

.12

.02

Tr8iC6

.02

21.46

.07

.10

1.26

.37

.05

.10

.03

4.71

100.21 

.22

99.99

3

46.64

14.08

4.14

1.88

1.95

7.20

2.98

1.84

4.73

5.86

1.84

4.05

.17

.32

' 2.25-

.11

.05

.025

.10

.028

.044

Trace.

.080

.009

.0004

.0087

1.38

101.775 

.56

101.215

4

69.96

10.52

> 3.47

1.41

2.17

1.51

2.30

3.78

1.96

.59

.05

1.40

.18

.03

.30

.07

.07

.08

Trace.

.06

.02

.01

.0004

.017

.0043

.0002

.001

.66

100. 6229 

.12

100. 5029

1. Pelagic red clay; composite of 51 samples. George Steiger, analyst.

2. Manganese nodule; from depth of 2,375 fathoms. John Gibson, analyst.

3. Terrigenous blue mud; composite of 52 samples. George Steiger, analyst.

4. Mississippi delta mud; composite of 235 samples. George Steiger, analyst.

The analyses just given show that definitely measurable quantities 

of lead and zinc occur in both the terrigenous and the pelagic deposits 

of the ocean. As each of the analyses of the oceanic sediment represents a composite of over 50 samples, taken from widely separated 

places, they may be safely used to obtain some notion of the total 

quantity of these metals in the deep-sea sediments. According to the 

Challenger reports, the area of terrigenous."blue mud" is 14,500,000 

square miles and the area of the pelagic "red clay" is 51,500,000 

square miles. Seelheim's experiments on the porosity of the sediment from an emulsion of fine clay and water are summarized by 

King 1 as follows:

Seelheim 2 has shown that when an emulsion of fine clay and water is allowed to 

stand quietly for some time under conditions where no jarring can take place the 

clay subsides, assuming a stratified condition, but containing a large amount of water.

1 King, F. H., Principles and conditions of the movements of ground water: U. S. Geol. Survey Nineteenth Ann. Kept., pt. 2, p. 78,1899.

2 Seelheim, F., Methoden zur Bestimmung der Durchlassigkeit des liodens: Zeitschr. anal. Chemie, vol. 

19, p. 387,1880.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 73

He found where no jarring took place that the upper layers contained more water 

than the lower ones, the proportion being 1 volume of clay to 3.84 volumes of water 

in the upper strata and 1 volume of clay to 1.78 volumes of water in the lower strata. 

That is to say, in the loosest settling 79.34 per cent of the volume of the sediment was 

water and in the closer packing there was still 64.03 per cent of pore space.

Where the settling was allowed to take place under frequent jarrings Seelheim 

secured a uniform texture throughout and greater compactness, but there was still a 

pore space of 54.54 per cent. He further showed that there was no sensible reduction 

of pore space when the sedimentation was caused to take place under a pressure of 

102 feet of water instead of a few feet. Further than this, there is no reason to suppose that the pore space of sediments laid down under water will not be filled very 

largely with the water in which they are deposited.

It will apparently be safe, therefore, to assume an average porosity, 

of 50 per cent for sediments like the red clay and the blue mud; and 

.this assumption has practically been made by Stabler,1 who takes 

85 pounds as the average weight of a cubic foot of reservoir sediment, whereas if these sediments are compacted under high pressure into the form of rock matter they weigh 165 pounds to the 

cubic foot. Though 85 pounds is undoubtedly too high a figure for 

the surface- layers of the sediments, the greater compaction in the 

lower layers will doubtless raise the average to or above the figure 

chosen by Stabler, who based his assumption on the experimental 

work whose results are published by the United States Geological 

Survey and the United States Reclamation Service. At 85 pounds 

to the cubic foot, a square mile of the sediment 1 foot thick would 

weigh 1,184,832 short tons. Multiplying by the percentage of zinc 

and lead hi each deposit and by the area of each class, we get 

2,000,000,000 short tons of zinc and 4,000,000,000 short tons of lead 

in the red clay 1 foot deep over its total area and 1,200,000,000 

tons of zinc and 64,000,000 tons of lead in 1 foot^of blue mud over 

its total area.

So far the calculations have been based upon reasonably accurate 

data. If, now, we wish to arrive at some conception of the total 

lead and zinc locked up in the pelagic and terrigenous deposits of 

the sea, it is necessary to make estimates as to the depth of the 

sediments. The red clay is made up of meteoric particles, volcanic 

and other terrestrial dusts, chemical sediments, and remains of 

pelagic life; but as the latter were primarily derived from mineral 

matter carried in solution in the sea water they will, in the estimates 

given below, be included with the chemical sediments. The blue 

mud includes not only the material enumerated above, but also 

detrital material carried out from the land areas. Basing his estimates on the average composition and total volume of river waters 

discharged into the sea and assuming 83,472,000 years as the period

1 Stabler, Herman, Some stream waters of the western United States, with chapters on sediment carried by the Bio Grande and the industrial application of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 274, p. 164,1911.
74 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

of sedimentation, Clarke * gives 191 feet as the thickness of the chemical sediments, the red-clay area being excluded, since chemical 

precipitation is regarded as insignificant in that area. For the 

mechanical sediments or silts Clarke gives an estimated thickness 

of 550 feet, making a thickness of, say, 750 feet for the terrigenous 

deposits of these two classes. To this estimate an addition should 

be made for the terrestrial and meteoric dusts. Perhaps 50 feet will 

be a fair figure for the addition from these sources, which would give 

800 feet as an estimate of the total thickness of the terrestrial sediments. 

Murray 2 gives the following as the average composition of the 

.red clay and the blue mud:

Average composition of red clay and blue mud.

Carbonate of lime:

Eesidue:

Red clay.

4.77

.59

1.34

2.39

5.56

85.35

 93. 30

100.00

Blue mud.

7.52

1.75

3.21

 12.48

3.27

22.48

61.77

100.00

The larger percentage of "fine washings" (decomposed and unidentifiable minerals, consisting largely of fine clay or silicate of 

alumina) in the red clay testifies to its slow accumulation, which gives 

time for mineral decomposition, and the larger percentage of "minerals" 

(undecomposed volcanic material) in the blue mud is evidence of its 

more rapid accumulation. The percentage of red clay composed 

of remains of organisms, both lime carbonate and siliceous (9.09 

per cent), as compared with the percentage of such remains in the 

blue mud (15.75 per cent) is to be interpreted as due to slower accumulation in the red clay of the remains of pelagic organisms rather 

than faster accumulation of the inorganic material, for the percentage of lime carbonate in the red clay decreases very rapidly below 

2,200 fathoms, owing to greater solution of. the calcareous tests in 

falling through greater depths of the sea water. Apparently, therefore, nothing in the comparative mechanical analyses of the red clay 

and the blue mud will serve to give a workable estimate of their 

relative rates of deposition.

The only observations bearing on the rate of deposition of materials on the sea floor are those of Peake, quoted by Murray.3 A 

telegraph cable raised from a depth of 2,000 fathoms was found to

1 Clarke, F. W., Some geochemical statistics: Am. Philos. Soc. Proc., vol. 51, p. 232,1912. 

. 2 Murray, John, and Renard, A. F., Deep-sea deposits: Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger, pp. 197,232,1891. 

3 Murray, John, and Hjort, Johan, The depths of the ocean, pp. 169-170, London, 1912.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 75

be covered with Globigerina ooze after having lain 13 years. It was 

concluded that ooze equal to the thickness of the cable (1 inch) had 

been deposited in about 10 years. Assuming, with Clarke, that 

deposition has been going on for 83,472,000 years, and, with Seelheim, that the compacted layers would be more than twice as dense 

as the upper inch, we should get a depth of Globigerina ooze of 

approximately 300,000 feet, which is manifestly excessive, either 

for general or for local pelagic sedimentation.

Another line of observation offers some clue to the relative rate 

of deposition of the red clay and the blue mud, as well as of the 

Globigerina ooze. Murray says: 1

Magnetic or cosmic spherules were found in greatest abundance in the red clays 

of the central and southern Pacific; in short, in the deepest water, at points farthest removed from continental masses of land. When the magnetic particles are 

extracted from about a quart of the clay from these regions, it is usual to observe 

among these between 20 and 30 of the small black spherules, with or without metallic 

nuclei, and 5 or 6 of the brown magnetic spherules with crystalline structure.

Again, if a quart of Globigerina ooze, pteropod ooze, diatom ooze, blue mud, or 

other terrigenous deposit, be examined in the same way as a red clay or radiolarian 

ooze from the deep region of the central Pacific, as a general rule no, or at most only 

one or two, magnetic spherules will be observed among the magnetic particles.

As the rain of cosmic or meteoric spherules must be practically the 

same over all parts of the sea as well as on the land, it would apparently follow from the foregoing that the deposition of the blue mud, 

etc., goes on 15 to 20 tunes as rapidly as the deposition of the red clay. 

If, therefore, the assumption of 800 feet, based on Clarke's calculations lor the thickness of the terrigenous deposits, be good, the rate of 

deposition of the red clay would indicate for it a thickness between 

40 and 50 feet.

If we bear in mind Clarke's estimate of approximately 200 feet for 

the depth of chemical sedimentation in the terrigenous area, as well 

as the evidently much slower accumulation of chemical sediments in 

the pelagic area, and if we remember further that over 90 per cent 

of the red clay consists of minerals and fine clay resulting from the 

decomposition of meteoric and terrestrial dust, it seems likely that 

the contributions of dust particles would make up in good part for 

the deficiency of chemical sediments, and that 100 feet may be a 

reasonable minimum estimate of the thickness of the red clay. This 

estimate may be compared with the anonymous estimate of 500 feet 

quoted by Lane.2

Accepting these estimates of 800 feet thickness for the blue mud 

and 100 feet for the red clay and applying them to the total lead and 

zinc in 1 foot thickness of those deposits, we get approximately 

400,000,000,000 short tons of lead and 200,000,000,000 tons of zinc

1 Murray, John, and Renard, A. F., Deep-sea deposits: Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger, pp. 332-333,1891. 

a Lane, A. C., Meteor dust as a measure of geologic time: Science, vol. 37, p. 674,1913.
76 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

in the red clay and 51,000,000,000 tons of lead and 9,600,000,000,000 

tons of zinc in the blue mud, a staggering total of 451,000,000,000 

tons of lead and 9,800,000,000,000 tons of zinc in two classes of 

sediments covering about half the area of the deep-sea deposits. 

Without doubt similar composite analyses of the other classes 

of terrigenous deposits would show that they too contain analogous quantities of the metals. These figures, of course, are mere 

approximations and, like Clarke's estimates of the thickness of 

the terrigenous clays, represent orders of magnitude only. Their 

usefulness consists in forcing the realization that the sediments are 

great storehouses of the metals.

ORIGIN OF THE METALS IN THE OCEANIC SEDIMENTS.

It is pertinent to inquire as to the source of the metals in the 

oceanic deposits. Murray believes that the greater part of the 

pelagic red clay is material of volcanic or meteoric origin, consisting 

of dust which has been carried out to sea, and that comparatively 

little of it is water-borne sediment or has been derived by chemical 

precipitation from the sea. Under this, conception the inference 

would be that the metals had their source in the volcanic and meteoric 

dusts, and this conclusion is drawn by Murray.1 This origin may be 

true for the red clay; but it seems to the writer that the total percentage of arsenic, nickel, cobalt, copper, lead, and zinc in the red 

clay (0.0637 per cent) as compared with the total percentage of these 

metals (0.0981 per cent) in the .blue mud (which is unquestionably 

in large part of clastic origin and was derived from the land masses 

and in which -the volcanic and meteoric contributions have been 

much diluted by the water-borne clastic sediments) shows that the 

metalliferous constituents have been added in a quantity greater 

than that of the clastic material. Hence we must conclude either 

that the water-borne clastic material is more than equally metal 

bearing with the volcanic and meteoric material, or that the two kinds 

of sediments, derived from diverse sources and holding reasonably 

sunilar quantities of the metals, have had those metals added in part 

at least from a third source that is, the sea. The latter alternative 

is rendered plausible by the known presence of zinc and lead in sea 

water at different places, in corals, in the ashes of seaweed, and 

lastly in the manganese nodules, the analysis of which is cited above. 

This alternative is further strengthened by the fact that the analysis 

of a composite sample of silt from the Mississippi Delta (see p. 72), 

mud derived from a drainage basin producing fully half the lead and 

zinc of the United States, shows5 that mud to contain only one-half 

as much lead and one-eighth as much zinc as the terrigenous blue 

mud deposited at great distances from the land. These observations

i Murray, John, and Eenard, A. F., Deep-sea deposits: Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger, p. 377,1891.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 77

are in accord with the conclusions of Luther Wagoner,1 who, in studying deep-sea dredgings, found that "The general result of the assays 

indicates, that the bed of the Atlantic, whether coastal or pelagic, 

carries appreciable amounts of gold and silver, and that the deep-sea 

bottom is relatively richer in gold than that nearer the shore line." 

The metals, therefore, seem to be transported in solution and not as 

integral parts of the silt. Moreover, the carbonaceous silts.do not 

seem to be effective as precipitants of the metals.

Murray 2 suggests that the colloidal character of the clay particle 

enables it to attract to and incorporate with itself fine particles of 

other substances, a phenomenon which we now recognize as adsorption. Sullivan 3 has shown that the natural silicates precipitate the 

metals from solutions of salts by interchange of bases, a process in 

which adsorption plays little if any part. Murray and Irvine 4 

conclude:

That wherever organic matter is in process of decomposition in sea water, a reduction of trie sulphur salts of the alkalies and alkaline earths contained therein takes 

place, with the result that the alkalinity of the water is increased.

That when the above reaction takes place in the water at the bottom, or associated 

with the deposit on the bottom, a portion, and sometimes all, of the sulphur in the 

sea-water salts is removed and deposited as sulphide of iron, thu's giving the characteristic blue-black color to the terrigenous deposits known as blue muds.

The sea, as we have seen, contains in solution copper, lead, zinc, 

and other metals which may be abstracted from the water and 

deposited with the sediments by the above-mentioned or analogous 

processes. The terrigenous deposits contain nearly as high a percentage of clayey material as do the pelagic deposits, and about 

twice as high a percentage of organic remains as the pelagic deposits. 

The heavier percentage of the metals in the blue mud is thus easily 

accounted for.

METALS DISSEMINATED IN THE ROCKS OF THE REGION.

Metal content of the Archean rocks of Missouri. The analyses by 

Robertson, cited below, which were made on unusually large quantities of material, show that the pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks of 

the St. Francis Mountains contain notable percentages of lead, zinc, 

and copper. The ore body at the Einstein silver mine, as described 

by Winslow,5 was a true vein associated with basic dikes in the

1 Wagoner, Luther, The presence of gold and silver in deep-sea dredgings: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., 

vol. 38, p. 705,1908.

2 Murray, John, and Renard, A. F., Deep-sea deposits: Voyage of H. M. S. Challenger, footnote, 

p. 196,1891.

a Sullivan, E.G., The interaction between minerals and water solutions, with special reference to 

geologic phenomena: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 312, pp. 37-64,1907.

 » Murray, John, and Irvine, Robert, On the chemical changes which take place in the composition of sea 

water associated with blue muds on the floor of the ocean: Roy. Soc. Edinburgh Trans., vol. 37, p. 500, 

1895.

5Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 701-702,1894.
78 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

Archean granite and carried argentiferous galena. Buckley 1 cites 

other veins showing lead and zinc in the crystalline area.

Metal content of Archean rocks.a 

[J. D. Robertson, analyst.]

Total.........................................................

Ratio of zinc to lead=l:0.440; ratio of zinc to copper=l:0.653.

Zinc.

Percent. 

0.00240

.00300 

.00139

.00160 

.01760

.01650 

( .01600

\ .01360

.07209

00901

Lead.

Per cent. 

0.00272

.00204 

.00204

.00197 

.00496

.00509 

.00680

.00612

.03174

nfWQ7

Copper.

Per cent. 

0.01040

.01000 

.00240

.00290 

.00400

.00300 

.00720

.00720

.04710

nnwn

a "Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, p. 479,1894.

Metal content of the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites. The Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites of the Ozark region also contain lead 

and zinc in measurable quantities, according to the following analyses 

by Robertson:

Metal content of "Silurian" [Cambrian and Ordovician] magnesian limestones in

Missouri. °

[J. D. Robertson, analyst.]

Miller County, Rothwell diggings ........ .

St. Francois County, Desloge mine ................................

Total .........................................................

Ratio of zinc to lead=l:0.224; ratio of zinc to copper= 1:0.297.

Zinc.

Percent. 

0. 01528

. 01536 

.00080

.00024 

.00040

.00040 

.00528

.00503 

.00408

.00400 

.00016

.05103 nfuo^

Lead.

Per cent. 

0.00041

.00051 

.00156

.00143 

Trace.

.00129

.00129 

.00102

.00132 

.00136

. .00130

.01149

fififlQfi

Copper.

Per cent. 

0.00208

.00200 

.00040

.00064 

.00048

.UU1U5

.00240

.00256 

.00056

.00192 

.00056

.00048

.01516

.00126

a Winslow, Arthur, op. cit., p. 480.

A series of limestones from Iowa was analyzed by Dr. J. B. Weems,2 

who used the large-quantity methods of Robertson, with the results 

given in the following table:

1 Buckley, E. R., Lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: Types of ore deposits, p. 105,1911.

2 Calvin, Samuel, and Bain, H. F., Geology of Dubuque County: Iowa Geol. Survey, vol. 10, p. 567,1900.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 79

Metal content of limestones and dolomites in Iowa. 

[J. B. Weems, analyst.]

Total .........................................................................

Ratio of zinc to lead=l: 11.1.

Zinc.

Per cent. 

0.00072 

. 00016

.00040

.00136

. 00264 

.00029

Lead.

Per cent. 

0.00587 

.00525 

.00465 

. 00567 

. 00280 

.00060 

.00101 

.00143 

.00204

. 02932 

. 00326

Metal content of the Mississippian limestones. The Mississippian 

limestones, when analyzed by the large-quantity methods of Robertson, show appreciable quantities of copper, lead, and zinc.

Metal content of Mississippian limestones in Missouri.0- 

[J. D. Robertson, analyst.)

Total.........................................................

Ratio of zinc to lead 1:1.107; ratio of zinc to copper= 1:1.817.

Zinc.

Per cent. 

(Trace.

0. 00152

.00160 

f .00128 

\ . 00120

( . 00134

1 .00088

\ .00120 

/ .00072

\ . 00080 

i Trace.

.00248

.00255

. 01557

.001038

Lead.

Per cent. 

0.00061

.00068

.00048 

. 00084 

.00088

.00027

.00260

.00272 

.00346

.00333 

Trace.

Trace. 

.00068

.00068

.01723

.001149

Copper.

Per cent. 

0.00048

Traco. 

.00048

.00048 

.00096 

.00048

.00128

.00120 

.00880

.00865 

.00012

.00040 

.00256

.00240

.02829

.00202

a Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, p. 481,1894.

Metal content of the Pennsylvanian shales. Chemical analyses have 

been recently cited 1 to show that carbonaceous shales of Pennsylvanian age in Missouri and of Ordovician (Maquoketa) age in the 

upper Mississippi Valley region carry lead and zinc in measurable 

quantities as an original constituent of the shale. At most of the 

places cited, however, the close association of these disseminations 

with deposits plainly of later origin and their proximity to the base 

of the shale formation, together with the difficulty of distinguishing

1 Buckley, E. R., Geology of the disseminated lead deposits of St. Francois and Washington counties: 

Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, vol. 9, p. 221,1909. Cox, G. H., The origin of thelead and zinc ores of the 

upper Mississippi Valley district: Econ. Geology, vol. 6, p. 587,1911.
80 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

such minute later deposits of lead and zinc in a dark substance, like 

carbonaceous shale, do not incline one to view these disseminations 

as examples of sedigenetic deposits. Considerations that affect the 

transportation for long distances of lead and zinc in water carrying 

carbonaceous matter and increase the probability that these deposits 

are secondary have been discussed on pages 69-70.

It is possible that analyses, similar to Robertson's, of the shales 

of Pennsylvanian age around the border of the uplift would yield 

appreciable quantities of the metals. If investigation should prove 

the general presence of the metals in these shales it seems safe to 

suppose that the more resistant sulphides of copper, nickel, cobalt, 

and iron will compose a much larger percentage of the total in these 

rocks than in the limestones. The more resistant sulphides are last 

to be taken into solution, as has been shown on page 44. As the 

Pennsylvanian shales were laid down over nearly all the dome, it 

seems likely that the crystalline rocks were the only available source 

of metals. As these rocks were in preceding periods leached of their 

more soluble metals and furnished the metal content of the Cambrian, 

Ordovician, and Mississippian rocks, it seems only reasonable to 

suppose that we should find that in the Pennsylvanian shales the 

more resistant sulphides exceed in amount the less resistant sulphides, or at least that we should find them in greater proportion 

in these than in the earlier sediments. It is interesting to note in 

this connection that a single qualitative analysis of Pennsylvanian 

shale from the Sullivan mine shaft at Miami, Okla., made in the 

chemical^ laboratory of the United States Geological Survey by E. C. 

Sullivan, determined the presence not only of a small quantity of 

zinc but of an even larger quantity of nickel.

Comparison of the metal content of different rocks. The localities 

from which the samples came, the care used in sampling, and the 

special methods of analysis are described in the volume of the Missouri Geological Survey cited in connection with the analyses. Some 

of the samples were collected at considerable distances from known 

bodies of ore and a few from points entirely outside the mining 

districts.

Though the large-quantity analyses do not show the iron content 

of the Archean crystalline rocks or of the limestones, it is certain that 

both classes of rocks contain much more iron than copper, lead, or 

zinc. It should be remembered that the crystalline rocks contain 

the famous deposits of Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob.

The average zinc, lead, and copper content, as shown by the 

analyses of the crystalline rocks of the Cambrian and Ordovician 

dolomites and of the Mississippian limestones of Missouri, as well as 

the ratios of the metals to each other in each of the different groups 

of rocks named, is a matter of much interest. The large-quantity
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 81

analyses of Robertson, quoted*below, show that on the average the 

total content of zinc, lead, and copper in the crystalline rocks is 

almost three times as large as in the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites, and nearly five'times as large as that in the Mississippian 

limestones. Zinc is on the average more than twice as plentiful in 

the crystalline rocks as in the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites 

and nearly nine tunes as plentiful as in the Mississippian limestones. 

Lead is on the average more than four times as plentiful in the 

crystalline rocks as it is in the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites 

and not quite four times as plentiful as in the Mississippian limestones. Copper is on the average almost five times as plentiful in 

the crystalline rocks as in the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites, 

but hardly three times as plentiful as in the Mississippian limestones. 

In the crystalline rocks there is on the average less than half as 

much lead as zinc and about two-thirds as much copper as zinc. 

In the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites there is a little less than 

one-fourth as much lead as zinc and a little less than one-third as 

much copper as zinc. In the Mississippian limestones there is on the 

average one-tenth more lead than zinc and eight-tenths more copper 

than zinc. These variations in the metal content of the rocks are 

strictly consistent, as will be shown later, if we assume that the 

metals were originally disseminated in the crystalline rocks and were 

dissolved, carried out to sea, and deposited hi disseminated form in 

the limestones forming at the bottom of the sea in different geologic

periods.

CONCLUSIONS.

As pointed out in the preceding pages, it is not maintained in this 

paper that all the zinc and lead in the Ozark deposits came originally 

from the igneous rocks of the St. Francis Mountains, but it is held 

that so far as the present segregation is concerned the metals were 

derived from the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones. The St. 

Francis Mountains doubtless contributed to the metal content of 

these limestones as well as to the other sediments found on the sea 

floor about the pre-Cambrian uplift, but, as indicated in the discussion of the origin of the metals in the deep-sea sediments (pp. 76-77), it 

is thought that a notable portion of the metal content of the Cambrian 

and Ordovician limestones as well as of the other sediments was 

contributed directly by the sea water itself.

THE QBE SOLUTIONS. 

SOLUTIONS IN GENERAL. '

The properties of liquid solutions are continuous functions of their 

composition, calculated in terms of the pure substances of which 

they are composed. * * * Any solution is therefore completely 

84551° Bull. 606 15 6
82 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

characterized by stating the nature and proportion- of the pure 

substances of which it is composed or into which it can be separated.1

The properties of a dilute salt solution are thus dependent upon 

those of its resulting free ions rather than on the properties of the 

dissolved salt as such. * * * The properties of salts in solution 

are merely the sum of the properties of their ions.2

The writer holds that the ore deposits of the Joplin region were 

precipitated from waters ascending under artesian pressure at or 

near the locality of deposition and that those waters were similar to 

waters now rising under similar conditions or in artesian wells in 

contiguous territory to the west. In order that these waters of the 

contiguous area may be easily studied and compared with the waters 

of the Joplin region and with the zinc-bearing waters of other regions 

it is desirable that then- quantitative analyses be reduced to some 

system whereby their composition and properties may be readily 

interpreted. Such a system, based on the general principles stated 

by Ostwald and quoted above, has been used by Stabler 3 and has 

been developed more fully by Chase Palmer. This system can best 

be briefly explained by quotations and summaries made from matter 

presented by the author last mentioned. For a fuller discussion of 

the subject the reader is referred to the publications cited.

GEOCHEMIOAL INTERPRETATION OF WATER ANALYSES.4

Terrestrial waters are essentially solutions of a few salts, and their chemical character, like that of solutions in general, depends on the nature and proportion of the 

substances they contain. The interpretation of the chemical character of a water 

from the results of analysis is necessarily uncertain and unsatisfactory if it is based 

merely on the amounts of the radicles determined. In analytical chemistry, as in 

other branches of the science, the chemist considers the inherent properties of the 

radicles of substances, and hence his statement of the results of a water analysis should 

be framed in accordance with the chemical nature and the proportional amounts of 

the radicles determined in a solution of mixed salts. There is no lack of information 

concerning the amounts of the various materials dissolved in natural waters and the 

mutual relations of their parts. What the chemist especially needs is a form of statement that will adequately express these relations and disclose the true proportions 

of the radicles. * * *

Two forms of stating the amounts of mineral materials dissolved in water have been 

widely used. * * *

The older form, which represents the radicles as grouped together in arbitrary combinations, has by no means lost all adherents. It seems to be held in especial favor 

by the engineer because it gives the amount of dissolved material in terms which 

enable him to determine the corresponding amounts of substances necessary to fit a 

water for special industrial uses. The geologist, however, long ago realized that this

1 Ostwald, W., The fundamental principles of chemistry, pp. 97,119,1909.

2 Ostwald, W., The scientific foundations of analytical chemistry, p. 51,1908.

s Stabler, Herman, Some stream waters of the western United States, with chapters on sediment carried 

by the Rio Grande and the industrial application of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 274, pp. 165-181, 1911.

* Palmer, Chase, The geochemical interpretation of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 479, pp. 

5-12,1911.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 83

form of expressing the chemical character of a water is inadequate to the exacting 

demands of research and has resorted to the form of statement in which the amounts of 

the radicles determined are given as independent units. In other words, he has practically abandoned a form of chemical expression and has adopted instead a statement 

of physical results. Chemical literature furnishes abundant evidence that the statement of water analyses in a form which does not recognize the proportional reaction 

capacity of the radicles fails to show the chemical character of the waters. Waters 

differing widely in character may be grouped together as similar if the classification 

is based on the preponderance of any radicle that may be considered as dominant in 

a solution of salts or on the apparent predominance of two or more radicles selected 

merely because they contribute largely to the weight of the mixture. Such classifications may be interesting from several points of view, but they are unreliable guides 

to the solution of geologic problems involving chemical processes. Furthermore, 

chemists whose attention is fixed on the physical weights of the radicles, which are 

assumed to be free and independent, may easily fail to observe important facts concerning the chemical character of waters, especially facts relating to geology.

One advantage of the ionic form of stating water analyses is that it assigns weights 

directly to the chemically active parts of the dissolved substances instead of using 

those parts to build imaginary structures. The statement of the amounts of the radicles, however, indicates only the chemical composition of a water, not its character, 

for the physical weight of a radicle is no criterion of its chemical value in a system of dissolved salts such as exists in water. On the other hand, if the radicles are considered 

not as matter subject only to the law of gravitation, but rather as individuals acting 

together under the law of equivalent combining weights, contributing their proportional shares to the final balance of the system, the meaning of the results of a mineral 

analysis of water can be expressed clearly and precisely.

The reaction capacities of the radicles of the salts dissolved in water are the quotients obtained by dividing the weight of each radicle by its corresponding equivalent 

combining weight, or by multiplying by the reciprocal of its equivalent combining 

weight. * * *

The weights of the radicles have thus been resolved to values which are chemically 

measurable by a common standard. The unit of measurement is the milligram of 

hydrogen, in conformity with the international acceptance of hydrogen as the standard of reaction capacity. * * * As "milligram equivalents" chemists have long 

used reacting values to determine the accuracy of analyses.

To compare accurately two analyses expressed in reacting values 

they should be reduced to the same degree of concentration, that is, 

of dilution. This is readily accomplished by expressing the reacting 

values of each radicle as a percentage of the sum total of the reacting 

value of all radicles.

PROPERTIES OF NATURAL WATERS.

Nearly all terrestrial waters have two general properties, salinity and alkalinity, on 

whose relative proportions their fundamental characters depend. Salinity is caused 

by salts that are not hydrolyzed; alkalinity is attributed to free alkaline bases produced by the hydrolytic action of water on solutions of bicarbonates and on solutions 

of salts of other weak acids.

All the positive radicles, including hydrogen, may participate in producing salinity; 

but of the negative radicles only those of the actively strong acids can perform a similar function. Likewise all the positive radicles may participate in producing alkalinity; but of the negative radicles only those of the weaker acids may participate. 

The principal strong acids in natural waters are represented by the sulphates,
84 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

chlorides, and nitrates. The principal weak acids in such waters are indicated by 

the carbonates, sulphides, phosphates, etc. Since salinity depends on the combined 

activity of equal values of both positive and negative radicles, and since its degree is 

limited only by the reacting values of the strong acids, the full value of salinity is 

obtained by multiplying the total value of the strong acid radicles by 2.

The full value of alkalinity and at the same time due recognition of the parent 

substances which are the source of alkalinity can be obtained by doubling the values 

of the bases in excess of the values of the strong acids.

The positive radicles [bases] determined in a water analysis, in accordance with 

their properties, fall naturally into three groups, as follows:

[Primary bases.] Alkalies.

[Secondary bases.] Earths or alkaline earths.

[Tertiary bases.] Metals, including hydrogen.

The groups of positive radicles are measured by the sum of the reacting values of 

their members, and in accordance with the prevalence of the reacting values of the 

groups of positive radicles in the system, these special properties are possible, namely:

1. Primary salinity; that is, salinity not to exceed twice the sum of the reacting 

values of the radicles of the alkalies [or primary bases].

2. Secondary salinity; that is, the excess (if any) of salinity over primary salinity 

not to exceed twice the sum of the reacting values of the radicles of the alkaline 

earths [or secondary bases].

3. Tertiary salinity; that is, the excess (if any) of salinity over primary and secondary salinity.

4. Primary alkalinity; that is, the excess (if any) of twice the sum of the reacting 

values of the alkalies [primary bases] over salinity.

5. Secondary alkalinity; that is, the excess (if any) of twice the sum of the reacting 

values of the radicles of the alkaline earths [secondary bases] over secondary alkalinity. 1

Palmer 2 has recently restated somewhat more concisely the conclusions stated in the second paragraph under the heading "Properties of natural waters/' as follows:

All the radicles of the alkalies and alkaline earths tend to form alkaline solutions, 

but only the strong acid radicles (s/ulphate, chloride, nitrate) can overcome this 

tendency and render an alkaline solution neutral or saline. The sum of the reacting 

values of the strong acid radicles is therefore a measure of the salinity (saltness) of a 

natural water which is a solution of salts of strong and weak acids. The sum of the 

reacting values of the metallic radicles in excess of the values of the strong acids is 

a measure of the alkalinity of a water.

In considering the analyses here given it is found that in six 

waters, the mineral content of which was probably derived in part 

from the oxidation of metallic sulphides, there is an excess of the 

positive radicles of the primary, secondary, and tertiary groups over 

the radicles of the strong acids, an excess which is balanced by 

radicles of the weaker acids. The resulting property has been called 

" sub alkalinity" by Stabler, or, in consonance with the terms used

1 Palmer, Chase, The geochemical interpretation of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 479, pp. 

11-12,1911.

2 Stephenson, L. W., A deep well at Charleston, S. C., with a report on the mineralogy of the water by 

Chase Palmer: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 90, p. 92,1914.
GENESIS OF THE OKES. 85

above, it may be called " tertiary alkalinity," that is, the excess (if 

any) of twice the sum' of the reacting values of the radicles of the 

metals [or tertiary bases] over the tertiary salinity.

The character of natural waters with reference * * * to their solvent action on 

minerals with which they may come in contact, to sedimentary deposits that they 

are likely to form, * * * and to their chemical action in general can best be 

portrayed by a statement of as many of the * * * special properties above mentioned as may be found, expressed in percentages of their totality. 1

If natural waters, which are dilute solutions of mixed salts, are 

regarded as homogeneous substances, then their inert or feebly active 

constituents, such as free carbon dioxide, free hydrogen sulphide, 

and colloids, may be considered as accessories not involved in the 

activities of the solution, upon which they are simply superimposed; 

hence they may be excluded from the percentage characterization 

of the water; and in the following interpretations of analyses of 

waters they have been so excluded.

Palmer 2 has given the reaction coefficients of a number of the 

more common bases and radicles in natural waters; he has shown in 

the tables a convenient method of setting down the reacting values 

and their percentage calculations; and he has also shown the geochemical interpretation of the waters by representing the properties 

of the radicles and bases grouped as percentage of primary, secondary, 

or tertiary alkalinity or salinity. In the accompanying tables of 

analyses, this plan, somewhat abbreviated, has been followed. The 

analyses are grouped by State and country of origin of the water, 

but each analysis bears its serial number in the synoptical chart, by 

which it may also be easily identified in the list of localities.

ACIDITY, NEUTRALITY, AND ALKALINITY OF WATERS.

Many chemical reactions turn upon the acidity or alkalinity of the 

solution, and in ore deposition certain minerals characterize deposits 

made by acid ore solutions and a different set of minerals characterizes 

deposits made by neutral or alkaline ore solutions. Dilute solutions 

that are nearly neutral and that contain alkaline-earthy carbonates 

and are in contact with air containing carbon dioxide, may at different 

times be slightly acid, neutral, or slightly alkaline, their character 

varying with variations in the temperature, in the pressure of carbon 

dioxide, and other conditions. The acidity or alkalinity is usually 

ascertained by adding to the solution certain organic substances 

called indicators, which assume one color in acid solutions and a 

markedly different color in alkaline solutions.

1 Palmer, Chase, The geochemical interpretation of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 479, p. 12,1911.

2 Idem, pp. 8,9,13, and 14. "
86 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

The difficulties in determining acidity or alkalinity by means of 

indicators have been recently set forth by Walker and Kay, * by 

Washburn,2 and by Moir.3 The following quotation is from Walker 

and Kay:

Natural waters may be acid, neutral, or alkaline according to the substances which, 

are dissolved in them. The acidity or alkalinity of water is usually determined by 

means of an indicator, but since different indicators yield different results, and as 

the selection of an indicator is largely a matter of individual habit, it not infrequently 

happens that one and the same sample of water is reported as acid by one analyst 

and as alkaline by another. * * *

Neutrality, acidity, and alkalinity. The properties which we include under the 

general term "acidity" are due to the presence of the acid ion, hydrion, Hg , in water; 

the properties which we include under the general term "alkalinity" are due to the 

alkaline ion, hydroxidion, OH', in water. Absolutely pure water has these two 

opposed substances in chemically equivalent proportions, and is neutral, and all 

truly neutral solutions have the same concentration of hydrion and hydroxidion in 

them as pure water. The concentrations of the two ions are of course equal, and 

the following table contains the values given by A. A. Noyes for different temperatures:

0° C................................ T........ 0. 30X10-7 normal.

18° C........................................ 0. 68X10"7 normal.

25° C........................................ 0. 91X10-7 normal.

100° C....................................... 6. 9 X1CT7 normal.

Now, according to the ionization theory, the product of the concentrations of 

hydrion and hydroxidion in any dilute solution must always be equal to the corresponding product of pure water at the same temperature. All solutions, then, with 

a hydrion concentration greater than 0.68X10~7 at 18° are acid, and the hydrion concentration may be taken as a measure of the extent of the acidity. All solutions 

with a smaller concentration of hydrion than 0.68 X10~7 are alkaline, and the hydrion 

concentration may be taken likewise as a measure of alkalinity.

Relative acidity and alkalinity. For theoretical purposes this mode of stating 

acidity or alkalinity in terms of hydrion (or hydroxidion) concentration is convenient, 

but for the practical requirements of the water analyst it is unsuited, owing to the 

rapid variation with temperature, and also to the smallness of the concentrations 

dealt with.

We therefore propose for practical purposes that the acidity or alkalinity of a solution be stated in terms of the acidity or alkalinity of ideally pure water at the same 

temperature. In short, we propose that (just as in the case of density, specific heat, 

and many other physical properties) water be taken as standard substance and that 

the acidity or alkalinity of all aqueous solutions be referred to it under the same 

conditions. We therefore take the acidity of pure water=1, and the alkalinity of 

pure water=l at all temperatures, no matter what the actual value of the hydrion 

concentration may be. That the acidity and alkalinity of pure water should be each 

made equal to 1 is necessary, since neutral water can have no excess of either.

Thus a water which has a hydrion concentration of 1.36X10"7 and a. hydroxidion 

concentration of 0.34X10"7 at 18° would be stated to have a relative acidity of 2 and a 

relative alkalinity of 0.5. Under this system the product of relative acidity and

1 Walker, James, and Kay, S. A., The acidity and alkalinity of natural waters: Soc. Chem. Ind. Jour., 

vol. 31, pp. 1013-1016,1912.

2 Washburn, E. W., The significance of the term alkalinity in water analysis and the determination of 

alkalinity by means of indicators: Illinois Water-Supply Assoc. Proc. second meeting, pp. 93-101,1910.

s Moir, James, The determination of the acidity or alkalinity of waters a study in indicators: South 

Africa Chem., Met. and Mining Soc. Jour., vol. 14, pp. 114-118,1913.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 87

relative alkalinity must alawys be equal to 1, that being the value of the product for 

pure water. In practice the value of the relative acidity alone would be given for 

acid waters, and of relative alkalinity alone for alkaline waters. * * *

Relation between temporary hardness and acidity. In contrast with pure water, which 

is neutral, distilled water, in equilibrium with air and free from all impurities except 

dissolved air, is acid. The only substance in the (pure) atmosphere which confers 

acidity on water is carbon dioxide, and the relative acidity of water in equilibrium 

with air may be calculated from known data to be about 20.

It Ls a common experience to find that ordinary distilled water has a marked acidity 

toward phenolphthalein, and as a rule the relative acidity will be found to exceed 20. 

This is due to it containing excess of carbon dioxide derived from the bicarbonates 

in the water which is being distilled.

Natural waters containing dissolved bicarbonates in addition to carbon dioxide 

may be neutral, alkaline, or acid. The degree of hydrolysis of the bicarbonate, 

which varies with the concentration of the carbon dioxide in the water, is the chief 

factor which determines the alkalinity (or acidity) and, for a given hardness, if the 

concentration of the carbon dioxide is fixed, the hydrolysis, and hence the alkalinity 

of the water, will have a perfectly definite value. If air free from carbon dioxide is 

passed through the water the concentration of the carbon dioxide in the water will 

ultimately become zero and the water will become alkaline.

Treatment with ordinary air, on the other hand, may either increase or diminish 

the alkalinity of the water. The concentration of the carbon dioxide in the water, 

whatever it may originally be, reaches a fixed value at equilibrium, and the "temporary " hardness of the water determines whether the ultimate state of the water will 

be neutral, alkaline, or acid. In other words, the relative alkalinity of the water, 

if it is in equilibrium with air, depends on the "temporary" hardness. If the 

"temporary" hardness of a natural water, commonly ascertained by measuring the 

so-called "alkalinity" with standard acid and methyl orange, is really due to bicarbonates alone, the relative alkalinity of "the natural water, after it is brought into 

equilibrium with air, ought to be^ equal to that of a synthetic water of the same temporary hardness. * * *

Practical applications. The method sketched out above is of importance as affording a means for determining the actual acidity or alkalinity of a water, and not merely 

the potential acidity or alkalinity as given by ordinary titration. It is on this actual 

state of the water that the rate of its action on metals, etc., depends. For example, 

a very soft natural water of relative acidity 1.3 had its acidity increased to 5.0 after 

mechanical filtration with addition of aluminium sulphate. The quantity of aluminium sulphate added was equivalent to not more than half the temporary (bicarbonate) hardness present in the original water, so that the filtered water still possessed 

temporary hardness and contained no free acid save carbonic acid, to excess of which 

the high relative acidity was due. Yet the effect of the increased acidity was to 

increase the action of the filtered water on lead to three times that of the unfiltered 

water, and render the supply for this reason undesirable. The same filtered water 

was found to act briskly on mixed deposits of rust and the carbonates of lime and 

magnesia, dissolving the latter and liberating the iron rust.

Washburn x points out the contradictory results at which we may 

arrive by the use of different indicators, and gives a table showing 

the results in practice with a number of indicators. Some indicators 

change color when the solution is" slightly acid, others only when it is 

markedly acid. Some indicators are not affected by acid solutions,

i Washbum, E. W., op. cit.
88 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

but change color when the solution becomes slightly alkaline, and 

still others change only when it is pronouncedly alkaline. In the 

table the results of treating the indicators with solutions of different 

degrees of acidity and alkalinity are arranged progressively, leading 

from those which are affected only by strongly acid solutions to 

those which are affected only by decidedly alkaline solutions. It is 

manifest that the neutrality of a solution can be determined only by 

taking the middle point in the change of an indicator which shows 

some variation in color throughout the range from slightly acid to 

neutral to slightly alkaline. Litmus is such an indicator, being redviolet in slightly acid solutions, violet in neutral solutions, and blue 

in slightly alkaline solutions. It is frequently difficult to determine 

the neutral tint of an indicator such as litmus, and Moir 1 has devised 

an ingenious apparatus consisting of two parallel-walled glass cells, 

the distance between the walls of which is equal. The cells are filled 

with the same litmus solution; to one is added a measured quantity 

of acid and to the other an equivalent quantity of alkali. They are 

then placed side by side and the tint observed by looking through 

both at once is obviously the same as that of a single solution at 

exactly its middle point. Manifestly this method can be used only 

with indicators that exhibit some change of color on each side of the 

neutral point.

Cohn 2 mentions a useful combination of indicators for solutions 

not varying much from the neutrality point as follows:

The mixture of methyl orange and phenolphthalein was recommended by Gawalowski as an excellent neutrality indicator. The neutral point is indicated by a 

lemon-yellow color. The slightest excess of either acid or alkali causes a change of 

color, the acid affording a deep pink, the alkali a fine red.

ANALYSES OF ZINC-BEARING AND BELATED WATERS. 

SOURCES OF INFORMATION.

Almost all the water analyses that have been here cited as having 

a bearing on the genesis of ores in the Ozark region are analyses of 

sulphate waters that is, of mine waters and so-called " alum" waters. 

It has seemed desirable to make a rather complete collection of analyses of waters of all classes known to contain zinc or lead. In the 

compilation of these analyses the following publications, among 

others, have been examined:

Foreign.

CARNOT, A., Analyses des eaux mine'rales francaises: Annales des mines, 8th ser., 

vol. 7, pp. 79-144, 1885; 9th ser., vol. 6, pp. 355-457, 1894; 9th ser., vol. 16, p. 33- 

94,1899.

1 Moir, James, op. cit., p. 116.

a Cohn, A. I., Indicators and test papers, their source, preparation, application, and tests for sensitiveness, 

2d ed., p. 267, New York, 1907.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 89

Deutsches Baderbuch, Leipzig, 1907.

JACQUOT, E., and WILLM, E., Les eaux mine'rales de la France, Paris, 1894.

Jahrbiicher des Nassauischen vereins fur Naturkunde, Wiesbaden, vols. 27-66, 1873-

1913. 

LIVERSIDGE, A., SKEY, W., and GRAY, G., On the composition and properties of the

mineral waters of Australasia: Australasian Assoc. Adv. Sci., vol. 7, pp. 87-108,

1898. 

RASPE, FRIEDRICH, Heilquellen-Analysen, Dresden, 1885.

American.

ADAMS, F. D., and LEROY, 0. E., The artesian and other deep wells on the island of 

Montreal: Canada Geol. Survey Ann. Rept., vol. 14, pt. 0, 1905.

ANDERSON, WINSLOW, Mineral springs and health resorts of California, 1892.

BAILEY, E. H. S., Special report on mineral waters: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 

7,1902.

BARTOW, EDWARD, and others, The mineral content of Illinois waters: Illinois Geol. 

Survey Bull. 10,1909.

BRANNER, J. C., The mineral waters of Arkansas: Arkansas Geol. Survey Ann. Rept. 

1891, vol. 1,1892.

CLAPP, F. G., Underground waters of southern Maine: U. S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 223, 1909.

CLARKE, F. W., The data of geochemistry, 2d ed.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 491,1911. 

Chapter 6 (pp. 168-205) gives analyses of many mineral wells and springs. On pp. 

204-205 is given a list of published collections of water analyses which, in addition 

to the foregoing, includes several collections of analyses of foreign mineral waters.

 Water analyses from the laboratory of the United States Geological Survey:

U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 364, 1914.

CROOK, J. K., The mineral waters of the United States, Philadelphia, 1899. 

DEUSSEN, ALEXANDER, Geology and underground waters of the southeastern part

of-the Texas Coastal Plain: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 335, 1914. 

DUCLOUX, E. H., Aguas minerales alcalinas de la Republica Argentina: Revista del

Museo de La Plata, vol. 14, pp. 9-52, 1907. 

DUCLOUX, E. H. and L. H., Las aguas minerales de los valles de Hualffn y otros

de la Provincia de Catamarca: Revista del Museo de La Plata, vol. 16, pp. 51-120,

1909. 

FULLER, M. L., Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1903: U. S.

Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 102, 1904.

 Contributions to the hydrology of eastern United States, 1904: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, 1905.

Underground-water papers, 1910: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper

258, 1911. 

FULLER, M. L., and CLAPP, F. G., The underground waters of southwestern Ohio,

with a discussion of the chemical character of the waters by R. B. Dole: U. S.

Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 259, 1912. . 

GORDON, C. H., Geology and underground waters of northeastern Texas: U. S. Geol.

Survey Water-Supply Paper 276, 1911. 

 Geology and underground waters of the Wichita region, north-central Texas:

U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 317, 1913.

GOULD, C. N., Geology and water resources of Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 148, 1905. 

HALL, C. W., and others, Geology and underground waters of southern Minnesota:

U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 256, 1911. 

HARRIS, G. D., VEATCH, A. C., and others, A report on the underground waters of

Louisiana: Louisiana Geol. Survey Bull. 1, 1905.
90 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

HAYWOOD, J. K., Mineral waters of the United States: U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. Chemistry Bull. 91, 1905.

HEADDEN, W. P., Colorado irrigation waters and their changes: Colorado Agr. Exp. 

Sta. Bull. 82, 1903.

 The Doughty springs, a group of radium-bearing springs on the North Fork 

of the Gunnison River, Delta County, Colo.: Colorado Sci. Soc. Proc., vol. 8, 

pp. 1-30, 1905.

Notes on some mineral springs: Colorado Sci. Soc. Proc., vol. 9, pp. 259-272,

1909. 

KELLY, CLYDE, and ANSPACH, E. V., A preliminary study of the waters of the Jemez

Plateau, N. Mex.: New Mexico Univ. Bull. 71, 1913. 

LANE, A. C., Lower Michigan mineral waters: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply

Paper 31, 1899. 

LEE, H. A., Mineral springs: Colorado Bur. Mines Ann. Kept, for 1897, pp. 145-154,

1898. 

LEE, W. T., Water resources of the Rio Grande valley in New Mexico and their

development: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 188, 1907. 

LOEW, OSCAR, Analyses of mineral springs and minerals: U. S. Geog. Surveys W.

100th Her., vol. 3. pp. 613-637, 1875.

 Report on the alkaline lakes, thermal springs, mineral springs, and brackish 

waters of southern California and adjacent country: U. S. Geog. Surveys W. 100th 

Mer. Ann. Rept. 1876, Appendix H 3, pp. 188-199, 1876.

MCCALLIE, S. W., A preliminary report on the underground waters of Georgia: Georgia 

Geol. Survey Bull. 15, 1908.

 A preliminary report on the mineral springs of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey

Bull. 20, 1913. 

MATSON, G. C., Water resources of the Blue Grass region, Kentucky, with a chapter

on the quality of the waters, by Chase Palmer: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply

Paper 233, 1909.

NORTON, W. H., Artesian wells of Iowa: Iowa Geol. Survey, vol. 6, pp. 115-428,1897. 

NORTON, W. H., and others, Underground water resources of Iowa: U. S. Geol. Survey

Water-Supply Paper 293, 1912. 

ORTON, EDWARD, The rock waters of Ohio: U. S. Geol. Survey Nineteenth Ann.

Rept., pt. 4, pp. 633-717, 1899. 

PALMER, CHASE. See also Matson, G. C.

 Mineralogy of waters from artesian wells at Charleston, S. C.: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 90, 1914.

The geochemical interpretation of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull.

479,1911. 

PARKER, H. N., Quality of the water supplies of Kansas: U. S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 273, 1911. 

PEALE, A. C., Lists and analyses of the mineral springs of the United States: U. S.

Geol. Survey Bull. 32, 1886.

PETER, A. M., Kentucky Agr. Exper. Sta. Ann. Repts. 9-24. 

PETER, ROBERT, Kentucky Geol. Survey Chem. Repts. 1-4. 

PRATT, J. H., Mineral waters: North Carolina Geol. and Econ. Survey Econ. Paper

15, pp. 74-145, 1908. 

SANFORD, SAMUEL, The underground water resources of the Coastal Plain province of

Virginia: Virginia Geol. Survey Bull. 5, 1913. 

SCHWEITZER, PAUL, A report on the mineral waters of Missouri: Missouri Geol. Survey,

vol. 3, 1892. 

SHEPARD, E. M., Underground waters of Missouri, their geology and utilization: TJ. S.

Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 195,1907.
GENESIS OF THE OKES. 91

SHEPARD, J. H., The artesian waters of South Dakota: South Dakota Agr. Coll. and

Exper. Sta. Bull. 41,1895. 

SIEBENTHAL, C. E., Geology and water resources of the San Luis Valley, Colo.:

U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 240, 1910. 

SKINNEK, W. W., American mineral waters; the New England States: U. S. Dept.

Agr. Bur. Chemistry Bull. 139, 1911.

SLOSSON, E. E., Water analyses: Wyoming Agr. Exper. Sta. Bull. 24, 1895. 

VAN WINKLE, WALTON, Quality of the surface waters of Washington: U. S. Geol.

Survey Water-Supply Paper 339, 1914. 

 Quality of the surface waters of Oregon: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply

Paper 363,1914. 

VEATCH, A. C., Geology and underground water resources of northern Louisiana and

southern Arkansas: TJ. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 46, 1906. 

WARING, G. A., Springs of California: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 338,

1915. 

WINCHELL, A. N., Petrology and mineral resources of Jackson and Josephine counties,

Oreg.: The mineral resources of Oregon, vol. ], No. 5, pp. 82-107, Oregon Bur.

Mines and Geology, 1914.

FOREIGN MINERAL WATERS (TABLE 1).

The Deutsches Baderbuch contains about 650 analyses of mineral 

waters of Germany, 35 of which record lead or zinc, or both, either in 

the water itself or in the sediment deposited by the water. Twentyone of the most modern of these analyses have been recalculated to 

the geochemical basis for comparison with the water of the Joplin 

region and are given in the accompanying tables. Of these 21 

analyses 11 show determinable quantities of the metals, 7 show 

traces only, and 9 show lead or zinc in the spring deposit. Of the 

total 21 analyses, 17 are of primary waters that is, waters in which 

the alkali bases exceed the alkaline-earth bases, among them the salt 

waters. All the analyses of foreign mineral waters given in the table 

are taken from the Baderbuch with the exception of five, the authority 

for which is stated in the list. The analysis of the water of N6ris-lesBains, by Willm, has been supplemented by a determination of 

fluorine by Gouvenain and by determinations of the metals by 

Carles.1

MINERAL WATERS OF EASTERN, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHERN STATES (TABLE 2).

Peale gives 20 analyses of waters containing zinc or lead, 17 of 

which are sulphate of "alum" waters carrying measurable quantities 

of zinc and 3 of which are carbonate waters. For reasons which 

will appear later it has not been deemed necessary to incorporate 

more than three or four analyses of sulphate waters in the table, as 

such waters result from the oxidation of metallic sulphides at shallow 

depths and will, of course, contain zinc if the original sulphide contamed zinc.

1 Carles, M. P., Presence de la baryte dans les eaux minSrales sulphatdes: Annales chim. anal., vol. 7, 

pp. 91-93,1902.
92 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Crook gives eight analyses as containing either measurable quantities or traces of lead or zinc. Most of these are given by Peale!

The analyses of mineral waters from the Eastern, Central, and 

Southern States, with the exceptions noted in the list, are given by 

Peale.

MINERAL WATERS OF KENTUCKY (TABLE 3).

The mineral springs of Kentucky have long been famous, and the 

waters of many of them have been- chemically analyzed, the results 

being published in reports made by Robert Peter and A. M. Peter. 

The analyses made prior to 1896 do not show the zinc content of 

these waters, but all Kentucky waters analyzed since that time have 

been examined for zinc. The total number of analyses of waters, 

qualitative and quantitative, published between 1896 and 1913 by 

the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station is 392, and 89 of 

these showed zinc in traces or in measurable quantity. Of the 392 

waters analyzed, 95 contained hydrogen sulphide and 11 others 

probably contained it, though the gas had escaped before the sample 

reached the laboratory. Of the waters containing hydrogen sulphide, 

49 carried sodium sulphide. Of the 89 waters containing zinc, 

36 contained hydrogen sulphide and 17 contained sodium sulphide. 

These figures are of interest in connection with the notes on pages 

48-49 in relation to the solution of zinc sulphide by excess of alkaline 

sulphides. The location of most of these wells and springs is shown on 

the accompanying sketch map of Kentucky (fig. 6).

Most of the analyses given in the reports of the Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station are qualitative, but 7 quantitative 

analyses of waters containing zinc are given in the accompanying 

table (pp. 120-123) together with 5 quantitative analyses made by 

Chase Palmer, 1 of the United States Geological Survey, which are 

stated 2 to show traces of zinc, although such traces are not noted in 

the analyses as originally published. The analyses are included in 

A. M. Peter's list of well waters showing zinc. Peter has very 

kindly permitted the use of the following unpublished paper describing 

the chemical methods used by him in determining the zinc content of 

mineral waters and giving a list of 89 zinc-bearing waters that had 

been analyzed prior to 1911. Peter 3 has since published qualitative analyses of 17 additional waters containing zinc in traces or in 

measurable quantities.

1 Water resources of the Blue Grass region: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 233, pp. 212-215, 

1909.

2 Oral communication by Chase Palmer.

s Peter, A. M., Averitt, S. D., and Sheed, O. M., Analyses of mineral and potable waters: Kentucky 

Agr. Exper. Sta. Twenty-fourth Ann. Rept., for 1911, pp. 329-346.
OS

O

FIGURE 6. Map of Kentucky showing location of zinc-bearing wells and springs. Th
94 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

THE OCCURRENCE OF ZINC IN KENTUCKY MINERAL WATERS. 

By A. M. PETER.I

Zinc is one of the metals that rarely appear in analyses of mineral 

waters. Indeed, I can not cite any American analysis in which it is 

shown, except those made by the Kentucky Experiment Station. 

On looking through Walton's "Mineral springs of the United States 

and Canada" (2d ed., 1874), which contains a very good collection of 

the older analyses, some 300 or 400 in number, I do not find its 

presence stated in any of the waters described, though Walton says, 

in the chapter on chemical constituents, that " traces of zinc * * * 

are sometimes detected." Haywood and Smith 2 report analyses of 

55 commercial waters, in none of which is the presence of zinc noted, 

and the method of analysis followed by these chemists does not provide for the detection of that metal. In the "Deutsches Baderbuch," published in Leipzig in 1907, which contains analyses of about 

650 mineral waters from the German Empire, I find zinc reported in 

only 18 waters and in the sinter deposited from 11 others.

These facts would seem to point to the rarity of zinc as a constituent of mineral waters, so I thought it might be of interest to 

present this note of work done in the laboratory of the Kentucky 

Agricultural Experiment Station, which shows that zinc is of common 

occurrence in certain classes of Kentucky waters and that its presence 

may be detected in many of them by a method of analysis not especially.refined. Since 1896, in which year I first noted the presence of 

zinc in a Kentucky mineral water, it has been our practice to test for 

that metal in the waters submitted to us for analysis. Upon looking 

through the annual reports of the station from 1896 to 1910,1 find the 

analyses of 392 samples of mineral water reported, and of these, 72 

show the presence of zinc in solution in the water and 17 in the sediment deposited from the sample on standing in the bottle, a total of 

89 samples in which zinc was found, presumably derived from the 

water. Most of these analyses are qualitative.

In our usual procedure the test for zinc is made upon the same portion of water that is used for testing for iodine, bromine, borate, and 

soluble carbonate and for spectroscopic examination.' For this purpose, one-half to 1 liter of the water is evaporated to dryness and 

the residue is extracted. with a very small quantity of hot water. 

This concentrated solution is examined for soluble carbonate, borate, 

iodine, and bromine by appropriate tests and is tested spectroscopically. The residue not soluble in water is treated with a little hydrochloric acid and examined spectroscopically to detect strontium,

1 Paper read before Am. Chem. Soc., Louisville section, Apr. 16,1910, but not submitted for publication 

by the society. Published here with certain additions by the author.

2 Haywood, J. K., and Smith, B. H., U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Chemistry, Bull. 91,1905.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 95

lithium, calcium, etc., after which enough hydrochloric acid is added 

to decompose all the carbonates, and also a few drops of nitric acid, 

to oxidize ferrous compounds and organic matter, and the solution is 

brought to dryness for the separation of silica. The residue is taken 

up with hydrochloric acid and water, filtered, and ammonium hydroxide is added for the precipitation of ferric and aluminum hydrates. 

A precipitate is filtered out and the clear filtrate is acidified with 

acetic acid and treated with hydrogen sulphide. A precipitate of 

white sulphide here indicates zinc. It may be filtered, washed, 

burned to oxide, and weighed, the oxide being recognizable as zinc 

oxide from its color being lemon-yellow while hot, but white on 

cooling. We have made only a very few weighings, as the quantities 

found were very small. Those tried range from 0.0003 to 0.0065 

gram zinc, calculated on the liter.

Summarizing the samples according to geologic formations, we 

have 1 sample from the Quaternary, 5 from the "Coal Measures" 

(Pennsylvanian), 25 from the Mississippian, 3 from the Devonian, 6 

from the Silurian, and 49 from the Ordovician. This classification is 

not exact, because it is made according to the surface geology of the 

counties without reference to the depth of the well. But I think it 

serves, to show that it is the water from the limestone formations that 

carries zinc.

Classifying the samples according to the character of the water, we 

have 37 samples from sulphur waters, mostly salt sulphur containing 

metallic sulphide, 20 from saline waters, including sulphated saline 

waters, 19 from alkaline calcium carbonate waters, including those 

also containing sodium carbonate, 7 from chalybeate waters containing ferrous carbonate, and 6 not classified. Of the 89 samples, zinc 

was'detected in the clear water of 68; in the remaining 21 it was detected only in the sediment which had formed in the bottle after 

standing.

It is interesting to note, also, that°the zinc in the sediment of the 

saline waters, most of which come from the limestones of the Ordovician formations, is usually in the form of sulphide.

The character of the 89 Kentucky mineral waters is shown in the 

folio whig table:
Kentucky mineral waters containing zinc

[Analyses made in laboratory of Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station and published i

County.

Alien.......

Do.....

Do....... . .

Bell..

Do.......

Bullitt......

Do.....

Do.......

Do.........

Butler. .....

Do...... ..' .

Do... .

Do.......

Do.......

Do......... ....

Do...............

Clark. ........

Do......... ....

Do...............

Do. ........ ....

Do...............

Do...............

Do......... ....

Do...............

Do...............

Do......... ...

Do...............

Do...............

Do......... ...

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

No. of 

annual 

report.

17

17

18

13

19

12

23

19

19

19

19

15

16

16

16

9

19

21

16

16

19

21

22

13

13

14

16

16

16

16

16

16

16

17

18

20

21

22

23

17

Page.

179

179

227

262

324

263

263

264

264

322

OOQ

289

290

265

489

291

292

265

4.QO

416

287

293

293

294

297

297

297

298

182

230

199

492

417

324

180

Laboratory No.

14479

14598

14790

7001

17092

5934

25851

17089

17221

17222

17226

10069

11704

a 12097

 12098

o3564

14989

25173

12069

12089

17118

25208

25356

6494

7075

08136

11722

11726a

11945

12075

12077

012144

12968

14609

14876

17475

25140

25309

25967

14504

Depth 

of well 

(feet).

110

95

90

8

50

100

 - 98

741

isa

105

134

280

142

65

165

212

180

250

126

95

225

225

165

75

75

204

123

108

68

160

126

Total 

solids 

(grams 

per liter).

1.317

1.383

36. 792

11.375

.113

13.951

.51

7 469

7.906

.226

13. 955

.42

3.318

3.306

7.221

3.026

8.471

.83

4.842

3.735

3.625

.457

. 3.808

.717

10.425

12.47

.374

.452

1.196

.976

2.45

.373

.566

2.151

17. 490

.739

.48

.524

5.768

.320

Zinc content.

Trace...................................

.....do..................................

.....do..................................

Trace of ZnS in sediment. ..............

Trace of ZnCO3 . . .......................

Trace. ..................................

Marked trace; zinc in sediment. .........

Trace. . .................................

.....do..................................

A Jitt.le Z"S in SP-dimfint

Trace of ZnCO3 . ........................

Some ZnCO3 ............................

7,nS in sfldirnent . ... ...

.....do..................................

Notable quantity of ZnS in sediment. . . . Marked trace. ...........................

.....do..................................

Trace. . .................................

Trace of ZnCO3 ..........................

Some ZfcS in sediment. .................

A little ZnS in sediment ................

Trace. . .................................

Trace of ZnCO3 .........................

Trace of ZnS. . ..........................

A little ZnS in sediment ................

Trace of ZnCO3 .........................

.....do..................:...............

.....do..................................

.....do..................................

Marked trace. ...........................
Do...............

CJI Ttn

M Jefferson..............

1 Do...............

td Do...............

g. Do...............

p Do...............

os Do...............

0 Do...............

f Lincoln...............

? ^oV::::"--;:::::

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Todd.................

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do...............

Do..............

11 

13 

17 

21 

23 

19 

19 

16 

13 

14 

17 

19 

20 

20 

21 

18 

22 

17 

21 

22 

21 

11 

16 

16 

21 

21 

19 

20 

21 

21 

16 

17 

16 

19 

16 

18 

18 

18 

16 

17 

20 

21 

14 

13 

18 

18 

19 

19 

23

xxviil 

xxvii 

184 

493 

325 

267 

267 

299 

xxxiii 

293 

185 

267 

203 

203 

495 

232 

421 

187 

498 

422 

499 

xxvi 

302 

303 

500 

500 

274 

205 

501 

502 

304 

191 

305 

275 

306 

232 

233 

234 

307 

193 

207 

503 

295 

xxxi 

235 

236 

277 

278 

328

4933 

6646 

14588 

25212 

25933 

17123 

17223 

012093 

7178 

8580 

14421 

17224 

17795 

17796 

a 17994 

14684 

25530 

14506 

25072 

25655 

25123 

4612 

13092 

011614 

25073 

25074 

17069 

ol7844 

25097 

25189 

11676 

14502 

12132 

17005 

12173 

14682 

14841 

14864 

11467 

14628 

017832 

25107 

8755 

7025 

14715 

14734 

14897 

17220 

25974

50

95 

50 

27 

Spring. 

180 

100

60 

75 

114 

60 

50 

106

100 

Spring. 

45 

45 

24 

192 

72 

120

37 

30 

39

42 

53

130 

61

62} 

75

180 

120

200

2.126 

1.275 

5.323 

5.223 

6.12 

.695 

3.464 

.3024 

5.11 

3.221 

13.25 

15.950 

.408 

3.687 

16.525 

53.418 

.400 

3.326 

.394 

.140 

8.038 

22.57 

.711 

.247 

2.753 

1.177 

4.681 

1.096 

10. 152 

9.112 

.429 

1.569 

1.65 

1.288 

.513 

.462 

3.212 

1.224 

18.327 

.59 

20.165 

.365 

1.194 

3.646 

6.452 

14. 616 

9.366 

17.57 

.69

Notable quantity of ZnO in sediment . 

.....do................................

.....do................................

Notable quantity of ZnS in sediment. . 

Trace ....................;............

Trace of ZnCO3 .......................

.....do................................

Trace of ZnCO3 .......................

Trace. ................................

Trace of ZnCO3 . . ......................

.....do................................

A little ZnS ...........................

Trace .................................

A little ZnS. ..........................

Trace of ZnS ..........................

.....do................................

The quantitative analysis of this water is given in the table of 
98 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION. 

WELL, SPRING, AND MINE WATERS OF MISSOURI (TABLE 4).

Two published reports deal especially with the mineral waters 

of Missouri Schweitzer's report on the mineral waters of the State 

and Shepard's report on the underground waters, both cited in the 

list given above. Many of the analyses included in Shepard's paper 

were originally published in earlier water-supply papers, issued by 

the United States Geological Survey, and the earlier publications 

are the ones cited in the accompanying tables. The analyses taken 

from these sources have been supplemented by four analyses given 

in the chapter on the lead and zinc .deposits of the Ozark region, 

contributed by E. R. Buckley to the volume entitled "Types of ore 

deposits," as well as by several analyses collected by W. S. Tangier 

Smith in connection with earlier work on the district and by a number of commercial analyses communicated by Prof. W. George Waring and others. It has thus fortunately been possible to get together 

a fairly large collection of analyses of Missouri waters. These 

analyses cover practically all classes of waters in the Joplin district 

limestone springs, sulphate springs (probably contaminated by mine 

drainage), mine waters, and deep-well waters. Although hi more 

than half these analyses no test was made for zinc or lead, some 

samples of sediment deposited from waters that were not themselves 

tested for these metals were assayed for this report and have on 

analysis shown lead or zinc or both.

SPRING WATERS OF ARKANSAS (TABLE 5).

At the town of Sulphur Springs, in the northwest corner of Arkansas, several springs rise to the surface in the valley of Butler Creek. 

One of these is known as White Sulphur Spring and another as 

Black Sulphur Spring. The analysis of water from the former was 

made by Prof. W. George Waring. Another analysis, by Dr. A. E. 

Menke, has been published in the Arkansas Geological Survey's 

report on mineral waters, but as its source is called simply the 

"Sulphur Spring," it is uncertain from which spring the sample 

was taken. In its geochemical characteristics the water analyzed 

by Menke differs considerably from the water analyzed by Waring, 

and they fall a considerable distance apart in the synoptical table. 

Sulphide sediment from each spring was analyzed by Waring 

and showed the presence of lead, zinc, copper, and iron. Crystallized pyrite, calcite, and quartz are also forming in these sediments. 

These interesting sediments are discussed more fully on pages 185-187.

WELL AND SPRING WATERS OF KANSAS (TABLE 6).

Kansas waters are described in Bailey's report and also in the 

United States Geological Survey water-supply paper by Parker 

listed on page 90. Except an analysis of water from a limestone
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 99

spring and one of water from a spring containing zinc sulphate, the 

analyses cited from Kansas are of artesian (but not flowing) wells, 

most of them serving as sources of municipal water supply. When 

so used, the water is usually pumped into a surface reservoir and in 

this reservoir a dark sulphury sediment settles out of the water. 

All samples of this sediment examined contained weighable quantities of lead and zinc. Thus several of the waters can be said to 

carry these metals, although the waters were not tested for them 

when the analyses were made. These precipitates and their bearing 

on the genesis of the ore deposits are discussed in greater detail on 

pages 162-173.

WELL AND MINE WATERS OF OKLAHOMA (TABLE 7).

No report dealing with the waters of the eastern part of Oklahoma 

has yet been published, and it has therefore been necessary to compile such commercial analyses as are available. Nine of these are 

given in the table, together with analyses of three mine waters. The 

water from the Church-Mabon mine, north of Miami, in common 

with water from the other mines in this region, is charged with 

hydrogen sulphide and when classified by its properties according to 

the geochemical system falls alongside the water from the Nowata 

artesian well, which it very closely resembles. The water from the 

Chapman & Lennan mine, which is not far from the Church-Mabon 

mine and at the same geologic horizon, as sampled when the mine 

was first opened, is likewise a sulphur water, but differs from the 

water of the Church-Mabon mine in showing considerable sulphate 

salinity, indicating some surface oxidation, an indication which is 

corroborated by the higher lime-magnesia ratio and by the reported 

occurrence of stringy masses of sulphur bacteria in the water. In the 

classification it falls between waters from the deep wells at Nevada 

and Clinton, Mo. A second analysis of this water was made three 

months later, pumping having been continuous during the interval. 

This pumping had lowered the ground-water level so that surrounding 

mines were draining to the Chapman & Lennan mine, the deepest 

hi the region. A comparison of the analyses shows a very pronounced change in the character of the water. When first sampled it 

was a primary water in which the alkali metals were predominant, 

but when the second sample was taken the water had changed to a 

secondary water, in which the alkaline-earth bases were predominant. There was a corresponding decrease in the chloride and sulphate radicles, which gave place to carbonate radicle, and in the 

content of hydrogen sulphide, which had been pronounced when the 

first sample was taken but was no longer evident. Attention is 

here directed to the position of these mine waters in the geochemical 

classification, for they will be discussed later as having a decided 

bearing on the theory of ore genesis presented in this paper.
100 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN EEGION.

Waters from the Radium well at Claremore, the Whitaker Park 

well at Pryor Creek, and the waterworks well at Vinita, show traces 

of lead and zinc, and sediments from these wells and from the waterworks well at Afton yield measurable quantities of lead and zinc. 

The Claremore and Nowata well waters are salt to the taste. Dr. 

E. H. Keiser, reporting under date of July 29, 1903, the analysis of the 

water of the Radium well at Claremore, says:

I find that this water is highly charged with hydrogen sulphide gas. * * * The 

water when first drawn has a green-yellowish color. On standing, a black sediment 

collects on the bottom of the vessel, and if the water is exposed to the air a white 

precipitate of sediment slowly forms throughout the entire body of water. This 

formation of a white precipitate on standing is due to the liberation of finely divided 

sulphur from the gas (hydrogen sulphide) in the water. The black sediment that 

settles out is chiefly iron sulphide, but contains a little zinc sulphide. I was not able 

to find lead in the water. 1

WELL, SPRING, AND MINE WATERS OF COLORADO (TABLE 8).

Of the ten analyses of zinc-bearing waters from Colorado, five 

were made by Dr. W. P. Headden, three by the United States Geological Survey, and the others were made by chemists indicated 

in the list. The analyses comprise waters from hot and cold springs, 

deep mines, a surface stream, and a sulphate well, whose water corresponds closely to mine water and was probably contaminated by 

mine water. The widely separated positions of the two analyses of 

the water of Geyser mine in the synoptical table are noteworthy, the 

water from the 2,000-foot level (p. 149) having the primary or alkali 

bases predominant, whereas that from the 500-foot level (p. 151) has 

the secondary or alkaline-earth bases predominant. The analyses 

of the Poncha Hot Springs and of the Hot Spring No. 1 at Wagon 

Wheel Gap fall very close together in the synoptical table (p. 149). 

Zinc was determined in the deposit from the water of each spring.

WELL, SPRING, AND MINE WATERS OF MICHIGAN, MONTANA, NEVADA, AND CALIFORNIA (TABLE 9).

With the exception of the water of one hot spring the waters 

analyzed from Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and California are 

deep-mine waters, most of which were supposed to be below the 

reach of surface or oxidizing influences. They were collected for 

their bearing on the genesis of the particular ore deposits with which 

they are associated. The water from the 3,095-foot level of the 

Tamarack mine of Michigan and from the 1,800-foot level of the 

Gagnon mine of Montana fall side by side in the synoptical table and 

resemble each other very closely, the principal difference (p. 152) being 

the larger content of sulphate radicle in the water of the Gagnon 

mine. In both, calcium chloride is the principal constituent. The

1 Advertising circular of Claremore Radium Wells Co,
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 101

water from the 2,200-foot level of the Green Mountain mine, Montana, resembles the.Gagnon water, except that 78 per cent of the 

acid radicles consist of sulphate and calcium sulphate is the chief 

constituent, thus indicating a large component of surface oxidizing 

waters. Both the Montana mines are in the Butte district and 

both the waters have a faintly alkaline reaction. The water from 

the 2,316-foot bore hole in the Mizpah mine at Tonopah, Nev., 

contains an excess of the sulphate radicle, indicating surface origin, 

with primary or alkaline bases predominant, and resembles very 

closely the water from the Lullusquelle, which it adjoins in the 

synoptical table (p. 151). The water from the 400-foot level of the 

Federal Loan mine was collected by Lindgren,1 who has recently 

commented upon it as follows:

Some years ago, in a report on the gold quartz veins of Nevada City and Grass

Valley, Cal. (U. S. Geol. Survey Seventeenth Ann. Rept, pt. 2, p. 121, 1896) I 

presented an analysis of an ascending spring.found in the Federal Loan mine which 

carried some arsenic and hydrogen sulphide. At that time I held the opinion that 

this water might possibly have had some connection with the genesis of the vein, 

but it is now apparent that it is simply water of the general surface circulation which 

happened to find its way up on the vein and which dissolved certain constituents 

from it.

In the synoptical table (p. 151) this water falls between the water 

from the 500-foot level of the Geyser mine and water from the deep 

well of the Missouri Lead & Zinc Co. at Joplin, resembling the latter 

very closely.

The analysis of the water from Steamboat Springs, Nev.,2 has 

been included in order to compare a hot alkaline sulphide-depositing 

water with the cold alkaline-saline sulphide-depositing water of 

the Joplin region. Classified by the geochemical system the water 

from Steamboat Springs finds its place among several cold springs 

of Colorado and Germany and a well water from Oklahoma. It 

has a considerably higher chloride salinity than any of these, however. In calculating this analysis the boron has been regarded 

as colloidal and the very small quantity of antimonate radicle reported 

has been disregarded. The water probably contains minute quantities of lead and zinc, as well as other metals, for these are found 

in the suiter deposit from which the springs emerge.

Lindgren, Waldemar, Mineral deposits, p. 42, footnote, 1913.

2 Becker, G. F., Geology of the quicksilver deposits of the Pacific slope: U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 13, p. 

347,1888.
Zinc-bearing and related waters included in the tables of analyse

No. in 

synoptical 

table.

1

2

4

7

9

16

26

29

37

39

41

43

44

47

50

52

54

57

58

59

61

62

63

85

94

97

113

119

Source of water.

FOREIGN.

Lindenquelle. ....................

" Du Rocher" Spring. ............

Arienheller Sprudel. ..............

Kainzen-(St. Antons) Quelle.......

Rhenser Sprudel. . ................

Niederbronn ......................

Solquelle " Bonifazius "............

Schonbornsprudel. ................

Elisabethbrunnen. ................

Martinusquelle. ................

Elisabethquelle ...................

Municipal water supply. ..........

Viktoriaquelle ....................

Ocean. ............................

Grossherzogin-Karolinenquelle. . . '.

Antonienquelle ..........

Carlsbad Sprudel _ . ..............

Lullusquelle ......................

Carolaquelle. .......................

Fontinalissprudel .................

Hollensprudel. ....................

Eulenhofer Quelle. ................

Cransac Spring. ...................

Guber Spring .....................

Locality.

many.

Orb, Germany ..................

samples. 

Kreuzburg, Germany ...........

Analyst.

F.Hulna.. ......... ...........

O. Liezenmayer.

E. Hintz and L. Griinhut. ....

E. Hintz......................

E.Willm. ....................

E. Hintz......................

E.Willm.....................
8

28 

66

67

'73 

93 

106 

107

112 

117 

118

19 

21 

22 

24 

36 

48 

49 

53 

65 

74 

75 

83

27 

32 

38

EASTEEN, CENTRAL, AND SOUTHERN 

STATES.

Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs ....

Eockbridge Alum Spring No. 2. . .

KENTUCKY.

Estillwell.. .......................

Felix well

MISSOURI.

Nevada well (750 feet). . ........... 

Waterworks well No. 2 (800 feet).. 

Silver well (to 1,100 feet) ..........

Bradford County, Pa. ...........

Oakville, Tex. . .................

Montgomery County, Va. .......

.....do..........................

Warren County .................

Nevada. ........................

St. Peters................. ......

F. A. Genth...... ............

M. B. Hardin. ................'

W. A.Noyes..................

F. A. Genth.. ................. 

M. B. Hardin.................

.....do........................

A. M. Peter, S. D. Averitt, and 

O. M. Shedd. 

A. M. Peter. . .................

A. M. Peter. ..................

S. D. Averitt and O. M. Shedd.

A. M. Peter. . .................

A. M. Peter. ..................

A. H.Illinski. ................
Zinc-bearing and related waters included in the tables of analyses and in 

No. in 

synoptical 

table.

40 

42 

51 

55 

56 

64 

68

76 

82

84 

86

87

88 

89 

91 

92

95

96 

98

99

100 

. 101

108 

110

Source of water.

MISSOURI continued. 

Britt well No. 3 (913 feet) .........

Silver well (below 1,100 feet) ...... 

Belcher well (2, 199 feet) ...........

Missouri Lead & Zinc Co.'s well 

(1,387 feet).

Missouri Lead & Zinc Co.'s well 

(940 feet^

Bedell well (1,379 feet) ............

Lakeside Spring. .................

Locality.

.....do..........................

St. Peters. . .....:...............

.....do..........................

Webb City. .....................

Webb City. .....................

Lakeside. . ......................

Analyst.

.....do........................

A. Hr Tllinsti .

Cleveland and Millar. .........

Cleveland and Millar. .........

.....do........................

Northern Water Softener Co . . 

H.N. Stokes..................

V. H. Gottschalk. ............

.....do........................

.....do........................

H.N. Stokes..................

A. F. Shattuck. ..............

V. H. Gottschalk. ............

H.N. Stokes..................

W . P. Cleveland ..............
115

116

5

13

33

78

90

102

103

109

Missouri Zinc Fields mine water. . .

ARKANSAS.

KANSAS.

Waterworks underground reservoir.

Waterworks well No. 3. ...........

OKLAHOMA.

Chapman <fe Lennan mine water. .

Chapman & Lennan mine water . .

COLORADO.

Geyser mine water (2,000 feet).. . . .

Doughty Drinking Spring No. 6. . . 

Yampa Spring ....................

Webb City. .....................

.....do. ..............I..........

P ittsburg .......................

Miami..........................

Afton..... ......................

Miami..........................

.....do..........................

.....do..........................

Miami..........................

Silver Cliff......................

Glenwood Snrines. .............

H. N. Stokes..................

W. F. Hillebrand .............

A. E. Menke..................

G. H. Failyer and J. T. Willard. 

E. H. S. Bailey and A. S. Hull.

E. H. S. Bailey and E. W. 

Walter.

Dearborn Drug & Chemical 

Co. 

E. H. S. Bailey and E. McCallum.

E. H. S. Bailey and E. McCallum.

Kennicott Water Softener Co. . 

R. C. Wells. ....... ....- -.....

John T. Wixford. . ............

.....do........................

Oklahoma Agricultural and 

Mechanical College.

W.F. Hillebrand. ............

W. T. Schaller . ...............

W. P. Headden...............

Charles F. Chandler. ..........
106 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

H3<&

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GENESIS OF THE OEES. 107

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related ivaten.

Temperature. ................................

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. . .........................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na). . ...............................

Alkalies................................

Calcium (Ca). ................................

Earths.................................

Aluminum ( Al) ..............................

Nickel (Ni)..................................

Cobalt (Co)..................................

Copper (Cu). .................................

Cadmium (Cd). ..............................

Lead(Pb)...................................

Zinc(Zn)....................................

Metals. ................................

Sum of bases...........................

Chloride (Cl).................................

Bromide (Br) ................................

Iodide (I) ....................................

Fluoride (F) .................................

Nitrate (N03 ). ...............................

Thiosulphate (S2O3 ). .........................

Carbonate (C03) .............................

Sulphide (S).................................

Hydroxyl (OH).. . ...........................

Phosphate (P0<). ............................

Sum of acids ...........................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiO-2, A12 03, FeaOs, BO2, etc.).......

Total dissolved solids. . ................

Gases:

Carbon dioxide (CC-2) ....................

1

Lindenquelle. .... 

10.2°C.=48.3°F..

14.0

56.2 

29.8

100.0 

10.4 

3.6

Per 

cent. 

34.5 

.4 

.1 

.1

35.1

2.5 

12.4

.0

14.9

.0

50.0

1.8 

5.2 

.0

.0

7.0

43.0

.0

.0

43.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

48.26 

.6060 

.0671 

.08720

3.534 

17.38

0009

Trace.

.0040

69.94

2.508 

7.241 

.0051

.0001

60.18

.0005

IW\7

69.94

139. 98

5,471 

31

5,502

2,555

2

"Du Rocher" . . . . .

33.0

55.2 

11.8

100.0 

27.2 

5.8

Per

cent. 

42.5 

1.0 

.6 

.0

44.1

3.2 

2.7

5.9

.0

50.0

2.9 

13.6

.0

16.5

33.5

qq c

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

96.875 

2.272 

1.433 

.01468

7.376 

6.078 

Trace. 

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace.

Trace. 

.01526

114.1

6.641 

31.00

.0016

Trace.

76.42

Trace.

114.0

228.0

8,636 

273

8,909

4

Grosser Sprudel. 

34.2° C.

11.2

46.2 

42.6

100.0 

6.6 

4.6

Per

cent. 

27.3 

1.2 

.1 

.1

28.7

7.4 

13.9

21.3

50.0

2.3 

3.3 

.0

5.6

44.4

.0 

.0

44.4

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

15.42 

.6555 

.07450 

.0600

4.212 

7.853 

Trace. 

Trace.

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

28.28

1.284 

1.859 

.0024 

Trace.

Trace.

25.11

.0029 

.0124

28.28

56.56

2,223 

33

2,256

1,150
108 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. ..........................

REACTING VALUES.

Strontium (Sr). ..............................

Iron (Fe). ....................................

Nickel (Ni)................. .................

Cobalt (Co).... ..............................

Lead (Pb).................. .................

Zinc (Zn) ....................................

Chloride (Cl).................................

Bromide (Br) ................................

Iodide (I)... .................................

Fluoride ( F) .................................

Nitrate (N03 ). ...............................

Thiosulphate (S203 ). . ........................

Sulphide (S) .................................

Hydroxyl (OH).. ............................

Phosphate (PCU).. . ..........................

Weak acids ............................

BASE ANALYSIS: 

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiOa, AlsOa, Fe2O3, B02, etc.). .. ....

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S). ...............

7

Arienheller 

Sprudel. 

22.4° C...........

34.2

35.2 

 30.6

100.0 

29.4 

4.6

Per

cent. 

33.7 

.8 

.1 

.1

34.7

4.7 

10.6

15.3

50.0

2.3 

14.7 

.0 

.0

.1

17.1

32.9

.0

.0

32.9

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

44.43 

1.019 

.1466 

.0989

6.193 

14.02

Trace.

Trace.

65.91

3.052 

19.43 

.0120 

.00001

.0693

43.32

.0069

.0149

65.91

131.8

4,867 

32

4,899

1,846

9

"Kainzen-(S t . 

Antons) Quelle." 

8°C..............

8.4

87.4 

4.2

100.0 

2.0 

6.2

Per

cent. 

47.3 

.5 

.0 

.1

47.9

.9 

1.2

.0

2.1

.0

.0

50.0

3.1 

1.0 

.0 

.0

.1

4.2

38.6

7.2

45.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

10.09 

.1045 

.0015 

.0231

.1863

.2474

.0008

.0021

.0004

10.65

.6597 

.2105 

.0002 

.0004

.0231

8.220 

Trace. 

1.54

...........

10.65

21.30

610

11 "

621

Trace. 

0

16

Rhenser Sprudel. 

23.2° C.

57.6

21.6 

20.8

100.0 

37.8 

19.S

Per

cent. 

38.9 

.4 

.2 

.1

39.6

5.7

4.7

.0

10.4

50.0

9.9 

18.9 

.0 

.0

28.8

21.2

.0 

.0

21.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

44.06 

.4887 

.1724 

.1388

6.409 

5.357 

Trace. 

.0033

Trace.

56.63

11.19 

21.43 

.0141 

.0001

Trace.

23.98

.0016 

.0139

56.63

113.3

3,993 

38

4,031

3,106
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 109

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity .............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li)... . ...............................

Alkalies. .................................

Nickel (Ni).... ................................

Cobalt (Co).... ................................

Cadmium (Cd). .................................

Lead (Pb)..... .................................

Zinc (Zn) .......................................

Chloride (Cl) ....................................

Iodide (I).. .....................................

Nitrate (NOs)......-. ...........................

Thiosulphate (S203 ).. . ..........................

Strong acids. .............................. 

Carbonate (CO3 ) ................................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (P04 ).- ..............................

Sum of acids ..............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02, A1203 , Fe203 , BOs, etc.).. . .......

Gases:

Carbon dioxide (C02) .......................

26

Niederbronn ... 

18° C..... ......

74.0 

3.8

22.2

100. 0 

76.0 

1.8

Per

cent.

32.7 

4.2.1

37.0

10.5 

2.5

.0

13.0

50.0

.9 

38.0

.0

38.9

11.1

11.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

53.31 

6.848 

.0922

17.11 

4.118

.0169

Trace.

Trace.

81.50

1.428 

61.92 

Trace. 

Trace.

.0234

18.12

Trace. 

Trace.

81.50

163.00

5,262 

45

5,307

121

29

Solquelle "Boni 

fazius." 

13. 2° C .........

92.2 

6.8

1.0

100.0 

95.8 

3.2

Per

cent.

46.0.1

.0 

.0

46.1

1.8 

2.1

.0

Q Q

50.0

1.6 

47.9 

.0 

.0

49.5

.5

.0

.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

410.5 

1.092 

. 0362 

.3411

15.56 

18.96

.2448

Trace.

Trace.

446.7

14.03 

427.8 

.1506 

.0036

4.747

.0026

446.7

893.4

26,211 

32

26,243

4

37

Schonborns p r u - 

del.

75.6 

10.8

13.6

100.0 

73.6 

12.8

Per 

cent. 

36.5 

l.l 

.1 

.1

37.8

7.4

4.8

12 2

50.0

6.4 

36.8 

.0

43.2

6.8

.

.0

6.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

160.7 

4.760 

. 3707 

.4785

32.44 

21.34 

Trace. 

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

220.1

28.03 

162.2 

.0976

Trace.

29.72

Trace. 

.0385

220.1

440.2

13,730 

33

13,763

1,647
110 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary salinity ................................

Primary alkalinity. .............................

Tertiary alkalinity.. . ...........................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na). . ..................................

Lithium (Li)... . ................................

Alkalies. ..................................

Barium (Ba). ...................................

Earths ....................................

Iron (Fe). .......................................

Aluminum (Al) .................................

Nickel (Ni).... .................................

Cobalt (Co).... .................................

LeadfPb)................-.....................

Zinc (Zn)...... ..................................

Metals ....................................

Chloride (Cl).. ..................................

Iodide (I). ......... ......................;......

Fluoride(F)....................................

Nitrate (NO3 ). ..................................

Thiosulphate (S203). - ...........................

Strong acids... . .....................?.....

Carbonate (C03) ................................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (P04). ...............................

Weak acids ...............................

Total value of reacting solids ..............

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02, A1203 , Fe203 , B02, etc.).. . .......

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...................

Carbon dioxide (CO2) .......................

39

Salztrinkquelle . . 

9.1°C ...........

75.0 

12.0

13.0

100.0 

69.6 

17.4

Per 

cent. 

37.3 

.2 

.0 

.0

37.5

8.3

4.1

.1

12.5

.0

50.0

8.7 

34.8 

.0

.0

43.5

6.5

.0 

.0

fi ^

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

118.6 

.784 

.0517 

.0835

26.55 

12.92

.159

Trace.

Trace.

1W?^

159.2

27.77 

110.8 

.0073 

Trace.

.0661

20.51

.0001 

.0005

159.2

318.4

9,982 

23

10,005

1,706

41

Elisabethbrunnen. 

10.6°C...........

74.6 

12.8

12.6

100.0 

87.0 

.4

Per 

cent. 

36.1 

1.0 

.1 

.1

37.3

9.4 

3.3 

.0 -.0

12.7

50.0

.2 

43.5 

.0 

.0

43.7

6.3

.0 

.0

6.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

132.8 

3.658 

.3563 

.2027

34.51 

12.16 

.0087

.1964

Trace.

Trace.

Trace.

183.9

.4932 

160.1 

.0287 

.0002 

Trace. 

Trace.

23.26

.002 

.0105

183.9

367.8

11,181 

42

11,223

2,303

43

Martinusquelle. 

10.6° C.

72.2 

14.6

13.2

100.0 

74.6 

12.2

Per 

cent. 

34.6 

1.3 

.2 

. .0

36.1

10.4 

3.5

.0

13.9

.0

50.0

6.1 

37.3 

.0 

.0

.0

XO A

6.6

.6 

.0

6.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

155.8 

5.659 

.6886 

.0951

46.88 

15.98

.1683

Trace.

.0097

225.3

27.57 

167.9 

.0342 

.0001

.0348

29.73

.0042 

.0025

225.3

450.6

14,057 

43

14,100

2,322
GENESIS OF THE ORES. Ill

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PEOPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li)....................................

Earths ....................................

Iron (Fe).. ......................................

Nickel (Ni).....................................

Cobalt (Co).... .................................

Lead (Pb) .......................................

Zinc (Zn) .......................................

Sum of bases ...............,............'.. 

Sulphate (S04)-. . ...............................

Chloride (Cl)....................................

Iodide (I). ......................................

Fluoride (F) ....................................

Nitrate (NO3 )...................................

Strong acids. ..............................

Sulphide (S)... .................................

Phosphate (PO4). ...............................

Sum of acids ............. .........

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02, AljOs, Fe2O3 , BO2 , etc.).. . .......

Gases:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) .......................

44

Elisabethquelle. . 

12° C. ...........

80.4 

16.0

3.6

100.0 

96.2

Per 

cent. 

3 .2 

.5 

.4

.1

40.2

8.3 

1.2 

.1

.2

9.8

.0

50.0

48.1 

.1

.0

48.2

1.8

.0

.0

1.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

180.3 

2.043 

1.542

.4185

38.15 

5.635 

.6205

.1123

229.8

221.0 

.4844

.0029

..........

8.323

.0041

.0071

229.8

459.6

13,562 

37

13,599

123

47

Sydney waterworks.

66.4 

17.4

16.2

100.0 

71.2 

11.2

Per

cent.

32.1 1.1

33.2

5.3 

11.1

ol6.8

0.4

50.0

5.6

35.6

.7

41.9

8.0

.1

8.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

0. 7582 

.0262

.1280

.2748

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0098

1.197

.1346

.S531 

Trace.

.0173

.1903

.6617

1.197

2.394

74 

3

77

3

50

Viktoriaquelle. 

13° C.

80.2 

18.4

1.4

100.0 

98.4

Per

cent.

39.2 

.4 

.4.1

40.1

8.1 

1.4 

.2 

.2

9.9

.0

50.0

49.2 

.1 

.0

49.3

.7

.0 

.0

.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

178.0 

1.918 

1.543 

.4187

36.67 

6.55 

.8559 

1.062

.0044

227.02

223.1 

.5722 

.0026

3.336

.0038 

.0074

227.02

454.0

13,274 

35

13,309

260

a The reacting value of the zinc is included with that of the earths.
112 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li). ...................................

Alkalies. ..................................

Strontium (Sr) ..................................

E arths ....................................

Iron (Fe). .......................................

Nickel (Ni) .....................................

Cobalt (Co).... .................................

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Zinc (Zn) ........................................

Chloride (Cl) ....................................

Iodide (I).. .....................................

Fluoride (F) ....................................

Nitrate (NO3 ). ..................................

Thiosulphate (S2O3) .............................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl (OH). . ...............................

Phosphate (P0<). ...............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Gases:

52

Sea wa

78.6 

20.8

.6

100.0 

90.0 

9.2

Per 

cent. 

38.5 

.8

39.3

1.7 

9.0

10.7

»

50.0

4.6 

45.0 

.1

49.7

.3

.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

466.4 

9.779

20.96 

108.2

605.3

56.13 

544.9 

.8257

3.484

605.3

121.1

35,139

35, 139

54

GrossherzoginKarolinenquelle. 

14°C. ...........

75.4 

22.0

2.6

100.0 

75.2 

22.2

Per 

cent. 

37.5 

.2 

.0 

.0

37.7

10.1 

2.1

.1

12.3

50.0

11.1 

37.6 

.0 

.0

48.7

1.3

.0

1.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

165.1 

.9469 

. 0733 

.0448

44.67 

9.095

.2873

Trace.

220.2

49.03 

165.4 

.0461 

.0001

Trace.

5.740

.0004

220.2

440.4

13, 436 

21

13,457

46

57

Antoniencuielle. 

28° C.

61.6

21.8 

16.6

100.0 

IS. 2 

43.4

Per 

cent. 

40.4 

1.2 

.1

41.7

6.8 

1.4

.1

8.3

50.0

21.7 

9.1 

.0 

.0

30.8

18.1

1.1 

.0 

.0

19.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

7.454 

.2248 

. 02479

1.255 

.2553 

Trace. 

.009325

Trace.

Trace.

Trace.

9.223

3.993 

1.681 

.0028 

.00004 

Trace.

3.347

.191 

.0021 

.0054

9.223

18. 446

635 

76

711

0
GENESIS OF THE OKES. 113

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ...........................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na).. ...............................

Iron (Fe). ....................................

Nickel (Ni)\... ..............................

Cobalt (Co)............ ......................

Lead (Pb)......... ..........................

Zinc (Zn).... ................................

Chloride (01).................................

Iodide (I).. ..................................

Fluoride (F) .................................

Nitrate (ySOa )... .............................

Strong acids. ...........................

Carbonate (C03) .............................

Hydroxyl (OH) .......... .°. .................

Arsenate (AsO<).. . ...........................

Phosphate (POO....... ......................

Sum of acids ...........................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ...............

Colloids (SiO2, A12O3, Fe2O3, BO2, etc.) ......

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ................

Carbon dioxide (C02) ....................

58

Carlsba 

166° F

d Sprudel.

60.0

28.2 

11.8

100.0 

20.4 

39.6

Per 

cent. 

43.4 

.6 

.1

44.1

3.7 

2.2

1 Q

50.0

19.8 

10.1

.1

30.0

20.0

.0

20.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

76.39 

1.079 

.1667

.6.438 

3.909

Trace.

87.99

34.83 

17.80 

Trace. 

Trace. 

. 08777

35.26

Trace. 

.01354

87.99

176. 08

6,434

74

6,508

190

59

Ne"ris-les-Bains ...

51.8

35.6 

12.6

100.0 

18.2 

33.6

Per 

cent. 

42.0 

1.6 

.1

43.7

5.7 

.6

6.3

50.0

16.8 

9.1

25.9

24.1

24.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

14.27 

.5312 

.07728 

Trace.

1.945 

.2160 

Trace.

Trace.

Trace.

16.99

5.694 

3.102

Trace. 

Trace.

8.194

16.99

33.98

1,274 

109

1,383

45

61

Lullusquelle. 

10.5° C.

69.2 

13.4

17.4

100.0 

16.4 

66.0

Per 

cent. 

34.2 

.4 

.0

 34.6

12.7 

2.5

.1

ol5.4

o.l

50.0

33.0 

8.2 

.0 

.0

.1-

41.3

8.7

.0 

.0

8.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million 

41.67 

.4293 

.0351

15.41 

3.09

.1484

.1316

60.91

40.26 

9.964 

.0017 

' . 00002

.0607

10.63

.0006 

.0004

60.91

121.8

4,274 

94

4,368

10

a The reacting value of the zinc is included with that of the earths. 

84551° Bull. 606 15- 8
114 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

Source of water.. ................................

Temperature. ...................................

PKOPEBTIES.

Primary salinity. ...............................

Secondary alkalinity ............................

Chloride salinity ....................... ...... .

Sulphate salinity. ...............................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na). . ........................ ......

Potassium (K). . ................................

Lithium (Li)... ....................... .....

Ammonium (NH4 ).. ................... ...... .

Alkalies.......................... ...... .

Calcium (Ca).......................... ...... . Magnesium (Mg). . ..............................

Barium (Ba). .......................... ........

Strontium (Sr). ............................... .

Earths ..........................

Iron (Fe).. ......................................

Aluminum (Al)............................... . Manganese (Mn).. ...................... ..... .

Hydrogen (H) ......................... ..... .

Nickel (Ni)...... .................... . ...

Cobalt (Co). ...... ...... ............. . ...

Copper (Cu). ....................................

Cadmium (Cd) .................................

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Zinc(Zn). ............................ ..... .

Metals ....................................

Sum of bases. . ............................

Sulphate (SOA. ............. . ....

Chloride (01).... ....................

Bromide (Br) ...................................

Iodide (I)...... ........................

Fluoride(F). .......................... ...... .

Nitrate (N03 ).. ...... ...........................

Thiosulphate (S2O3). ............................

Strong acids..................... ..... ..

Carbonate (C03 ) ................................

Sulphide (S) .......................... .....

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Arsenate (As04 ).... .................... ..... .

Phosphate (P04).. .................... ..... .

Weak acids. ..............................

Sum of acids ..............................

Total value of reacting solids ..............

BASE ANALYSIS. 

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ............... .

Colloids (Si02, A1208 , Fe2 08 , B02, etc.) .........

Total dissolved solids .....................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...................

Carbon dioxide (C02) .................... .

62

Carolaquelle. .... 

16.9°C. .........

37.8 

24.6

37.6

100.0 

15.6 

46.6

Per 

cent. 

17.3 

1.4 

.2

18.9

24.4 

6.6

.1

31.1

.0

50.0

23.3 

7.8 

.0 

.0

.1

31.2

18.8

18.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

10.34 

.8083 

.1 

Trace.

14.55 

3.935

.0599

.0154

29.81

13.89 

4.668 

.0029 

.00002

.0628

11.19

Trace.

29.81

59.62

2,132 

13

2,146

287

63

Fontinalissprudel 

14.7°C ..........

6.0

30.6 

63.4

100.0 

4.4 

1.6

Per 

cent. 

17.4 

.8 

.1 

.0

18.3

9.8 

21.9 

.0

31.7

.0

50.0

.8 

2.2 

.0 

.0

.0

3.0

47.0

.0 

.0

47.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

12.23 

.5427 

.0704 

.0251

6.866 

15.39 

.0014

.0045

35.13

.5452 

1.547 

.002 

.00001

.0191

33.01

.0004 

.0094

35.13

70.26

2,726 

23

2,749

1,804

85

Ho'llensprudel. 

14.5° C.

1.2

2.2 

96.6

100.0 

.4 

.6

Per 

cent. 

1.6 

.1 

.0

1.7

39.2 

9.1

48.3

.0 

.0

.0

50.0

.3 

.2

.0

.1

.6

49.4

.0 

.0

49.4

50.0

100.0

Ports per 

million. 

0.4888 

.0372 

.0022

11.76 

2.737

.001 

.0003 

Trace.

.0013

15.03

.096 

.0597

.000003

.016

14.85

.0003 

.0019

15.03

30.06

1,196 

116

1,312

2,600
GENESIS OF THE- ORES. 115

TABLE 1. Chemical character and geochemical properties of foreign zinc-bearing and

related waters Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. . ...........

Chloride salinity ...............

Sulphate salinity. ....... ...

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na)...................

Potassium (K) .................

Lithium (Li)... ................

Alkalies. .................

Calcium (Ca).. . %. ..............

Magnesium (Mg) .. . ............

Strontium (Sr). ................

Earths...................

Iron (Fe).... ...................

Nickel (Ni). ...................

Cobalt (Co). ...................

Lead (Pb). ....................

Zinc (Zn). .....................

Metals...................

Sum of bases. ............

Sulphate (S04 )......... ..

Chloride(Cl)...................

Bromide (Br) .................

Iodide (I)......................

Fluoride (F) ..................

Nitrate (NO3 ). ...............

Thiosulphate (S2 03) ............

Carbonate (C03 ) ...............

Sulphide (S)... .................

Hydroxyl(OH). ..............

Arsenate ( As04 ) ...............

Phosphate (P04 ) .............

Weak acids. .............

Sum of acids.............

Total value of reacting 

solids ..................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts 

per million.)

Total weight of reacting solids. . . 

Colloids (SiO2, A12O3 , Fe2Oa , 

BO2,etc.) ...................

Total dissolved solids.... 

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) . . . 

Carbon dioxide (C02) ......

94

Caspar -Heinrich-Quelle.

2.4 

3.6

94.0

100.0 

.8 

5.2

Per 

cent. 

0.8 

.4

1.2

32.9 

15.9 

.0 

.0

48.8

50.0

2.6 

.4

3.0

47.0

.0

47.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.3001 

.1390 

Trace.

12.60 

6. 102 

.0021 

.0118

Trace.

19.16

1.012 

.1356 

Trace. 

Trace.

Trace.

18.00

.0043

19.16

38.32

1,492 

23

1,515

Trace.

1,868

97

Eulenhofer 

Quelle.

6.8 

12.0

81.2

100.0 

4.4 

14.4

Per 

cent. 

2.9 

.5 

.0

3.4

30.4 

16.2 

.0

46.6

.0

.0

50.0

7.2 

2.2 

.0 

.0

9.4

40.2

.0

.4

40.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.2446 

.0384 

.0029

2.588 

1.384 

.0011 

Trace.

.0008

Trace.

Trace. 

.0009

4.261

.6105 

.1847 

.0006 

.00004

3.425

.004

.0364

4.261

8.522

323 

25

348

119

113

Crans£ 

32°-48

ic Spring. . .

5.0

88.6 

6.4

100.0 

.4 

99.6

Per 

cent. 

1.2 

1.3

2.5

18.1 

26.2

44.3

2.4

.8

.0

3.2

50.0

49.8 

.2

50.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.557 

1.662 

Trace.

22.94 

33.23

3.084 

1.061

.007890

Trace.

63.54

63.26 

.2751

Trace.

63.54

127.1

4,060 

87

4,147

18

119

Guber Spring.

2.6 

6.2 

90.0

1.2

100.0 

.2 

98.6

Per 

cent. 

0.4 

.9

1.3

1.4 

1.7

3.1

22.8 

18.4

3.3 

1.1

45.6

50.0

49.3 

.1

49.4

.6

.6

50.0

100.0

Ports per 

million. 

0.09279 

.2177

.3518 

.4173

5.622 

4.538

.8300 

.2792

12.35

14.18 

. 03314

.1362

12.35

24.70

775 

7

782
116 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 2. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Eastern, Central, and Southern States.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinitv. ...........................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na).................... ...............

Alkalies. ................................

Strontium (Sr). ...............................

Earths ..................................

Nickel (Ni)...................................

Cobalt (Co).... ...............................

Lead ( Pb) ....................................

Metals ..................................

Sum of bases ............................

Sulphate (SOi). ...............................

Chloride (Cl)..................................

Iodide (I) .....................................

Fluoride (F) ..................................

Nitrate (N03 ).....................- ...........

Thiosulphate (S208) ..........................

Strong acids. . ...........................

Sulphide ( S) ..................................

Hydroxyl f OH) ...............................

Weak acids .............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiC-2, A12 03, Fe2 03, B02 , etc.) .......

Total dissolved solids ...................

Gases:

8

Thompson Spring. .

30.0

25.8 

44.2

100.0 

18.6 

10.8

Per

cent. 

20.8 

6.6 

.5

27.9

12.4 

9.7

22.1

50.0

5.4 

9.3

15.0

35.0

35.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 5339 

.1700 

01404

.3186

9401

Trace.

Trace.

1.286

.1397 

.2385

Trace. 

Trace.

.9007

Trace.

1.286

2.572

99 

21

120

28

Caddo oil well...

91.4 

6.2

2.4

100.0 

77.8 

19.8

Per 

cent. 

41.3 

4.4

45.7

4.3

4.3

50.0

9.9 

38.9

48.8

1.2

1.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

191.4 

20.48

19.96 

Trace.

231.8

45.80 

180.5

5.556

231.8

463.6

14,539 

0

14,539

66

Minnequa Spring.

2.8

13.8 

83.4

100.0 

2.6 

.2

Per

cent. 

7.7 

.6

.0

8.3

32.4 

' 9.2 

.0

o41.7

6.1

50.0

.1 

1.3

.0

1.4

47.9

.6

.1

48.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 3276 

.02385 

Trace. 

.00005

1.385 

.3921 

. 00208

.00311

2.134

.00511 

.05619

.00005

2.043

.02476

.00407

2.134

4.268

169 

14

183

o The reacting values of the metals is included with that of the earths. 

6 The reacting value of the zinc is included with that of the earths.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 117

TABLE 2. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Eastern, Central, and Southern States Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ............................

. EEACTING VALUES.

Alkalies

Calcium (Ca).. . ...............................

Nickel (Ni)

Cobalt (Co)...-............-.............-....

Lead (Pb)..... ...............................

Metals ..................................

Sulphate (SCh).. - . :...........................

Chloride (Cl).. ................................

Iodide (I).... .................................

Nitrate (N03 ). ................................

Thiosulphate (S2 03) ..........................

Strong acids... ..........................

HydroxyHOH).. .............................

Phosphate (PO4 ).. . ...........................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Gases:

67

Mida Sp 

GOT

10.2

13.8 

76.0

100.0 

3.4 

3.2

Per 

cent. 

11.7 

.3 

.0

12.0

25.0 

13.0

38.0

50.0

1.6 

1.7

1.8

5.1

44.5

.4

44.9

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

0.4102 

.01023 

.00126

.8782 

.4573 

Trace.

Trace.

1.757

.05596 

.06117

1.562

. 01491

1.757

3.514

138 

59

197

73

Coppahaunk 

Spring.

6.6 

.2

93.2

100.0 

6.2 

.6

Per

cent.

2.3

.7 

.3

3.3

45.5 

1.2 

.0 

.0

46.7

50.0

.3 

3.1

3.4

46.6

.0

.0

46.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

0.2349 

.07424 

.02738

4.641 

.1233 

.00218 

.00228

Trace.

5.105

. 03331 

. . 3102 

Trace. 

Trace.

4.757

.00073

.00379

5.105

10.21

415 

43

458

93

Boanoke Red Sulphur Springs. 53°-60° f.

14.0 

13.8

72.2

100.0 

1.4 

26.2

Per 

cent. 

6.3 

.5 

.1 

.1

7.0

22.0 

18.5

2.5

di n

50.0

13.1 

.7

.1

13.9

36.1

36.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

0.8042 

.06488 

.00993 

.01712

2.798 

2.343 

Trace 

.3184

Trace.

Trace.

6.356

1.665 

.08593

.01078

4.594

Trace. 

Trace.

6.356

12. 712

484 

)S

499

16 

106
118 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSIT'S OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 2. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Eastern, Central, and Southern States Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Potassium (K). .................................

Alkalies. ..................................

Earths....................................

Iron (Fe). .......................................

Nickel (Ni).... .................................

Cobalt (Co)..-...................,........-...-.

Lead(Pb)......................................

Sum of bases..............................

CbJoride ( Cl) ....................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Nitrate (NOs).. ............... ..................

TMosulphate (S203) .............................

Strong acids. ..............................

Carbonate (C03) ................................

Sulphide (S)....................................

Hydroxyl (OH).. . ..............................

Phosphate (P0<).. . .............................

Weak acids ...............................

Sum of acids ..............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02 , A12 03 , Fe2 03 , B02 , etc.).. . .......

Gases:

106

Johnson well....

33.6 

57.2

9.2

100.0 

56.0 

34.6 .

Per 

cent. 

16.5 

.3

16.8

28.8 

4.4

33.2

50.0

17.3 

28.0

.1

45.4

4.6

4.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

10.74 

.2171

18.84 

2.892

Trace.

32.69

11.30 ' 

18.33

.04413

3.02

32.69

65.38

2.048 

56

2,104

66

107

Kings Mineral 

Spring.

38.6 

58.6

2.8

200.0 

19.6 

77.6

Per 

cent. 

18.9 

.4

19.3

4.5 

26.2

30.7

50.0

38.8 

9.8

48.6

1.4

1.4

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

94.73 

1.953 

Trace.

22.77 

131.5 

Trace. 

 Trace.

Trace.

Trace.

250.9

194.9 

49.07 

Trace.

6.983

Trace.

250.9

501.8

15,836 

11

15,847

112

Alleghany 

Spring. 

56°F.

2.8 

94.2

3.0

100.0 

.2 

95.0

Per

cent. 

0.5 

.8

.1

.4

32.2 

16.4 

.0 

.0

48.6

50.0

47.5 

.1

.0 

.9

48-5

1.5

.0

1.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 4976 

.7281 

Trace. 

.1197

30.23 

15.37 

.00347 

.0139

Trace. 

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

46.96

44.60 

.08192

. 00877 

.8497

1.41

.01362

46.84

93.68

3,121 

22

3,143

. Trace. 

39
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 119

TABLE 2. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Eastern, Central, and Southern States Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity .................................................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na).. . ....................................................

Lithium (Li)... ....................................................

Calcium (Ca).. . ....................................................

Earths. . .....................................................

Manganese (Mn). ..................................................

Hydrogen (H). ....................................................

Nickel (Ni).... ....................................................

Cobalt (Co). :......................................................

Lead (Pb)...... ...................................................

Zinc (Zn) ..........................................................

Metals .......................................................

Sum of bases. ................................................

Sulphate (S0<). . ...................................................

Chloride (Cl).......................................................

Bromide (Br)......................................................

Iodide (I)..... .....................................................

Fluoride (F) .......................................................

Nitrate (N03)... ...... .............................................

Strong acids.. . ...............................................

Carbonate ( C08) ...................................................

Sulphide (S) .......................................................

Hydroxyl ( OH).. . .................................................

Arsenate ( AsO<). . ............'......................................

Phosphate ( PO<). ..................................................

Weak acids. ..................................................

Total value of reacting solids. ................................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02 , A12 03 , Fe2 03 , BO2 , etc.).. . .....................

Total dissolved solids. . .................................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S). ......................................

Carbon dioxide (C02)... .......................................

117

Bedford Alum 

Spring. 

56°T............

3.2 

28.0 

68.8

100.0 

.4 

99.0

Per 

cent. 

0.8 

.4 

.2 

.2

1.6

3.8 

10.2

14.0

9.7 

20.3 

.1 

3.9 

. .0 

.0 

.4

..o

34.4

50.0

49.5 

.2

.3

50.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.2681 

.1402 

.07446 

.05118

1.356 

3.633

3.438 

7.240 

.04314 

1.396 

.00887 

.01545 

.1292

.01466

17.81

17.64 

.05786

Trace. 

.1113

Trace.

17.81

35.62

1.185 

29

1,214

119

118

Rockbridge Alum 

Spring No. 2. 50°-56° F.

.6 

14.2 

85.2

100.0 

.2 

99.8

Per 

cent. 

0.1 

.2 

.0

.3

2.5 

4.6

7.1

1.0 

37.1 

.1 

4.0 

.1 

.0 

.1

.2

42.6

50.0

49.9 

.1

50.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.03954 

.08063 

. 00616 

Trace.

.8693 

1.597

.3346 

12.76 

.02037 

1.358 

.03098 

.00445 

.02157

Trace. 

. 08165

17.20

17.17 

.03218

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

17.20

34.40

1,002 

63

1,065

93
120 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 3. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Kentucky.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary salinity. ............................

Tertiary alkalinity. ..........................

REACTING VALUES.

Potassium (K) ..............................

Alkalies ...............................

Calcium (Ca). ...............................

Nickel ( 'i). .................................

Cobalt (Co) ..................................

Cadmium (Cd) ..............................

Lead (Pb).. .................................

Zinc (Zn). ...................................

Sulphate (S04 ).. .............................

Chloride (Cl).. ...............................

Iodide (I) ...................................

Fluoride(F).. ...............................

Nitrate CT 08 )..... ..........................

Thiosulphate (S203). . ........................

Strong acids ...........................

Carbonate (CO3 ). . ...........................

Sulphide (S) ................................

Hydroxyl (OH) .............................

Arsenate (AsO<) .............................

Phosphate (P04 ) ............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids ...............

Colloids (SiO2, A12C>3, Fe2 03 , B02 , etc.) ......

Gases:

19

Renfro

55.6

10.2 

34.2

100.0 

57.4 

8.2

Per 

cent. 

31.9 

1.0 

.0

32.9

7.5 

9.5

.1

17.1

50.0

4.1 

23.7

27.8

22.2

22.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

7.160 

.2173 

.006768

1.689 

2.139

. 01353

Trace.

11.23

.9132 

5.328

4.989

11.23

22.46

772 

8

780 

9

21

Sander

65.6

7.4 

27.0

100.0 

36.0 

29.6

Per 

cent. 

34.6 

1.7 

.2

36.5

6.7 

6.2

.6

10 C

50.0

14.8 

18.0

32.8

16.3

.9

17.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

15.05 

.7565 

.07309

2.895 

2.721

.2479

Trace.

21.74

6.448 

7.840

Trace.

7.075

.3771

Trace.

21. 74 .

43.48

1,514 

4

1,518 

22

22

Sadieville well.

66.6

5.0 

28.4

100.0 

65.6 

1.0

Per 

cent.

\ 35.8

35.8

7.0 

7.2

14.2

,.

50.0

.5 

32.8

33.3

10.7

16.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

12.18 . 

Trace.

2.395 

2.466

Trace.

17. 041

.1853 

11.17

5. 6857

17.04

34.08

1.110 

10

1,120
GENESIS OF THE DEES. 121

TABLE 3. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Kentucky Continued.

PROPERTIES.

T6rtiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na) ...................................

Alkalies. ... ...............................

Earths. ...................................

Iron (Fe) ........................................

Nickel (Ni).... .................................

Cobalt (Co) .....................................

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Metals. ...................................

Sulphate (S04 )... ...............................

Chloride (Cl).. ..................................

Iodide (I) .......................................

Strong acids. . ............................

Sulphide (S). ...................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (P04 ).. . .............................

Weak acids. ..............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02 , A12 03 , Fe2O3 , BO2 , etc.) .........

Gases:

Carbon dioxide (COa) .......................

24

Hopkinsville wel

79.2

.4 

20.4

100.0 

60.6 

18.6

Per 

cent. 

39.5 

.2 

.1

39.8

3.0 

6.9

.3

10.2

50.0

9.3 

30.3

39.6

3.0

7.4

10.4

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

42.24 

.2388 

.0802

3.205 

7.425

.3144

Trace.

53.50

9.953 

32.46

3.232 

7.858

53.50

107.0

3,116 

11

3,127 

63

36

Estill iveil.......

86.0 

10.6

3.4

100.0 

96.4 

.2

Per

cent.

\ 43.0

43.0

3.3 

3.7

7.0

50.0

.1

48.2

48.3

1.7

1.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

74.17

5.689 

6.412

Trace.

86. 271

.2290 

83.19

2.852

86.27

172.5

5.032 

12

5,044 

Present.

48

Sharp well.

80.2 

17.6

2.2

100.0 

95.4 

2.4

Per 

cent. 

/ 39.5 

\ -6

40.1

5.1 

4.8

9.9

50.0

1.2

47.7

48.9

.8 

.3

1.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

227.3 

3.203 

Trace.

29. 487 

27.77

Trace.

Trace.

287.8

6.841 

274.3 

Trace. 

Trace.

4.873 

1.793

287. 89

575.6

16,672 

7

16,679 

15
122 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 3. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Kentucky Continued.

PEOPEETIES.

Primary salinity ................................

Tertiary alkalinity. . ............................

Chloride salinity ................................

Sulphate salinity ...............................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na).. . .................................

Alkalies. ..................................

Magnesium (Mg). . ..............................

Barium (Ba). ...................................

Earths....................................

Nickel (Ni).....................................

Cobalt (Co).....................................

Copper (Cu) ....................................

Cadmium (Cd). .................................

Lead(Pb)......................................

Zinc (Zn) .......................................

Metals. .................. i ................

Sum of bases. .............................

Sulphate (S04).................... ..............

Chloride (Cl)... ................................

Bromide (Br) ...................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Fluoride (F) ....................................

Nitrate (N03 )...................................

Thiosulphate (S203) ............................

Strong acids. .............................

Carbonate (C03) ....'............................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl (OH). . ...............................

Phosphate (PO<).. . .............................

Weak acids. ..............................

Sum of acids. . ............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02, A1203, Fe203, B02, etc.) .........

Total dissolved solids. ....................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S). ..................

49

Felix \vfell.......

70.2 

 18.4

11.4

100.0 

87.0 

1.6

Per

cent.

\ 35.1

35.1

7.8 

7.1

14.9

50.0

.8 

43.5

44.3

5.7

5.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

18.31 

Trace.

4.042 

3.699

Trace.

Trace.

26.05

.4368 

22.64

2.973

26.05

52.10

1,552 

33

1,585 

Present.

53

School well .....

71.6 

22.0

6.4

100.0 

76.2 

17.4

Per 

cent. 

( 35.5 

\ -3

35.8

6.2 

8.0

14.2

50.0

8.7 

38.1

46.8

3.2

3.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

249.7 

2.203 

Trace.

43.13 

56.41

Trace.

Trace.

351.4

60.77 

268.1 

Trace. 

Trace.

22.56

Trace.

351.4

702.8

20.158 

9

20,167

65

Wilson well.

24.8

20.2 

55.0

100.0 

15.0 

9.8

Per

cent.

[ 22.5

22.5

13.6 

13.9

27.5

50.0

4.9 

. 7.5

12.4

37.6

37.6

50.0

100.0

farts per 

million.

2.654 

Trace.

1.597 

1.644

Trace.

5.895

.5824

.8742

4.438

5.895

11.79

443 

10

453 

Present.
GENESIS OF THE OBES. 123

TABLE 3. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Kentucky Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. . ............................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (No,).. .................................

Lithium (Li) ...................................

Ammonium (NIL,).. . ...........................

AITrQlipo

Calcium (Ca). ...................................

Barium (Ba)....................................

Earths. . ..................................

Nickel (Ni).....................................

Cobalt (Co).....................................

Lead (Pb) ......................................

Zinc (Zn)... ....................................

Sum of bases. .............................

Sulphate (S04 ).. - ...............................

Chloride (Cl)................ ....................

Bromide (Br)...................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Fluoride(F)..... ...............................

Nitrate (N03 ). ..................................

Thiosulphate(S2 03) .............................

Carbonate (C03 ) ................................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (P04 ).. . .............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Gases:

' 74

Louisville spring.

3.6 

1.0

95.4

100.0 

2.4 

1.2

Per 

cent. 

1.4 

.4

1.8

23.5 

24.7

48.2

50.0

.6 

1.2

.5

2.3

47.7

47.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1636 

. 04713 

Trace.

2.732 

2.860

Trace.

Trace.

5.803

. 07516 

.1350 

Trace. 

Trace.

. 05637

5.536

5.803

11.61

445 

23

468

75

Sayreiwell ......

3.8 

1.8

94.4

100.0 

3.8 

1.8

Per 

cent.

} L,

1.9

41.7 

5.3

a48.1

ol.l

50.0

.9 

1.9

2.8

47.2

47.2

50.0

100.0

Porte per 

million.

0. 1914 

Trace.

4.291 

.5507

Trace.

.1101

5.143

. 09577 

.1889

4.859

5.143

10.29

408

8

416

83

Royal Magnesian 

Spring.

3.6

3.8 

92.6

100.0 

1.2 

6.2

Per 

cent. 

1 0.6 

\ 1-.2

1.8

24.4 

23.7

048.2

o.l

50.0

3.1 

.6

3.7

46.3

46.3

50.0

100.0

Parte per 

million. 

0.05989 

.1194 

Trace.

2.406 

2.327

Trace.

. 007975

4.920

.3021 

.05989

4. 5579

4.920

9.840

377 

8

385

o The reacting value of the zinc is included with that of the earths.
124 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Missouri.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. . ............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li). ...................................

Hydrogen ( H) ..................................

Nickel (Ni)..... ................................

Cobalt (Co).... .................................

Copper (Cu). ....................................

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Zinc (Zn) .......................................

Sulphate (S04 ).. ................................

Chloride (Cl). . ..................................

Iodide (I).......................................

eFluoride ( F) ................... i ................

Nitrate (NOs)....-.- ............................

Thiosulphate (S2 03 ) ............................

Strong acids. ..............................

Sulphide (S)... .................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (PO«).. ..............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ..................

Colloids (Si02, A12O3 , Fe203, B02, etc.) .........

Gases:

27

Nevada well.....

66.6 

5.6

27.8

100.0 

66.8 

5.4

Per 

cent. 

33.3

33.3

10.0 

6.7

16.7

50.0

2.7 

33.4

36.1

13.9

13.9

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

13.34

3.994 

2.678

20.01

1.099 

13.36

5.557

20.01

40.02

1.285 

14

1,299

32

Clinton well 

No. 2.

58.6 

8.4

33.0

100.0 

55.8 

11.2

Per 

cent. 

26.1 

3.2

29.3

11.8 

8.9

20.7

50.0

5.6 

27.9

33.5

16.5

16.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

8.872 

1.085

4.012 

3.001

*

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

16.97

1.906 

9.478

5.585

16.97

33.94

1,132 

4

1,136 

1

38

Silver well (to 

1,100 feet).

75.0 

12.0

13.0

100.0 

75.0 

12.0

Per 

cent. 

32.2 

5.3

37.5

6.9 

5.6

12.5

50.0

6.0 

37.5

43.5

6.5

6.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

26.94 

4.406

5.743 

4.651

41.74

4.982 

31.34

5.42

41.74

83.48

2,651 

9

2,660
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 125

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

'Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li).. ..................................

AlkalinA

Iron (Fe)...... .................................

Nickel (Ni)..... ................................

Cobalt (Co).....................................

TueediCPl)). .....................................

Zinc (Zn)...... .................................

Sum of bases. .............................

Sulphate (S0«)........................... ........

Chloride (Cl).. ......................... . ..

Bromide (Br) ..........................

Iodide (I).......................................

Fluoride ( F) ....................................

Nitrate (N03 )...................................

Thiosulphate (S2O8) ............................

Strong acids. ............................. 

Carbonate (C08) ..............................

Sulphide (S) ...................................

Hydroxyl (OH).. ..............................

Arsenate ( As04 ) .............................

Phosphate (PO4). ...........................

Weak acids. .........................

Sum of acids. ...........................

Total value of reacting solids ..........

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. .........

Colloids (Si02, A12O8, Fe208, B02, etc.) .........

Total dissolved solids. ....................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...............

Carbon dioxide (C02) .................

40

Clinton well 

No. 3 (Britts).

62.4 

12.4

25.2

100.0 

66.8 

8.0

Per 

cent. 

30.2 

1.0

Q1 9

11.1

7.7

18.8

50.0

4.0 

33.4

37.4

12.6

12.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

14.31

.4777

5.278 

3.646

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

23.71

1.886 

15.83

5.988

23.71

47.42

1,538 

14

1,552

42

Clinton well 

No. 1.

65.0 

13.8

21.2

100.0 

70.8 

8.0

Per 

cent. 

31.8 

.7

32.5

10.2 

.7.3

17.5

50.0

4.0 

35.4

39.4

10.6

10.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

18.23 

.4246

5.823 

4.181

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

28.66

2.296 

20.29

6.073

28.66

57.32

1,804 

11

1,815 

4

51

Brunswick well.

76.2 

20.4

3.4

100.0 

86.4 

10.2

Per 

cent. 

38.1

38.1

6.9 

5.0

U q

50.0

5.1 

43.2

48.3

1.7

1.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

204.5

36.90 

27.05

268.5

27.15 

232.0

9.302

268.5

537.0

15,875 

5

15,880 

Present.
126 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li) ....................................

Earths. . .................................. 

Iron (Fe) .......................................

Nickel (Ni).....................................

Cobalt (Co) .....................................

Cadmium (Cd). .................................

Lead (Pb) ......................................

Zinc(Zn).......................................

Sulphate (S04).. ................................

Chloride (Cl) ....................................

Iodide (I).. .....................................

Fluoride (F) ....................................

Nitrate (NO3 ). ..................................

Thiosulphate (S2O3) .............................

Strong acids... . ..........................:

Carbonate (CO3 ) .............. i .................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hy droxvl (OH) .................................

Phosphate (PO4).. . .............................

Weak acids ..........'.....................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ..................

Colloids (Si02, A1203 , Fe203 , B02, etc.) .........

Total dissolved solids .....................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...................

Carbon dioxide (C02 ) .......................

55

Silver well (below 1,100 feet).

76.0 

23.4

.6

100.0 

91.4 

8.0

Per 

cent. 

30.8 

7.2

38 0

4.0 

8.0

12.0

50.0

- 4.0 

45.7

49 7

.3

.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

74.47 

17.34

9.825 

19.28

120.9

9.683 

110.6

.6150

120.9

241.8

7,245 

9

7,254

56

Belcher well..... 

23° C.=73.4 F.

73.4 

23.6

3.0

100.0 

89.0 

8.0

Per 

cent. 

36.0

.7

36.7

8.3 

5.0

13.3

50.0

4.0 

44.5

48.5

1.5

1.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

107.5 

2.150

24.70 

14.80

149.2

11.98 

132.7

4.489

149.2

298.4

8,787 

9

8,796

14

55

64

Cornfield well.

3.8

20.6 

75.6

100.0 

3.2 

.6

Per 

cent. 

.12.2

12.2

30.9 

6.9

37.8

50.0

.3

1.6

1 Q

48.1

48.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.048

2.657 

.5952

4.300

.02498 

.1410

4.134

4.300

8.600

931 

11

942
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 127

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity .............................

KEACTING VALUES.

Potassium (K.). .................................

Lithium (Li).. ..................................

Alkalies...................................

Barium (Baj....................................

Strontium (Sr)... ...............................

Earths....................................

Iron (Fe)..... ..................................

Aluminum (Al). . ...............................

Hydrogen (H) ..................................

Nickel (Ni). ....................................

Cobalt (Co).....................................

lMtrfL(P\>).......................... ............

Zinc (Zn).... ...................................

Sulphate (SOO....... ...........................

Chloride (Cl)....................................

Bromide (Br) ...................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Fluoridem....................................

Nitrate (NOs)........-... .......................

Thiosulphate (S3O8) ............................

Strong acids. ..............................

Sulphide (S)....................................

HydroxyHOEH.. ...............................

Phosphate (POO... .............................

Total value of reacting solids ..............

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ..................

Colloids (SiO2, A120S , Fe208 , B0a, etc.) .........

Gases:

68

Missouri Lead & 

Zinc Co.'s well 

(at 1,387 feet).

15.0

8.6 

76.4

100.0 

8.0 

7.0

Per 

cent. 

11.8

11.8

21.7 

16.5

38.2

50.0

3.5 

4.0

7.5

42.5

42.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.007

1.844 

1.405

4.256

.2989 

.3374

3.620

4.256

8.512

324 

12

336 

Present.

76

Oronogo well.

10.2 

2.2

87.6

100.0 

10.2 

2.2

Per 

cent. 

5.1

5.1

27.7 

17.2

44.9

50.0

1.1

5.1

6.2

43.8

/JO Q

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0:3601

1.963 

1.220

3.543

.0775 

.3590

3.107

3.543

7.086

268 

13

281

82

Missouri Lead & 

Zinc Co.'s well 

(at 940 feet).

11.6

8.2 

80.2

100.0 

5.6 

6.0

Per 

cent. 

9.9

9.9

22.1 

18.0

40.1

50.0

3.0 

2.8

5.8

44.2

44.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.9836

2.196 

1.781

4.961

.2994 

.2814

4.380

4.961

9.922

380 

16

396
128 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Secondary salinity ..............................

Primary alkalinity. .............................

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na)... .......:.........................

Lithium (Li).... ................................

Ammonium (NIL,). . ............................

Alkalies. ..................................

Calcium (Ca).. . .................................

Iron (Fe) .......................................

Nickel (Ni).... .................................

Cobalt (Co) ...................................

Cadmium (Cd). .........................

Lead(Pb)......................................

Zinc (Zn) .................................

Metals ................. . . .....

Sum of bases. . ....................

Sulphate (SOO... ........ .......................

Chloride (Cl) ................................

Bromide (Br) .................................

Iodide (I).................... ...........

Fluoride(F)............. .....................

Nitrate (NO3)..................................

Thiosulphate (SS03) ......................

Strong acids. ."....................... .

'Carbonate (C08) ..........................

Sulphide (S). .................... ......... ..

Hydroxyl (OH).. . .....................

Arsenate (AsO/) ................................

Phosphate (PO*). . .....................

Weak acids ............................... 

Sum of acids ..................... .

Total value of reacting solids ..............

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. .................

Colloids (SiOz, A1203 , Fe2O3 , BO2 , etc.) .........

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...................

Carbon dioxide (CO2) .......................

84

Freeman Foundry well. 

65° F.. ..........

18.2

3.4

78.4

100.0 

3.8 

14/4

Per 

cent. 

10.8

10.8

26.0 

13.2

Oft 0

50.0

7.2 

1.9

9 1

40.9

40.9

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.099

2.633 

1.340

5.072

.7248 

.1970

4.150

5.072

10. 144

389 

8

397

86

Fulton Hospital 

well.

28.8

2.0

69.2

100.0 

10.8 

18. 0

Per 

cent. 

15.4

15.4

18.0 

16.6

34.6

50.0

9.0 

5.4

14.4

35.6

35.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

2.943

3.420 

3.171

Trace.

Trace.

9.534

1.711 

1.025

6.798

..........

9.534

19.068

708 

37

745

87

Cox Spring.

5.2 

.4

94.4

100.0 

2.0 

3.6

Per 

cent. 

2.1 

.5

2.6

43.2 

4.2

47.4

50.0

1.8 

1.0

2.8

47.2

47.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1044 

.02560

2.126 

.2055

Trace.

0 

0

2.462

. 08744 

.04794

2.326

2.462

4.924

196 

15

211

0 

' 1
GENESIS OF THE OBES. 129

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

water sin Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

KEACTINO VALUES.

Sodium (Na)...............................~

Potassium (K). ..............................

Lithium (Li). ................................

Alkalies................................

Earths. ................................

Nfpl-pl ^NiS

Cobalt (Co).... ..............................

Lead(Pb)...................................

Zinc (Zn) ....................................

Metals. . ...............................

Sulphate (SO*).. . ............................

Chloride (Cl). ................................

Bromide (Br) ................................

Iodide (I)... .................................

Fluoride(F).................................

Nitrate (NO3 ). ...............................

Thiosulphate (S203). .....:...............'....

Hydroxyl (OH)..... .........................

Phosphate (POO.. . ..........................

Sum of acids ...........................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02, A12 03, Fe2 03, B02, etc.)......

Gases:

88

Harrington well. .

10.6 

.6

88.8

100.0 

4.4 

6.8

Per 

cent. 

5.1 

.2

5.3

25.2 

18.8

o44.7

o.7

50.0

3.4 

2.2

5.6

44.4

44.4

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.3549 

.01274

1.747 

1.309

.0

.0

. 04894

3.473

.2374 

.1495

3.086

3.473

6.946

266 

11

277

12

89

Providence well. .

7.2 

3.8

89.0

100.0 

1.4 

9.6

Per 

cent. 

3.6

3.6

27.1 

19.3

46.4

.0

50.0

4.8

.7

5.5

44.5

44.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 2652

1.992 

1.419

.0

.0002643 

.0

3.676

.3550 

.04786

3.273

3.676

7.352

282 

18

300

91

Alba well.

6.6 

5.0

88.4

100.0 

3.8 

7.8

Per 

cent. 

2.9 

.4

3.3

41.2 

5.3

o46.7

o.2

50.0

3.9 

1.9

5.8

44.2

44.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.2774 

.04034

3.940 

.5059

.0

.0 

.02202

4.786

.3698 

.1833

4.233

4.786

9.572

282 

14

296

5

a The reacting value of the zinc is included with that of the earths.

84551° Bull. 606 15 9
130 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Calcium (Ca). ...................................

Earths ....

 Nickel (N i) .....................................

Cobalt (Co).....................................

Cadmium (Cd). .................................

Lead(Pb)......................................

Sulphate (SQt)... ...............................

Chloride (01)....................................

Iodide (I) .......................................

Fluoride(F)....................................

Nitrate (NOa).... ...............................

Strong acids... . ...........................

Carbonate (C03) ................................

Sulpnide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl (OH).. . ..............................

Phosphate (PO*). ...............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiC-2, A12O3, Fe2O3) BO2, etc.).. . .......

Gases:

92

Kedell 

66 5° F

15.6 

6.2

78.2

100.0 

7.2 

14.6

Per 

cent. 

5.8 

2.0

7.8

27.7 

14.5

42.2

50.0

7.3 

3.6

10.9

39.1

39.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 4176 

.1434

2.011 

1.052

Trace.

.0

.0

3.624

.5288 

.2623

2.833

3.624

7.248

276

48

324

0 

0

95

Ash Grove well..

3.4 

9.2

87.4

100.0 

3.4 

9.2

Per 

cent. 

1.7

1.7

26.8 

21.5

48.3

50.0

4.6 

1.7

6.3

43.7

43.7

. 50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1249

1.954 

1.563

3.642

.3322 

.1252

3.185

3.642

7.284

275 

10

285

96

Webb City well.

4.2 

10.4

85.4

100.0 

7.2

7.4

Per 

cent. 

1.7 

.4

2.1

28.2 

19.7

47.9

50.0

3.7 

3.6

7.3

42.7

42.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1104 

.02848

1.893 

1.322

3.354

.2511 

.2417

2.861

3.354

6.708

253 

10

263
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 131

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Primary salinity ...............................

Tertiary alkalinity. . ...........................

REACTING VALUES.

Calcium (Ca).. . .................................

Nickel (Ni).....................................

Cobalt (Co).... .................................

Cadmium (Cd). .................................

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Zinc (Zn)... ....................................

Sulphate (SO*).. . ................'...............

Chloride (Cl) ....................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Nitrate (NO3 ). ..................................

Thiosulphate (S203) .............................

Carbonate (C03) .................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (P0<). ...............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...................

98

FreemanFoundry 

well.

4.8 

12.2

83.0

100.0 

4.4 

12.6

Per 

cent. 

2.4

2.4

41.1 

6.5

47.6

50.0

6.3 

2.2

8.5

41.5

41.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1523

2.595 

.4110

3.158

.3956 

.1410

2.621

3.158

6.316

244 

45

289

'

99

Average of 10 

mine waters in 

southeastern 

Missouri.

15.2 

17.6

67.2

100.0 

13.0 

19.8

Per 

cent. 

6.4 

1.2

7.6

21.0 

21.4

42.4

.0

50.0

9.9 

6.5

16.4

33.6

33.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 8739 

.1690

2.897 

2.954

.00431

.0

6.898

1.370 

.8948

4.634

6.898

13. 796

501 

14

515

100

Winslow mine.

6.6 

23.0

70.4

100.0 

1.2

28.4

Per 

cent. 

2.4 

.9

3.3

46.7

46.7

50.0

14.2 

.6

14.8

35.2

35.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 2065 

. 07855

4.037

.0 

.0 

.0

4.322

1.229 

.05358

3.039

4.322

8.644

335 

15

350

9
132 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

No. in synoptical table. .........................

PROPERTIES.

Primary salinity ................................

Tertiary alkalinity.-. ............................

Chloride salinity ................................

REACTING VALUES.

Nickel (Ni).... .................................

Cobalt (Co) .....................................

Lead(Pb)......................................

Chloride (Cl)....................................

Iodide (I) .......................................

Nitrate (N03).. ..................................

Thiosulphate (S203) .............................

Carbonate (C03) ................................

Hydroxyl (OH)..... .........................

Phosphate (PO*).. . .............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02 , A12 03 , FejOs, BOS) etc.).. . .......

Gases:

101

B. &C. mine....

<

5.8 

34.2

60.0

100.0 

1.2 

38.8

Per

cent. 

2.7 

.2

2.9

42.1 

4.7

a47.1

o.3

50.0

19.4 

.6

20.0

30.0

30.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.4002 

.03584

Trace.

6.342 

.7151

Trace. 

.0

.0

.03977

7.533

2.931 

.08742

4.514

7.533

15. 066

567 

15

582

0 

2

108

Sphalerite well . .

13.8 

44.6

41.6

100.0 

6.8 

51.6

Per

cent. 

6.9

6.9

37.0 

6.1

43.1

50.0

25.8 

3.4

29.2

20.8

20.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.218

6.537 

1.069

8.824

4.555 

.5922

3.677

8.824

17.648

536 

32

568

110

Lakeside Spring.

4.4 

64.4

31.2

100.0 

3.6 

65.2

Per 

cent. 

2.2

2.2

43.5 

4.3

47.8

50.0

32.6 

1.8

34.4

15.6

15.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.2684

5.355 

.5341

6.157

4.017 

.2249

1.915

6.157

12.314

438 

10

448
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 133

TABLE 4. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Missouri Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity .........................................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li)...............................................

Nickel (Ni).........................................-......

Cobalt (Co)................................................

Lead(Pb).................................................

Zinc (Zn).......... ........................................

Metals ...............................................

Sum of bases. ........................................

Sulphate (SO*).............................................

Chloride (Cl)...............................................

Iodide (I)..................................................

Fluoride(F).. .............................................

Nitrate (N03). .............................................

Thiosulphato (S203 ). .......................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ...........................................

Phosphate (PO4 ).. . ........................................

Weak acids. . ........................................

Sum of acids. ................................'........

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. .............................

Colloids (Si02, A12 03 , FeaOa, B02 , etc.).. . ..................

Total dissolved solids ................................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ..............................

Carbon dioxide (C0a ) ..................................

115

Missouri Zinc Fields. 

64°F. ...............

, 3.6 

56.4 

31.8

8.2

100.0 

.4 

91.4

Per 

cent. 

1.7 

.1

1.8

24.4 

3.8

28.2

7.9 

.8 

.1

.0

11,2

20.0

50.0

45.7 

.2

45.9

4.1

4.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

2.049 

.1152

29.73 

4.661

9.634 

.9299 

.1165

Trace. 

. 01779 

.0

13.61

60.86

55.62 

.1861

5.050

60.86

121. 72

4.417 

36

4,453

116

Shoal Creek Spring.

3.0 

45.2 

32.6

19.2

100.0 

1.0

79.8'

Per 

cent. 

l.l

.4

1.5

20.5 

2.1

22.6

.1 

.3

.6

.0 

.1

24.8

25.9

50.0

39.9 

.5

9.6

9.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1566 

.0640

3.049 

.3129

. 02148 

.04428 

.08374

.00629 

. 0089 

Trace. 

3.686

7.433

5.932 

.07332

1.428

7.433

14. 866

570 

14

584

43
134 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 5. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Arkansas.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. . .......................................

Chloride salinity. . .........................................

REACTING VALUES.

Ammonium (NH4 ). ........................................

Strontium (Sr). ............................................

Iron (Fe). ..................................................

Hydrogen (H) .............................................

Nickel (Ni)................................................

Cobalt (Co) ................................................

Cadmium (Cd). ............................................

~Lea&(P\)). ................................................

Zinc (Zn)... ...............................................

Metals ...............................................

Sulphate (SO4 ). ............................................

Chloride (Cl)...... .........................................

Bromide (Br) ..............................................

Iodide (I). .................................................

Fluoride (F) ...............................................

Nitrate (N03 )... ...........................................

Thiosulphate (S203). . ......................................

Sulphide (S) ...............................................

Hydrflxyl (OH). ...........................................

Arsenate (As04 ).... . .......................................

Phosphate (P04 ). ..........................................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02) A12O3, FejOs, B02 , etc.). ....................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ..............................

35

White Sulphur 

Spring.

55.2 

10.4

34.4

100.0 

60.2 

5.4

Per

cent. 

19.2 

8.4

27.6

12.8 

9.6

22.4

50.0

2.7 

30.1

32.8

17.2

17.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

2.675 

1.178

1.791 

1.342

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

6.986

.3773 

4.205

2.404

6.986

13. 972

474 

9

483

Present. 

6

72

Black Sulphur 

Spring. 

61. 7° F. 

43.2

56.8

100.0 

38.6 

4.6

Per 

cent. 

21.6

21.6

15.7 

12.7

28.4

50.0

2.3 

19.3

..........

21.6

28.4

28.4

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

3.053

2.221 

1.801

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

7.075

.3208 

2. 732

4.022

7.075

14.15

494 

18

512 

Present.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 135

TABLE 6. Chemical character and geochemical properties .of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Kansas.

Temperature. ................

PROPERTIES.

Secondary alkalinity .........

Tertiary alkalinity ...........

Chloride salinity .............

Sulphate salinity.............

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na).................

Alkalies. ...............

Calcium (Ca). ................

Magnesium (Mg).............

Barium (Ba). ................

Earths.................

Hydrogen (H) ...............

Nickel (Ni). .................

Cobalt(Co). .................

Cadmium (Cd). ..............

Lead (Pb). ..................

Sum of bases...........

Sulphate (SOO......... ......

Chloride (01)...... ...........

Bromide (Br).....

Iodide (I). ...................

Fluoride(F). ................

Nitrate (N03 ).. ..............

Thiosulphate (SS 03) ..........

Strong acids. ..........

Carbonate (CO8) .............

Sulphide (S). ................

Hydroxyl (OH)... ..........

Arsenate (AsO4 ). . ...........

Phosphate (P04). . ...........

Weak acids. ...........

Sum of acids...........

Total value of reacting 

solids................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts 

per million.)

Total weight of reactingsolids. 

Colloids (Si02. A12O8, Fe2O8, 

BO-2, etc.).... ..............

T.otal dissolved solids ........

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (HjS) . 

Carbon dioxide (C0a)....

5

Columbus well... 

24°C.=75.2°F...

16.0

40.2 

43.8

100.0 

11.0 

3.4

Per 

cent. 

27.5 

.5 

.1

28.1

11.9 

10.0

21.9

50.0

1.7 

5.5

.8

8.0

42.0

42.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

5.003 

. 08704

2.161 

1.817

Trace.

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

9.082

.2998 

1.001

.1498

7.631

9.082

18. 164

708 

8

716 

11

13

Cherokeewell.... 

22°C.=71.5°F...

51.0 

.6

48.4

100.0 

34.6 

17.0

Per 

cent. 

24.6 

.9

25.5

13.4 

11.1

24.5

50.0

12.8 

11.5

24.3

25.7

25.7

 50.0

100. 0

Parts per 

million. 

5.699 

.2176

3.104 

2.573

11.59

2.963 

2.659

5.972

11.59

23.18

834 

13

847 

Abundant.

33

Fort Scott well . . 

19.7°C.=67.5°F.

79.0 

.8

12.2

100.0 

87.2 

.6

Per

cent. 

39.5

39.5

5.7 

4.8

10.5

50.0

.3 

43.6

43.9

5.5

.6

6.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

23.92 

Trace. 

Trace.

3.468 

2.910

..........

30.30

.2082 

26.41

3.304

.3743

30.30

60.60

1,832 

24

1,856

Trace. 

Trace.

78

Pittsburg reservoir:

37.4 

10.0

52.6

100.0 

27.0 

20.4

Per 

cent. 

17.3 

1.4

18.7

18.4 

12.9

31.3

50.0

10.2 

13.5

23.7

26.3

26.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

3.219 

.2675

3.411 

2.404

..........

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

9.301

1.899 

2.503

4.899

9.301

18. 602

661 

12

673

Present. 

26
136 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIF BEGION.

TABLE 6. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Kansas Continued.

No. in synoptical table. . .....

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..........

Sulphate salinity.............

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na)... ..............

A Ik silos

Calcium (Ca).... .............

Magnesium (Mg). . ...........

Nickel (Ni). .................

Cobalt (Co). .................

Lead (Pb). ..................

Sum of bases...........

Sulphate (S04 )... ............

Chloride (Cl)....... ..........

Iodide (I). ...................

Nitrate (N03)-.. .............

Strong acids.. ......... 

Carbonate (C08 ). ............

Sulphide (S). ................

Hydroxyl (OH) ..............

Phosphate (P04). ............

Weak acids. ...........

Total value of reacting

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts 

per million.)

Total weight of reactingsolids 

Colloids (Si02, Al2O3 ,Te203, 

BOZ, etc.)..................

Total dissolved solids. . 

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide(H2S).

90

Pittsburg well...

37.8 

4.4

°

57.8

100.0 

20.4 

21.8

Per 

cent. 

18.9

18.9

15.5 

14.6

31.1

50.0

10.9 

10.2

21.1

28.9

28.9

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

2.871

2.495 

2.219

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

7.585

1.643 

1.551

4.391

..........

7.585

15. 170

545 

3

548 

Present.

102

Chico Spring..... 

14.8°C.-58.6°F.

5.0 

43.6

51.4

100.0 

3.4 

45.2

Per 

cent. 

2.5

2.5

38.2 

9.3

47.5

50.0

22.6 

1.7

24.3

25.7

24.3

50..0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1479

2.285 

.5590

Trace.

2.992

1.353 

. 09870

1.540

2.992

5.984

219 

24

243

103

Pittsburg -well 

No. 3.

31.4 

22.8

45.8

100.0 

28.8 

25.4

Per 

cent. 

15.3 

.4

15.7

19.2 

15.1

34.3

50.0

12.7 

14.4

27.1

22.9

22.9

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

2.595 

. 06426

3.272 

2.568

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

8.499

2.158 

2.451

3.891

8.499

16. 998

587 

15

602

3

18.8

109

Cave Spring. 

15° C.=59° F.

8.8 

56.0

35.2

100.0 

6.4 

58.4

Per

cent. 

4.4

4.4

40.2 

5.4

45.6

50.0

29.2 

3.2

32.4

17.6

17.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 1088

.9880 

.1315

1.228

.7162 

- . 07896

.4331

..........

1.228

2.456

88 

22

110
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 137

TABLE 7. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Oklahoma.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na). .................................. .

Calcium (Ca). ...................................

Iron (Fe).. ......................................

Nickel (Ni)

Cobalt (Co)..........................-..........

Lead(Pb)......................................

Zinc(Zn).......................................

Metals....................................

Sulphate (S04)............-..-.........-........'

Chloride (01)........................ ............

Bromide (Br)...................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Fluoride(F)....................................

Nitrate (NOg)...................................

Thiosulphate (S203) .............................

Carbonate (C08) ................................

Sulphide (S).. ..................................

HydroxylfOH).................................

Arsenate (AsO<) ................................

Phosphate (P04). ...............................

Weak acids ............................... 

Sum of acids. .............................

Total value of reacting solids ..............

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiOfc A1208, Fe208 , B02, etc.) .........

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S). ..................

Carbon dioxide (COa).......................

15 .

Vinita well ......

65.0

24.8 

10.2

100.0 

63.0 

2.0

Per

cent. 

44.9

44.9

3.1 

2.0

5.1

50.0

1.0

31.5

32.5

17.5

17.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

15.33

1.060 

.6984

17.09

SVI1

10.76

5.969

17.09

34.18

1,145 

11

.1,156 

1

18

Church mine . . .

53.0'

13.6 

33.4

100.0 

53.0

Per 

cent. 

33.3

33.3

12.0 

4.7

16.7

50.0

26.5

26.5

23.5

23.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

4.167

1.507 

.5918

Trace.

6.266

Present. 

3.322

Present.

2.944

6.266

12.53

431 

12

443

8 

Trace.

20

Nowata well.

53.6

8.0 

38.4

100.0 

52.6 

1.0

Per 

cent. 

30.8

30.8

14.6 

4.6

19.2

50.0

.5 

26.3

26.8

23.2

23.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

588.5

. 279.6 

87.64

955.7

8.822 

502.4

444.5

..........

955. 7

1,911.4

65,235 

106

65,341 

24
138 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 7. Chemical character aad geochemicnl properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Oklahoma Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Primary salinity ................................

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Nickel (Ni).....................................

Cobalt (Co)..... ................................

Lead(Pb)......................................

Zinc (Zn)... ....................................

Sulphate (S04).. ................................

Chloride (Cl)....................................

Iodide (I)......... ..............................

Fluoride(F)........ ............................

Nitrate (N03)...................................

Carbonate (COs)...... ..........................

Hydroxylf OH). ................................

Phosphate (PO4). ...............................

Weak acids. ..............................

Sum of acids. .............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02, AlsOs, I^Os, B08( etc.)..........

Gases:

23

Afton\rell.......

68.0

4.6

27.4

100.0 

65.6 

2.4

Per

cent. 

36.3

36.3

8.2 

5.5

13.7

50.0

1.2 

32.8

34.0

16.0

16.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

6.898

1.556 

1.058

9.512

.2362 

6.233

3.043

9.512

19.02

620 

14

634

10 

4

25

Whitaker Park 

well.

88.4

.2 

11.4

100.0 

87.8 

.6

Per

cent. 

43.9

.4

*

44.3

3.6 

2.1

5.7

50.0

.3 

43.9

44.2

5.8

5.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

110.7 

.8704

9.157 

5.347

.0

Trace. 

Trace.

126.1

.8424 

110.7

14.59

126.1

252.2

7,683 

13

7,696

50 

93

30

Chapman & Lennan mine.

58.4 

7.0

3

34.6

100.0 

58.6 

6.8

Per 

cent. 

29.2

29.2

13.6 

7.2

20.8

50.0

3.4 

29.3

32.7

17.3

17.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

3.841 

Trace.

1.797 

.9420

.0

.0 

.0

6.580

.4447 

3.863

2.272

6.580

13.16

433 

10

443

2 

22
GENESIS OP THE ORES. 139

TABLE 7. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing waters in

Oklahoma Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ...........................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li).'.. . .............................

Alkalies................................

Earths .................................

Nickel (Ni).... ..............................

Cobalt (Co).... ..............................

Cadmium (Cd). ..............................

Lead (Pb) ...................................

Sum of bases. ..........................

Sulphate (SO*).. . ............................

Chloride (Cl) .................................

Iodide (I)....................................

FluoridefF).................................

Nitrate (NOa)................................

Thiosulphate (S303)... . ......................

Strong acids. ...........................

Carbonate (C03) .............................

Sulphide (S) .................................

Weak acids ............................

Sum of acids ...........................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ...............

Colloids (SiOs, A1203, Fe203 , B02, etc.) ...... 

Total dissolved solids. . ................

Gases:

34

Miami ice plant. . .

50.2 

9.6

40.2

100.0 

56.6 

3.2

Per 

cent. 

25.1

25.1

14.1 

10.8

24.9

50.0

1.6 

28.3

29.9

20.1

20.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

2.854

1.605 

1.225

5.684

.1874 

3.215

2.282

5.684

11.37

375 

9

384

Present. 

3

45

Brown well.......

82.2 

16.6

1.2

100.0 - 

98.8

Per 

cent. 

41.1

41.1

5.8 

3.1

8.9

50.0

49.4

49.4

.6

.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

524.2

74.14 

39.24

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

637,6

629.8

7.787

637. 6 .

1,275.0

36,823

36,823 

Abundant.

46"

Radium well.

82.6 

17.0

.4

100.0 

99.6

Per 

cent. 

41.3

41.3

5.6 

3.1

8.7

50.0

49.8

49.8

.2

.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

537.8 

Trace. 

Trace.

73.81 

40.11

Trace.

Trace. 

Trace.

651.7

649.3

2.410

651.7

1,303.0

37,502 

14

37,516 

118
140 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 7. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing waters in

Oklahoma Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity.. . ............................

Chloride salinity. ...............................

REACTING VALUES.

A ITralipc!

Iron (Fe). .......................................

Nickel (Ni). ....................................

Cobalt (Co).....................................

Cadmium (Cd). ...............................'..

I*aA(Pl)). .....................................

Zinc (Zn) .......................................

Metals. . ..................................

Sulphate (S04)..................................

Chloride (Cl). . ..................................

Iodide (I).......................................

Fluoride (F) ....................................

Nitrate (NOs)...................................

Thiosulphate (SSO3). . ...........................

Strong acids... . ...........................

Sulphide (S).. ...................................

Hydroxyl (OH). ................................

Phosphate (P04).. . .............................

Total value of reacting solids ...............

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ..................

Colloids (Si02, A1203, Fe203, BO2, etc.) .........

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...................

Carbon dioxide (C02) .......................

69

Bemicewell.....

10.6

5.8 

83.6

100.0 

5.8 

4.8

Per 

cent. 

6.1 

2.1

8.2

34.1

7.7

41.8

50.0

2.4

2.9

5.3

44.7

44.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 4559 

.1569

2.567 

.5803

.0

.0

.0

3. 760

.1768

.2200

3.363

3.760

7.520

297 

18

315

Present. 

39

71

Chapman & Lennan mine.j

44.4

55.6

100.0 

44.4

Per

cent. 

22.2

22.2

20.2 

7.6

27.8

50.0

22.2

22.2

27.8

27.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

. 4. 052

3.683 

1.397

.0

9.132

Trono

4.052

5.080

9.132

18.26

637 

11

648

Abundant. 

22

77

Fairland well.

33.2 

6.6

60.2

 100.0 

39.8

Per 

cent. 

16.6

16.6

18.0 

15.4

33.4

50.0

19.9

19.9

30.1

on i

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.673

1.812 

1.552

5.037

2.004

3.033

5.037

10.07

350

350
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 141

TABLE 8. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related

waters in Colorado.

PEOPERTIES.

Secondary salinity ..........................

Tertiary salinity ............................

Tertiary alkalinity ..........................

BEACTINQ VALUES.

Lithium (Li).. . ..............................

Ammonium (NH4 ).. . ........................

Alkalies................................

Barium (Baj. ................................

Earths .................................

Iron (Fe) ....................................

Aluminum ( Al) ..............................

Manganese (Mn) .............................

Hydrogen (H) ...............................

Nickel (Ni).... ..............................

Cobalt (Co).... ..............................

Lead (Pb)..... ..............................

Sulphate (SO4).... ...........................

Chloride (01).. ...............................

Bromide (Br) ................................

Iodide (I).........................-..........

Fluoride (F) .................................

Nitrate (N03 ). ...............................

Sulphide (S).. .....'..........................

Hydroxyl ( OH). .............................

Phosphate (POO....--- ......................

Weak acids ............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.) 

Total weight of reacting solids. ...............

Colloids (Si02 , A12 03 , Fe2 03 , B02 , etc.).. . ....

Gases:

3

Geyser mine 

(2,000 feet). 

80°F..... .......

14.8

47.8 

37.4

100.0 

9.0 

5.8

Per 

cent. 

26.6 

4.3 

.4

"*1 Q

6.2 

12.4

.1

18.7

.0

.0

.0

50.0

2.9 

4.5

.0

7.4

42.6

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

31.30 

5.069 

.4107

7.306 

14.604

.04446

nnftfi3

. 01304

0104

58.76

8.367 

5.256 

Trace. 

Trace. 

Trace. 

.02576

50.11

Trace.

58. 76

117.5

4,655 

31

4,686

6

Doughty Black 

Spring. 

17.5*C.=63.5°F..

446

38.0 

17.4

100.0 

35.4 

8.8

Per 

cent. 

39.9 

1.1 

.2 

.1

41.3

4.8 

3.8

.1

8.7

50.0

4.4 

17.7 

.1

.1

OO O

27.7

27.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

51.96 

1.504 

.2276 

.0719

6. 304 . 

5.000

.0798

Trace.

65. 15

5.686 

23.01 

.1838 

Trace.

.1926

36.08

Trace.

65.15

130.3

4,766 

35

4,801

49 

977

10

Poncha Spring. 

90°-168° F.

28.4

56.4 

15.2

100.0

7.8 

20.6

Per 

cent. 

41.8 

.6

42.4

7.6

7.6

50.0

10.3 

3.9

14.2

35.8

35.8 1...........

Parts per 

million. 

8.670 

.1153

1.572

Trace.

10.36

2.140 

.7981

7.422

50.0

100.0

10.36

20.72

820 

57

877
142 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 8. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Colorado Continued.

No. in synoptical table. .........................

Source of water. ................................

Temperature. ...................................

PROPERTIES.

Secondary alkalinity. . ..........................

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

Chloride salinity. . ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Potassium (K) ..................................

Calcium (Ca). ...................................

Earths. . ..................................

Iron (Fe) .......................................

Nickel (Ni) .....................................

Cobalt (Co) .....................................

Cadmium (Cd). .................................

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Metals. ...................................

Sulphate (SO*). .................................

Chloride (Cl). . ..................................

Iodide (I) .......................................

Fluoride (F) ....................................

Nitrate (N03 )............ .......................

Thiosulphate (S2O3) .............................

Sulphide (S)..... ...............................

Hydroxyl (OH)...... ...........................

Phosphate (POO- - ..............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02 , A12 03 , FeaOs, BO2 , etc.). . .......

Gases:

11

Wagon Wheel 

Gap Spring.

21.4

51.2

27.4

100.0 

7.6 

13.8

Per 

cent. 

31.1 

2.8 

2.4

36.3

4.7 

9.0

13.7

50.0

6.9 

3.8

10.7

39.3

30 3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

15.09 

1.331 

1.153

2.295 

4.357

Trace.

24.23

3.352 

1.861

19.02

24.23

48.46

1.893 

10

1,903

12

Cold Sulphur 

Spring.

32.6

34.8 

32.6

100.0 

5.4 

27.2

Per 

cent. 

30.8 

2.9

33.7

11.3 

5.0

16.3

50.0

13.6 

2.7

16.3

33.7

33.7

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

14.94 

1.398

5.479 

2.400

Trace.

Trace.

Trace.

24.22

6.615 

1.289

16.32

24.22

48.44

1,896 

61

1,957

28

14

Doughty Drinking Spring.

58.0

26.6 

15.4

100.0 

34.8 

23.0

Per 

cent. 

40.4 

1.4 

.4 

.1

42.3

4.6 

 2.8 

.2 

.1

7.7

50.0

11.5 

17.4 

.1

29.0

21.0

21.0

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

45.86 

1.576 

.4409 

.0664

5.272 

3.230 

.1920 

.1506

Trace.

5G.80

13.02 

19.76 

.0650 

Trace.

23.94

56.80

113.6

4,077 

33

4,110

47 

2,058
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 143

TABLE 8. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Colorado Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity ..............................

REACTING VALUES.

Lithium (Li)... .................................

Iron (Fe)..... ..................................

Nickef(Ni).... .................................

Cobalt (Co).... .................................

Lead (Pb)... ...................................

Sulphate (S04 )... . ..............................

Chloride (Cl).. ..................................

Iodide (I). ......................................

Nitrate (N03 ). ..................................

Sulphide (S) ....................................

Hydroxyl ( OH)... . .............................

Phosphate (POO- ...............................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiO2, A12O3) FeaOs, B02, etc.). .........

Total dissolved solids. ....................

Gases:

31

Yampa 

120° F

Spring . .

90.0 

7.4

2.6

100.0 

89.6 

7. 8

Per 

cent. 

44.3 

.7 

.0

45.0

3.9 

1.1

5.0

50.0

3.9

44.8 

.0

43.7

1.3

1.3

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

319.8 

4.731 

.0556

28.37 

7.809

360.8

27.96 

323.6 

.0937

Trace. 

Trace.

9.112

Trace.

360.8

721.6

21,587 

34

21,621

Present. 

Present.

70

Royal Gorge Cold 

Spring. 

70-T...... ......

34.2

.4 

65.4

100.0

23.8 

10.4

Per 

cent. 

16.3 

.9 

.1

17.3

21.3 

11.1

.3

32.7

.0

50.0

5.2 

11.9

17.1

32.9

TJO Q

50". 0

100.0

Parts per 

million.

6.968 

.3669 

.0282

9. 108 

4.760

.1196

Trace.

.0084

21.36

2.226 

5.078

14.06

Trace.

21.36

42.72

1,566 

30

1,596

920

79

Boulder city 

water

20.8 

10.2

69.0

100.0 

15.6 

15.4

Per

cent.

8.2 

2.2

30.9 

8.6

.1

39.6

50.0

7.7 

7.8

15.5

34.5

34.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0. 08856 

.0231 

Trace.

.3329 

.09298

..00128

Trace.

.5388

.08286 

.08357

.3724

.5388

1. 0776

40 

9

49
144 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 8. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Colorado Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity.. ............ . ., .... . .........

REACTING VALUES.

Alkalies.. . ...........................................

Iron (Fe). ..................................................

Aluminum ( Al) ............................................

Hydrogen (H) .........................................

Nickel (Ni)... ..............................................

Cobalt (Co)................................................

Cadmium (Cd). . ...........................................

Lead (Pb)...... ...........................................

Zinc (Zn)... ...............................................

Metals ...............................................

Sum of bases. ........................................

Sulphate (S04). ............................................

Chloride (Cl)... ............................................

Bromide (Br) ..............................................

Iodide (I).... ...................................... .

Fluoride (F}_ ........................................

Nitrate (N0a)... ................................... .

Thiosulphate (S2O3 ).--. . ...................................

Strong acids.... . .....................................

Carbonate (C03 )-. ................................... . ...

Sulphide (S) ...............................................

Hydroxyl (OH) ......................................

Phosphate (POO... . .......................................

Weak acids ..........................................

Total value of reacting solids .........................

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (SiO2, A1203 , FesO3 , B02, etc.) . .................

Total dissolved solids ................................

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (B.&). ............... ..............

Carbon dioxide (C02) ..................................

80

Geyser mine (500 

feet).

23.8

15.4 

60.8

100.0 4.8 - 

19.0

Per

cent. 

16.7 

2.9

19.6

19.7 

10.6

"30.4

o.l

50.0

9.5 

2.4

11.9

38.1

*.

38.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

1.583 

.2714

1.866 

1.007

Trace.

Trace. 

.00612

4.734

.8994 

.2228

3.612

4.734

9.468

368 

29

397

114

Black Hawk well.

7.2 

73.4 

16.4

3.0

100.0 

3.8 

93.2

Per

cent. 

3.5 

.1

3.6

24.8 

11.9

36.7

4.2

3.9

1.6

9.7

50.0

46.6 

1.9

48.5

1.5

1.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

 million. 

1.210 

.04291

8.593 

4.141

1.453

1.351

Trace.

.5463

17.34

16.16 

. 6695

.5105

17.34

34.68

1,153 

37

1,190

The reacting value of the zinc Is Included with, that of the earths.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 145

TABLE 9. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and California.

PROPERTIES.

Tertiary alkalinity. .............................

Chloride salinity. ...............................

Sulphate salinity. ...............................

REACTING VALUES.

Potassium (K). .................................

Alkalies. ..................................

Strontium (Sr). .................................

Earths. ...................................

Iron ( Fe) .......................................

Nickel (Ni)

Lead (Pb).... ..................................

Zinc (Zn) .......................................

Sum of bases. .............................

Sulphate (S0<). .................................

Chloride (Cl). ...................................

Iodide (I).. .....................................

Fluoride (F). .^...... ..........................

Nitrate (NO3). ........... ... ....................

Thiosulphate (S203) ............................

' Strong acids. .............................

Carbonate (C03) ................................

Phosphate (P0t)..... ...........................

Sum of acids. .............................

BASE ANALYSIS. 

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Gases:

17

Steamb oat 

Springs. 

75°-84.5? C.......

87.6

11.2 

1.2

100.0 

79.8

7.8

Per 

cent.

44.0 

3.9 

1.5

49.4

.5

.1

.6

50.0

3.9 

39.9

43.8

5.7 

.3

.2

.0

6.2

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

29.66 

2.645 

1.031.

.3416 

.0233

33.70

2.650 

26.86

.3850 

.2039

.1082

.02660

33.70

67.40

2,121 

579

2,700 

1

60

Mizpah mine ... -

61.8 

11.8

25.4 

1.0

100.0 

9.4 

64.2

Per

cent. 

30.5

.4

30.9

16.2 

2.4

18.6

.1

.4

.5

50..0

32.1

4.7

36.8

13.2

13.2

50.0

100.0

Parto per 

million. 

6.473 

.08704

3.433 

.5179

.02506

.07749

Trace.

10.61

6.812 

1.004

Trace.

2.797

10.61

21.22

762 

65

827

81

Federal Loan 

mine.

9.0

13.2 

77.8

100.0 

3.2

5.8

Per

cent. 

10.6

.5

ll.l

30.4 

8.5

38.9

50.0

2.9 

1.6

4.5

44.2 

1.3

45.5

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.5829 

.0256

1.677 

.4685

Trace.

 2.754

.1603 

.08911

Present.

2.436 

.06864

2.754

5.508

214 

37

251 

Present.

84551° Bull. 606 1J
146 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

TABLE 9. Chemical character and geochemical properties of zinc-bearing and related 

waters in Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and California Continued.

PROPERTIES.

Primary alkalinity. . .........................

Tertiary alkalinity. - .........................

REACTING VALUES.

Sodium (Na). ................................

Strontium (Sr). ..............................

Earths. ................................

Iron (Fe) ....................................

Aluminum ( Al) .............................

Hydrogen (H). ..............................

Nickel (Ni)...... .......................... .

Cobalt (Co)..................................

Cadmium (Cd). ..............................

Lead(Pb)................................. .

Zinc (Zn) ................................

Metals. .............................. .

Sulphate (S04). ............. ...

Chloride (Cl). ...............................

Bromide (Br). . ............................ .

Iodide (I)....................................

Fluoride (F) ............................

Nitrate (N03 ).. ..............................

Thiosulphate (S2O3 ) .........................

Strong acids. .......................... 

Carbonate (CO3) .............................

Sulphide (S) ............................... .

Hydroxyl (OH).. ............................

Arsenate (As04 ) .............................

Phosphate (PO4 ). ......................... .

Weak acids. . ..........................

Sum of acids. ........................ .

Total value of reacting solids. ..........

BASE ANALYSIS.

(Summary by weight, in parts per million.)

Colloids (Si02 , A12O3 , Fe2 03, B02, etc.) ...... 

Total dissolved solids. ...............

Gases: 

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) ...............

Carbon dioxide (C02). . .................

104

Gagnon mine. ....

10.2 

85.0

4.6 

.2

100.0 

62.6 

32.6

Per 

cent. 

4.7 

.4

5.1

33.7 

11.1

44.8

.0

.1

.1

50.0

16.3 

31.3

47.6

2.4

2.4

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

3.602 

.2918

25.55 

8.434

.01432

.05100

Trace. 

.0

.0

.0

37.94

12.35 

23.77

1.823

Trace.

37.94

75.88

2,258 

30

2,288

115

Tamarack,- jr., 

mine.

18.4 

80.0

1.6

100.0 

96.2 

.0

Per 

cent. 

9.1 

.1 

.0

9.2

40.2 

.3

.1

040.6

.1

o.l

50.0

.0 

48.1 

1.1

49.2

.8

.8

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

33.66 

.5560 

.08968

148.7 

1.087

.3974

(

.3775

.2447

185.1

.0175 

178.3 

3.975

2.819

185.1

370.2

10,173 

12

10,185

111

Green Mountain 

mine.

8.2 

71.6

19.4 

.8

100.0 

1.8 

78.0

Per 

cent. 

8.3 

.8

4.1

34.8 

10.7

4^ t\

.3

.i

.0

.4

50.0

39.0 

.9

39.9

10.1

10.1

50.0

100.0

Parts per 

million. 

0.7047 

.1818

7.545 

2.318

.06444

.01821

Trace.

.0092

10.84

8.463 

.1918

2.188

Trace.

10.84

21.68

752 

23

775

2.72

a, The reacting value of the zinc is included with that of the earths.
GENESIS OF THE ORES. 147 

CLASSIFICATION OF ZINC-BEARING AND RELATED WATERS.

When the number of quantitative analyses of waters available for 

study and comparison reaches that here presented it becomes necessary to group them according to some well-considered scheme of 

classification. The scheme here adopted is based on the principles 

of water characterization just set forth and includes only those 

subgroups that are represented in the analyses here given. It has 

been devised solely to meet the requirements of the present investigation and is hot presented for general use, although, by logical expansion and further subdivision, it might be made applicable to nearly all 

natural waters. In this scheme the principal classes are founded on 

the preponderating groups of bases. These classes are divided 

according to the nature of the preponderating acid radicles held in 

equilibrium with these bases, and are subdivided according to the 

nature of the salinity. They are further subdivided according to the 

kind of accessory alkalinity or salinity. A similar scheme might 

classify the first division by alkalinity or salinity and the subdivisions 

by the groups of bases. Such a classification would somewhat 

resemble that adopted by Peale, 1 though in his plan the waters were 

classified according to the weights of the different . constituents 

rather than according to their molecular ratios, as in the two schemes 

proposed above. Both these schemes were tried by the writer, but 

the one here'adopted seemed to work out best in actual practice 

with the waters under consideration.

In the following key to the scheme of classification adopted and in 

this report generally, the terms primary, secondary, and tertiary, 

when applied to waters, are used in the ordinal sense in which their 

use has been established by Palmer, 2 Spencer,3 Emmons and Harrington,4 Van Winkle,5 Waring, 6 and Clapp,7 in connection with the 

radicles of bases in solution in waters. Thus we have primary, 

secondary, and tertiary salinity, alkalinity, bases, and waters, 

all members of related series, each determined by the predominant 

groups of positive or base radicles. The reader must not confuse 

these terms with the terms primary and secondary as they are applied

1 Peale, A. C., Natural mineral waters of the United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Fourteenth. Ann. 

Kept., pt. 2, p. GO, 1894.

" Palmer, Chase, The geochemical interpretation of water analyses: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 479, pp. 12-14, 

1911; Mineralogy of waters from artesian wells at Charleston, S. C.: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 90, pp. 

92-93,1914.

3 Spencer, A. C., Chalcocite enrichment: Econ. Geology, vol. 8, p. 646,1913.

4 Emmons, W. H., and Harrington, G. L., A comparison of waters of mines and of hot springs: Econ. 

Geology, vol. 8, p. 661,1913.

o Van Winkle, Walton, Quality of the surface waters of Washington: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 339, pp. 34-35, 1914; Quality of the surface waters of Oregon: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 363, pp. 37-38,1914.

8 Waring, G. A., Springs of California: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 338, pp. 22-23,1914.

7 Clapp, C. H., Sharp Point hot spring, Vancouver Island, British Columbia: Canada Dept. Mines Summary Eept. Geol. Survey for 1913, pp. 80-83,1914.
148 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

to original and derived ore deposits, for as applied to ores they have a 

genetic significance, whereas their use here is purely ordinal.

Key to classification of zinc-bearing and related waters.

Predominant bases.

Primary waters (primary bases predominant).

Secondary waters (secondary bases predominant).

Tertiary waters (tertiary bases predominant).

Predominant 

character.

("Alkaline. .

[Saline ....

( A llrci 1 IYIO i jn.utvcviuj.\3 . .

1 Saline....

[Saline ....

Subordinate character.

[Chloride salinity.

[Sulphate salinity

[Chloride salinity. . . .

[Sulphate salinity. .

[Chloride salinity. . .

[Sulphate salinity. . .

[Chloride salinity. . .

[Sulphate salinity. . .

Sulphate salinity. . .

Accessory character.

("Primary alkalinity.. 

\Secondary alkalinity

f Primary alkalinity.. 

\Secondary alkalinity

( Primary salinity.. . 

(.Secondary salinity.

f Primary salinity. . . 

(.Secondary salinity.

f Primary salinity.. . 

(.Secondary salinity. 

[Primary salinity.. .

| Secondary salinity. 

[Tertiary salinity. . .

("Tertiary alkalinity. 

\Tertiary salinity.. .

Section.

A

B

C 

D

E 

F

G

H 

I

J 

K

L

M 

N

0 

P

SYNOPTICAL OUTLINE OF ZINC-BEARING WATERS.

i.

The geochemical scheme for interpreting water analyses lends itself 

admirably to the presentation in tabular form of the essential properties of a series of waters. The synoptical table below shows the 

character of 119 waters, most of them from the Joplin region and 

adjoining territory, but many from distant States or from foreign 

countries. Nearly all these waters carry zinc or lead. A zero (0) 

in the last column opposite the designation of any water indicates 

that tests for these metals gave negative results. A question 

mark (?) in the last column opposite the designation of a water that 

has not been tested for these metals but is closely related in character, 

in geographic location, and in geologic environment -to waters known 

to be zinc-bearing indicates that it may probably carry these metals.

A somewhat similar scheme was used by PoSepny, 1 but he combined the chlorides of the alkalies and earths and gave them separately from the sulphates. Another essential difference in presentation is that the properties were expressed by PoSepny in their 

mass weights instead of in reaction values, as in the table here presented. The undesirability of the use of mass weights is dwelt upon 

in the quotation from Palmer. In an analysis expressed in that way 

one must either make a mental estimate of the reacting values of the 

salts or must form a false conception of the proportions of the salts 

in the solution.

, Franz, The genesis of ore deposits: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 23, p. 234,1894.
Synoptical table of zinc-bearing waters.

Primary waters. Primary bases (alkalies) predom

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8

9 

10 

11 

12 

13

14 

15 

16 

17

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

?fi

Source.

SECTION A. Predominantly alkaline with chloride salinity in excess.

SECTION B. Predominantly alkaline with sulphate salinity in excess.

SECTION C. Predominantly saline with chloride salinity in excess and accessory 

primary alkalinity.

SECTION D. Predominantly saline with chloride salinity in excess and accessory 

secondary alkalinity or accessory secondary salinity.

"VVViifalror Part- Tcroll Olrla

Niederbronn. Germany .................. 1 ..:.............-....................

Salinity.

Primary.

14.0 

33.0 

14.8 

11.2 

16.0 

44.6 

34.2 

30.0

8.4 

28.4 

21.4 

32.6 

48.6

58.0 

65.0 

57.6 

87.6

53.0

55.6 

53.6 

65.6 

66.6 

68.0 

79.2 

88.4 

74.0

Secondary.

3

0 

. o

Tertia
Synoptical table of zinc-bearing waters Con

Primary waters. Primary bases (alkalies) predominant 

No.

?7

28

M

30

31

3?

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

4?

43

44

45

4fi

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

Source.

SECTION D. Predominantly saline with chloride salinity in excess and accessory 

secondary alkalinity or accessory secondary salinity Continued.

Clinton well No. 2 Mo .........................................................

Estill well, Ky. ................................................................

Felix well, Kv. ...............................................................

SECTION E. Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

primary alkalinity.

Ne"ris-les-Bains, France ........................................................

Primary.

66.6

91.4

92.2

58.4

90.0

58.6

79.0

50.2

55.2

86.0

75.0

75.0

62.4

74.6

65.0

72.2

80.4

82.2

82.6

66.4

80.2

70.2

80.2

76.2

78.6

71.6

75.4

76.0

7S a

61.6

60.0

51.8

Salinity.

Secondary.

5.6

6.2

6.8

7.0

7.4

8.4

8.8

9.6

10.4

10.6

10.8

12.0

12.0

12.4

12.8

13.8

14.6

16.0

16.6

17.0

17.4

17.6

18.4

18.4

20.4

20.8

22.0

22.0

23.4

23.6

Terti
fifl

61

fi9

SECTION F. Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

secondary alkalinity.

61.8

69.2

37.8

11.8

13.4

24.6

Secondary waters. Secondary bases (alkaline earths) p

63

64

65

66

67

fiQ

70

71

79

7^

74

7H

Tft

77

78

79

80

01

QO

83

R4

85

8ft

R7

OO

RQ

on

91

Q9

<)3

SECTION G. Predominantly alkaline with chloride salinity in excess and accessory 

primary salinity.

Cornfield welT Mp,-- ......

Mida Spring, N.C..............................................................

SECTION H. Predominantly alkaline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

primary salinity.

Koanoke Red Suluhur Snrines. Va. ............................................

6.0

3.8

24.8

2.8

10.2

15.0

10.6

34.2

44.4

43.2

6.6

3.6

3.8

10.2

33.2

37.4

20.8

23.8

9.0

11.6

3.6

18.2

1.2

 28.8

5.2

10.6

7.2

37.8

6.6

15.6

14.0

0.2

1.0

1.8

2.2

6.6

10.0

10.2

.4

.6

3.8

4.4

5.0

6.2

13.8
Synoptical table of zinc-bearing waters Cont

Secondary waters. Secondary bases (alkaline earths) predom

No.

94

Q^

97

QQ

QQ

100

101

10?

m

104

ire>

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

Source.

SECTION I. ^Predominantly alkaline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

secondary salinity.

Caspar-Heinrich-Quelle, Germany. .............................................

Ash Grove well, Mo................... ..... .... .... ....

WebbCitywaterworks,Mo.. .................. ......... . ... ............

SECTION J. Predominantly .saline with chloride salinity in excess and accessory 

primary salinity.

SECTION K. Predominantly saline with chloride salinity in excess and accessory 

secondary salinity.

SECTION L. Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

primary alkalinity.

SECTION M. Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

secondary salinity.

Allegnany Spring, Va. .........................................................

Primary.

2.4

3.4

4.2

6.8

4.8

15.2

6.6

5.8

5.0

31.4

10.2

IS d

33.6

38.6

(? 

13.8

8

O

4.4

8.2

2.8

Salinity.

Secondary.

3.6

9.2

10.4

12.0

12.2

17.6

23.0

34.2

43.6

22.8

85.0

80.0

57.2

58.6

44.6

56.0

64.4

71.6

94.2

Terti
113

114

115

SECTION N. Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

tertiary salinity.

5.0

7.2

3.6

88.6

73.4

56.4

Tertiary waters. Tertiary bases (metals) predomina

116

117

118

119

SECTION O. Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and accessory 

tertiary alkalinity.

SECTION P . Predominantly saline with sulphate salinity in excess and predominant 

tertiary salinity.

3.0

3.2

.6

2.6

28.0

14.2

6.2
154 ZltfC ASTD LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE 'JOPLHST REGION.

The method of using the scheme of classification and the synoptical table here presented can best be illustrated by a simple example. 

If we take the water from the Chapman & Lennan mine at Miami, 

Okla., when it was first opened (No. 30 in the table of analyses) we 

find it characterized as follows:

Primary salinity............................................... 58.4

Secondary salinity............................................. 7.0

Secondary alkalinity.......................................... 34.6

100.0 

Chloride salinity............................................... 58.6

Sulphate salinity............................................. 6. 8

The primary bases are evidently predominant and the water is predominantly saline, with chloride salinity and with accessory secondary 

alkalinity, properties that place it in section D. The analyses in this 

section are arranged in order of decreasing primary alkalinity and 

increasing secondary salinity. The water shows 7 per cent of secondary salinity but no primary alkalinity, and this immediately places 

it between the waters of the Nevada well-and the Clinton No. 2 well. 

This close resemblance of the mine waters at Miami to deep-well 

waters known to be zinc bearing is discussed on pages 187, 203-205.

The tertiary waters included in sections N, O, and P, at the 

bottom of the synoptical table, with acid reaction and even with 

free sulphuric acid, resulting supposedly from the oxidation of 

metallic sulphides at shallow depths, will of course contain zinc or 

lead if the original sulphides contained those metals. In this group 

belong the "alum" springs and the acid mine waters. Section M of 

the secondary waters, grading over into the group showing tertiary 

salinity, consists of 3 spring waters, 1 mine water, and 1 deep-well 

water, the last, through defective casing or otherwise, evidently containing an admixture of surface or mine water. The remaining 

analyses are pretty well divided between the primary waters and 

the secondary waters. A general survey of these two divisions 

shows that zinc is carried by salt sulphur waters and by alkaline 

carbonate waters, as well as by plain salt waters without hydrogen 

sulphide and with little alkalinity. In other words, zinc is carried 

by both sulphureted salt waters and alkaline-earthy carbonate 

waters, the latter usually containing free carbon dioxide, free hydrogen sulphide, or both. To put it more briefly, most zinc-bearing 

waters that are not mine waters or "alum springs" waters are 

either sulphureted, carbonated, or plain salt waters.

Of the 119 waters cited, 73, almost two-thirds of the total, show 

chloride salinity in excess of sulphate salinity, but, as has been 

stated, the number of analyses of mine and other sulphate waters 

was restricted, because they were not considered essential to this 

discussion.
GENESIS OF THE OSES. 155

COMPARISON OF WATERS OF INTERIOR AND BORDER WELLS OF THE

OZARK UPLIFT.

The analytical comparison of waters from deep wells in the limestone area of the Ozark uplift with waters from deep wells in the 

Pennsylvanian shale area surrounding the uplift, though all these 

wells draw their supply from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks, 

reveals some interesting differences, which can best be brought out 

by a parallel representation of the properties of a short series of 

waters from each area, and this accordingly has been made in the 

following table. The arabic numerals in the headings in this table 

refer to the analyses in the synoptical table. (See pp. 149-153.)

Comparison of the geochemical properties of waters from interior and border wells of the

Ozark uplift.

Properties.

Primary salinity. . . .

Primary alkalinity . 

Secondary alkaTertiary alkalinity.

Total reacting 

value (per 

cent).........

Total reacting 

value or concentration 

(parts per 

million)......

Chloride salinity.... 

Sulphate salinity . . .

Ratio of rCa to rMgo

Border wells (primary waters).

25

Creek. Pryor 

88.4

.2 

11.4

100.0

252.0

87.8 

.6

1:.58

27

Nevada.

66.6 

5.6

27.8

100.0

40.0

66.8 

5.4

1:.67

33

Fort Scott.

79.0 

8.8

12.2

100.0

61.0

87.2 

.6

1:.84

42

Clinton.

65.0 

13.8

21.2

100.0

57.0

70.8 

8.0

1:.72

45

I

82.2 

16.6

1.2

100.0

74.0

98.8 

0

1:.53

51

1

w

76.2 

20.4

3.4

100.0

269.0

86.4 

10.2

1:.72

Average ratio of rCa to rMg=l: 0.677.

52

3 

O

78.6 

20.8

.6

100.0

1,211.0

90.0 

9.2

1:.53

Interior wells (secondary waters).

76

Oronogo.

10.2 

2.2

87.6

100.0

7.0

10.2 

2.2

1:.62

88

0> 

O

10.6 

.6

88.8

100.0

7.0

4.4 

6.8

1 : .'71

89

Webb City.

7.2 

3.8

89.0

100.0

7.0

1.4 

9.6

1:.72

91

03

1

6.6 

5.0

88.4

100.0

10.0

3.8 

7.8

1:.13

92

.9 

11-3

15.6 

6.2

78.2

100.0

7.0

7.2 

14.6

1:.52

95

Ash Grove.

3.4 

9.2

87.4

100.0

7.0

3.4 

9.2

1:.80

Average ratio of rCa to rMg=l: 0.583.

o rCa, rMg indicate the reacting weights of calcium and magnesium, respectively.

As will be observed, the border well waters are high in primary 

salinity but show minor proportions of secondary salinity and alkalinity. They are likewise high in chloride salinity but low in sulphate 

salinity. They are therefore primary waters, in which the alkali 

bases predominate and are of the nature of brines. Indeed in the 

synoptical table ocean water, characterized from Dittmar's analysis, 

falls just below water from the Brunswick well. To show this close 

relationship in quality the character outline of ocean water according
156 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

to Dittmar's analysis is included in the table. The water of the 

Claremore well is also very similar in character to ocean water, 

although, of course, the waters of both the Claremore and the Brunswick wells are more dilute than sea water. The concentration or 

total reacting value of the border waters is nevertheless high as compared to that of the interior waters, which range from one-fourth to 

one-thirtieth that of the border wells. The interior wells are low 

in primary and secondary salinity but high in secondary alkalinity; 

chloride salinity is also low and sulphate salinity is a little higher. 

They are secondary waters, that is, they are waters hi which the 

alkaline-earth bases predominate. Another difference not brought 

out in the table is that the waters of the border wells are charged with 

hydrogen sulphide, whereas the waters of the interior wells contain 

little, if any, of this gas.

These differences are directly attributable to the artesian circulation of the dome. When sediments are laid down upon the floor of 

the sea they are saturated with sea water, which remains in the pore 

spaces of the sediments as connate water until they are elevated into 

land, when it becomes a part of the circulating ground water. Diluted with atmospheric water, the salt is gradually carried away, and 

the ground water is "sweetened" and charged with elements dissolved from the sediments. This change proceeds, under favorable 

conditions, with sufficient rapidity to be detected by analyses made 

at long intervals. Examples of appreciable sweetening or freshening 

of salt waters have been noted 1 in the Atlantic Coastal Plain artesian 

belt.

As the Ozark artesian circulation developed and, with erosion of 

the Pennsylvanian shale, gradually extended itself down the slopes 

of the dome, the circulation in the rocks near the center was continually losing a portion of its chloride salinity and taking on secondary 

alkalinity (earthy carbonates), owing to dilution of the connate water 

and to solution of the country rock. This being so, we should expect 

that the water of wells near the center of the dome would show least 

chloride salinity and that of wells out in the Pennsylvanian shale 

area, beyond the border of the uplift, where the circulation beneath 

is practically impounded, would show the greatest chloride salinity, 

the water of the wells between showing degrees of chlorine salinity 

corresponding to the positions of the wells. And this, making allowance for local variations, is undoubtedly the case, as may be seen from 

the synoptical table (pp. 149-153). Of two deep wells at the same 

place, the shallower one should be expected to show less chloride 

salinity and otherwise to resemble the interior wells, owing to the 

greater volume of circulation in the shallower rocks as compared

iSanford, Samuel, Saline artesian waters of the Atlantic Coastal Plain: U. S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 258, pp. 84-85,1911.
SEGREGATION OF DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION. 157

with the deeper rocks. The waters included in the table are arbitrarily chosen to bring out the results of the continued circulation and 

thus represent end series, between which all gradations may be found.

SEGREGATION OF THE ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE

JOPLIN REGION.

The stratigraphy, structure, and geologic history of the Ozark uplift have been described in some detail on the foregoing pages. The 

development of the underground-water circulation of the area, the 

quality of the water and its identical similarity to the solutions depositing the ores, the metalliferous content of the rocks, and the 

chemistry of lead and zinc solutions have been discussed, and also 

the effective modes of solution, transportation, and deposition of 

the metals. The segregation of the zinc and lead deposits of the 

Joplin region, as the writer conceives it to have taken place, may 

now be outlined by proceeding from the fundamental geologic facts 

here recapitulated to what seem to be reasonable and inevitable 

conclusions.

Conditions in Paleozoic time. The Ozark region in its earlier period 

of development was centered about a crystalline pre-Cambrian archipelago, now represented by the St. Francis Mountains and outlying 

areas of crystalline rocks. On the sea bottom, which sloped gently 

away from this center on all sides, were laid down the sediments that 

formed the series of dolomitic limestones and minor amounts of sandstone and shale of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks, the material 

composing which was derived from the crystalline areas by disintegration and solution, supplemented by deposition from material 

already in solution in the sea. During the Silurian and Devonian 

periods sedimentation was at times interrupted, or rather it was 

meager aiid local. In early Carboniferous time were laid down the 

sediments that formed the series of calcareous shales, cherts, and 

limestones constituting the Mississippian rocks. At the close of 

Mississippian deposition the land was elevated sufficiently to allow 

the development of a typical karst topography over much of the 

Ozark area. A general subsidence followed, and upon this karst 

surface Pennsylvanian shale was laid down over most if not all of 

the dome.

Presence of zinc, lead, and copper in the rocks of the Ozark region. 

The large-quantity analyses made by Robertson demonstrate the 

widespread dissemination of minute quantities of zinc, lead, and 

copper in the crystalline rocks of the St. Francis Mountains, in the 

Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites, and in the Mississippian limestones. In the Cambrian and Ordovician systems zinc is the predominant metal, as is shown by Robertson's analyses, which are 

summarized on page 78. In the Mississippian limestones, according
158 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

to the analyses on page 79, the quantity of lead, and even of copper, 

is greater than that of zinc, though the smaller quantity of zinc may 

be due in part to leaching during the post-Mississippian time, when 

the karst topography was being formed.

Though iron is not shown in the analyses we may be quite sure 

that it constitutes a larger proportion of all these rocks than do 

lead, zinc, or copper.

Selective solution of the metals in the crystalline rocks. Gottschalk 

and Buehler have shown (see pp. 44-46) that the sulphides of the 

metals exhibit differences of electric potential and have tabulated 

them in an electrochemical series, with sphalerite, which has the lowest 

potential, at the bottom, and with galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and 

marcasite higher up in the series, in the order named. Arranged in 

pairs, in moistened contact, these minerals form batteries in which the 

sulphide having the lowest potential is dissolved while the other is 

practically unaffected. Thus sphalerite goes into solution in contact 

with galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and marcasite; and galena goes 

into solution in contact with pyrite, chalcopyrite, and marcasite. 

Furthermore, the lower sulphide goes into solution much faster when 

so coupled than when alone, sphalerite when coupled with pyrite 

dissolving 10 to 14 tunes as fast as when alone, and galena when 

coupled with pyrite dissolving 6 to 14 times as fast as when alone. 

As the metallic sulphides are finely disseminated through the crystalline rocks of the Ozark nucleus, innumerable particles of different 

sulphides must adjoin one another in the ground water, which will 

oxidize and dissolve the sulphides lowest in the scale first and those 

highest in the scale last. The order in which sulphide particles not 

in contact with other sulphides will go into solution will be determined by the rate of their solubility. The net result of the processes involved will be that the zinc sulphide will dissolve faster than 

the lead sulphide and that the sulphides of copper, iron, nickel, and 

cobalt will pass into solution more slowly than the sulphides of lead 

or zinc.

Selective precipitation of the metals in disseminated condition in the 

limestones forming on the sea floor. When carried out to sea the metals 

will tend to be precipitated in the reverse order of their solubility, the 

less soluble nearer the shore, the more soluble farther out. The first 

sediments derived from the Ozark nucleus should therefore contain 

disseminated deposits of sulphides of zinc and of lead, lead in greater 

abundance near shore and the zinc in greater abundance farther out. 

So, too, later sediments that is, sediments of a later geologic period 

derived from the same nucleus, should contain disseminated sulphide 

of lead, relatively less abundant sulphide of zinc, and more abundant, 

sulphides of iron and copper.

In accord with this general conclusion Robertson's analyses show 

that the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites contain, on the average,
SEGREGATION OF DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION. 159

nearly half as much zinc as the crystalline rocks, though they contain less than one-fourth as much lead and less than one-sixth as 

much copper. The Mississippian limestones, on the other hand, 

contain, on the average, about one-ninth as much zinc as the crystalline 

rocks but almost one-fourth as much lead and over one-third as much 

copper. By comparing the metal content of the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites with that of the Mississippian limestones we find that, 

though the limestones contain, on the average, less than one-fourth as 

much zinc as the dolomites, they contain 30 per cent more lead and 

nearly twice as much copper.

Evidence of the very general presence of copper, lead, and zinc in 

sediments of all classes, including pelagic deposits has been given, 

and reasons for believing that these have been formed in part by 

chemical precipitation in the ocean have been presented. It is 

therefore believed that a part of the metals that are disseminated 

through the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites of the Ozark uplift 

were derived directly from the ocean and that this portion is additional 

to the metals derived from the crystalline rocks of the St. Francis 

Mountains.

Uplift near close of Paleozoic time. During the general orogenic and 

epeirogenic movement that occurred near the close of the Carboniferous period the Ozark uplift assumed practically its present outline 

and its quaquaversal arrangement, its structural culmination practically coinciding with the present areal and hydrographic center, 

which is about 100 miles west-southwest of the St. Francis Mountains, its center in early Paleozoic time. The St. Francis Mountain 

region still maintained a quaquaversal structure, however, though 

the elevated region was reduced in area on its western side.

Erosion of Pennsylvanian shale and establishment of artesian circulation. When the cover of Pennsylvanian shale had been eroded 

from the central part of the dome an artesian circulation of the 

ground water was necessarily set up, and this circulation extended 

itself radially down the sides of the dome, the receiving area becoming 

larger as the inner edge of the shale retreated outward from the 

center of the dome.

Character of the ground water of the region. We may get some idea 

of the quality of this circulating ground water from analyses of the 

waters of deep wells in the Ozark uplift, but a truer conception of its 

character may be gained from analyses of waters of deep wells in the 

Pennsylvanian area adjoining the uplift on the northwest. The wells 

in the Pennsylvanian area draw their supply from beds at the same 

geologic horizons as the beds that furnish water to the wells in the 

uplift, but, as in that area upward circulation has been greatly 

impeded or prevented by the cover of Pennsylvanian shale, the water 

has been to that extent impounded and is therefore more nearly like
160 ZING AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

the original connate water, not having been freshened by continuous 

circulation in the manner already described. The analyses show that 

t^ese deep-well waters are alkaline-saline and carry an excess of 

carbon dioxide, together with hydrogen sulphide.

Alkaline-saline sulphureted solutions containing an excess of carbon 

dioxide are effective in dissolving the sulphides, as is shown by the 

experimental work of Sullivan, and particularly by the work of Wells, 

with solutions of that character and as is further shown by the common presence of the metals as traces or measurable quantities in 

waters of that kind in Kentucky, in the Ozark region, in Colorado, 

and elsewhere. The underground water of the Ozark dome was (and 

is yet in lesser degree) alkaline-saline and is charged with sulphureted 

hydrogen and carbon dioxide, and it contains small quantities of zinc, 

lead, copper, and iron and minute traces of several other metals, as is 

shown by numerous analyses of deep-well waters from Missouri, 

Kansas, and Oklahoma (pp. 124-140).

Selective solution of the metallic sulphides disseminated in the dolomites and limestones of the central Ozark region and their transportation 

and segregation by the waters of the artesian circulation. The Cambrian 

and Ordovician dolomites of the central area, having been laid down 

at a distance of 100 miles or so from the crystalline nucleus, should 

contain larger proportions of zinc than of lead, copper, or iron. In the 

solution and transportation of these metallic sulphides, selective solution of the sulphides, as determined by Gottschalk and Buehler, should 

have been effective, and we should find that relatively more zinc has 

been dissolved and also that it has been carried farther down the 

dome, and that relatively less lead has been dissolved and that it has 

been deposited sooner that is, nearer the center of the dome. The 

long-continued operation of this process would bring about an 

arrangement of the sulphides with relation to the center of the uplift 

in which the ore deposits nearer the center would consist prevailingly 

of lead and those nearer the border would consist prevailingly of zinc. 

Correlatively copper and iron should be found nearer the center than 

lead. Such an arrangement is in fact found, as will be shown later 

(pp. 173-178).

When the water in its outward journey down the slope of the dome 

rose under artesian pressure to the surface at the inner margin of the 

Pennsylvanian shale, or perhaps under the edge of the Pennsylvanian 

shale, it came into the "open ground," due to the karst topography 

upon which the Pennsylvanian was laid down. Here, through release 

of pressure, carbon dioxide escaped from the water, and by its action, 

possibly aided by the lowering of the temperature and by decomposition of the carbonaceous matter of the shales, the metals were precipitated as sulphides through reactions with the hydrogen sulphide
SEGREGATION OP DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION. 161

in the water, just as the metallic sulphides are precipitated to-day in 

containers holding samples of the deep-well waters and in the reservoirs supplied from deep wells.

Summary. It is therefore held that artesian circulating alkalinesaline sulphureted waters, similar to those now rising in the deep 

wells west of the Joplin district, dissolved the disseminated zinc and 

lead, for the most part from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks but 

in some part also from the Mississippian rocks, and transported these 

metals, in the form of bicarbonates, to then- present position in the 

open ground which formerly lay at the base of the Pennsylvanian 

shales, and there deposited them as sulphides by reaction with the 

hydrogen sulphide of the waters on the escape of excess carbon 

dioxide. The chemical reactions here indicated are held to be the 

simplest and the most effective in segregating the Joplin ores, but it 

is not maintained that they operated to the exclusion of the other

fVecipltatlon of the disseminated 

aiilphides from the sea; metals derVed partly from the crystalline 

nucleus1 and partly from the sea 

itself

.. ._ St. Francis Mountain^ 

- '"-'-''^\ wetals.dissemlnated. 

>. J < -.«. '.V in crystalline rock

FIGURE 7. Diagram to Illustrate solution of metals from the crystalline rocks, their dissemination in 

the sea, their precipitation in disseminated form in the limestones, their .solution in the underground 

waters after the elevation of the Ozark uplift, and their concentration and precipitation as ore deposits 

in openings in the rocks of the Joplin region.

reactions set forth in the preceding pages. On the contrary many, 

if not all, of the reactions indicated in the chapter on chemistry should 

be considered in attempting to comprehend the work of a complex 

solution like the underground water of the Ozark dome.

The views presented in the foregoing outline of the segregation of 

the zinc and lead deposits of the Joplin district are essentially identical 

with the views of Van Hise, Bam, and. W. S. Tangier Smith, and 

in respect to minimizing the extent of downward enrichment 

are also practically in accord with the views of W. S. Tangier 

Smith; but the writer assumes responsibility for .the expression of the 

character of the circulating water and the discussion of the chemistry 

of the transportation and deposition of the metals.

The diagram shown in figure 7 is an attempt to trace graphically 

the progress of the metals from their original sources to then* present 

location in the ore deposits of the Joplin region. 

84551° Bull. 606 15 11
162 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION. 

REVIEW OF COLLATERAL CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 

ITEMS OF THE EVIDENCE.

In formulating the theory of the genesis of the zinc and lead 

deposits of the Joplin district, outlined in the foregoing pages, the 

writer has collected various kinds of collateral corroborative evidence, 

the most important being the fact that sediments in reservoirs supplied by wells reaching the Ordovician and Cambrian rocks contain 

considerable quantities of metallic sulphides. The details of this 

evidence, as well as some pertinent deductions from the relative proportions of the different sulphides found, are given below. Other 

corroborative evidence includes the occurrence of dolomite with the 

ores, though the country rock consists of cherts and nonmagnesian 

limestone; the absence of ore deposits where the Chattanooga shale 

is known to be continuous; the distribution of the ore deposits in a 

circle about the Ozark uplift just inside of the margin of the Pennsylvanianshale; the distribution of the sulphides about the crystalline 

nucleus and about the structural center of the uplift, in harmony 

with the data concerning the solubility of the sulphides presented by 

Gottschalk and Buehler; the occurrence of bitumen at the base of 

the Pennsylvanian shale; the constant inflow of mine water at places 

where surface waters do not have access to the mine workings; and 

the geographic associations of the lead and zinc deposits of the eastern 

half of the United States with geanticlines and structural slopes. The 

details of the foregoing as well as other evidence are given in the 

following pages.

RESERVOIR SEDIMENTS.

KESUI/TS OF ANALYSES.

Many chemists who have experimented with alkaline-saline sulphureted waters similar to the deeper artesian waters of the Joplin 

district know that the heavy metals in such solutions are precipitated 

as sulphides after the water has been standing for some time and 

accumulate in the sediment at the bottom of the container. Robert 

Peter, A. M. Peter, and E. H. Reiser have chronicled this fact, as has 

been noted on pages 54 and 100.

Analyses of the deeper artesian waters of the Pennsylvanian area 

adjacent to the Joplin region show that they are alkaline-saline sulphur waters and shows also the fairly general occurrence in those 

waters of the metals, in particular of zinc, as traces or, more rarely, 

in weighable quantities. In many places these waters are used as the 

source of municipal supply, being stored in tanks or reservoirs. The 

sediments in such a reservoir accumulate until it becomes necessary 

for sanitary reasons to clean the reservoir. These reservoirs thus 

offer ideal conditions for the precipitation of the metalliferous content
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 163

of the waters as sulphides, in the way in which the metallic sulphides 

are precipitated in the containers of water samples. The detection 

of a "trace" or even of a fraction of a part per million of zinc in a 

natural water may require a chemical test so refined or delicate that 

the result may be subject to more or less doubt. The accumulation 

of the metallic sulphides in reservoir sediments should probably not 

only provide sufficient material to set at rest any doubts about the 

occurrence of zinc in the water but should also afford material for 

determining the relative proportions of other metals which do not 

occur in the waters in quantities sufficient to indicate their presence 

on analysis, even as a "trace."

At first a few samples of reservoir sediment were obtained from 

reservoirs supplied by deep wells whose waters, unquestionably zinc 

bearing, as shown by tests, ,are derived from the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks. Analyses of these sediments disclosed such an 

interesting content of zinc, lead, copper, and iron sulphides that an 

attempt was then made to obtain samples from a considerable number of'reservoirs supplied by deep wells drawing their water from the 

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. Most of these reservoirs are in the 

Pennsylvanian shale area, in Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma, adjacent 

to the margin of the Ozark uplift, but a few of them are in the area 

underlain by the Mississippi'an limestones, within the border of the 

Ozark uplift. The following table gives 21 analyses of sediment from 

14 reservoirs, with explanatory notes:
Determinations of zinc and other metals in waters of springs and deep wells a

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18

19

20 

21

.....do........................

.....do.........................

.....do.........................

.....do.........................

Columbus. Kans. ..............

.....do.........................

.....do.........................

Afton, Okla.. ..................

Vinita, Okla. ..................

Pryor Creek, Okla. ............

Claremore, Okla. . .............

White Sulphur Spring, Ark... . 

Black Sulphur Spring, Ark. . . .

Average ratios of the metals.

Water.

No.o

56 

55 

86 

86 

32

103 

103 

103 

103 

103 

5 

5 

5 

23 

15 

25

45

35

72

Depth 

of well 

(feet).

2,199 

1,100+ 

785 

960 

800 

292 

435 

1.420 

1,420 

1,420 

1,420 

1,420 

1,400 

1,400 

1,400 

1,066 

665 

600

1,035 .

6 

6

Zinc 

(parts 

per million).

0.44 

.60

Trace.

Trace.

Trace. 

1.5 

/Trace. 

\ .75

Analyst.

Palmer .

Waring .

Bailey . .

Palmer . 

Waring . 

Keiser . . 

Palmer .

Sediment (results expres

Zinc.

0 

0 

0 

0.220 

.165 

.614 

.048 

.405 

.074

4.4628 

.1154 

.0811 

.246 

.034 

.103 

.0955 

.080 

.231

} .080

.388 

.022

Lead.

0 

0 

0 

0 

0.0182 

.004 

.036

.1196 

.008 

.014 

.035 

.034 

.016 

.0002 

.026 

.014

.006

.040 

.009

Copper.

0 

0 

0 

0.049 

.0003 

0 

.018

.1837 

.022 

.008 

.124 

.094 

.206 

.0055 

.004 

0

Trace.

.005 

.004

Iron.

35.65 

2.38 

4.63 

1.50 

3.53

3.58

7.72

1.739 

2.93 

2.22 

13.05 

26.61 

32.24 

5.99 

4.56 

1.36

2.10 

2.94

Ratio o

Lead.

1:0.110 

1:0.007

1:0.750 

1:0.090

1:0.432

1:0.002 

1:0.325 

1:0.061

1:0.075

}l:0.256

1:0.211

Co

1:

1:

1:

1:

1:

1:

1:

1:

1:

a Number of the analysis in synoptical table and table of analyses. 
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE, 165

1. The Belcher well (2,199 feet deep) is at Main and O'Fallon streets, St. Louis, Mo., 

but the water is carried three-quarters of a mile to the Belcher Hotel and bathhouse. 

The sediment was collected from the steel supply tank at the bathhouse. The well 

starts in Mississippian rocks and ends in Cambrian rocks.

2. The Silver well is 2 miles north of St. Peters, St. Charles County, Mo. The well 

is cased to 1,100 feet, one flow coming above that depth and the other from between 

1,100 feet and the bottom of the well. The sample of sediment was scraped from the 

drain leading away from the well.

3. The Fulton [Mo.] Waterworks is supplied by two deep wells, the deeper one (785 

feet) passing through 120 feet of Recent and Pennsylvanian rocks and reaching the 

Gasconade (Cambrian) formation. Sample of sediment collected from the very scanty 

deposit in the waterworks reservoir.

4. Sample of calcareous scale from a pipe at the State Hospital at Fulton, Mo., 

deposited by water from a well 960 feet deep, probably reaching the same horizon as the 

deepest well at the waterworks.

5. The Clinton [Mo.] Light & Water Co. utilizes the flow from several artesian wells, 

which penetrate 40 feet of Pennsylvanian shale and end in the Gasconade (Cambrian) 

formation at a depth of 800 feet. The sample of sediment is from a point near the inlet 

where the water enters the open reservoir.

6. The well at the United States fish hatchery near Neosho, Mo., is 292 feet deep, 

starting in the Mississippian rocks, passing through 22 feet of Chattanooga (Devonian) 

shale, and ending in Ordovician rocks. The water has a slight odor of sulphureted 

hydrogen, but no analysis is available. The sample of sediment was taken from the 

small basin about the mouth of the well, which barely flows at the surface.

7. The Walker well, near Lanagan, Mo., is 435 feet deep. The rock at the surface is 

shale belonging near the top of the Chattanooga (Devonian) shale. The water therefore probably comes from Ordovician rocks. It is highly charged with sulphureted 

hydrogen. The sample of sediment was collected from a wooden tank into which the 

well flows.

8-12. The municipal water supply of Pittsburg, Kans., is drawn from three wells, 

each about 1,420 feet deep, and, respectively, 6, 8, and 16 inches in diameter. The 

water rises in the wells to within 150 feet of the surface. The water from the 16-inch 

well is pumped into a round reservoir 80 feet in diameter, and the water from the other 

wells into a rectangular reservoir measuring 158 feet long, 90 feet wide, and 13 feet deep; 

both reservoirs are walled with brick and lined with cement. The two reservoirs are 

connected by a 6-inch pipe, and all water is drawn from the large rectangular reservoir. 

At a depth of 130 feet there is an underground chamber connected with the surface by 

two shafts, and the water from one of the wells is pumped into this reservoir by an air 

lift and then raised to the surface reservoir by a lift pump. Sample 8 came from the 

square reservoir near the supply pipe and 9 from a point 100 feet from the supply pipe. 

Sample 10 was obtained from the discharge pipe of the underground reservoir. Samples 11 and 12 came from the round reservoir, 11 from a point near the supply pipe 

and 12 from a point 50 feet away. The wells penetrate 250 feet of Pennsylvanian 

(Cherokee) shale and reach the Ordovician rocks at 621 feet, drawing their water supply 

from rocks of that age or older.

13-15. The municipal water supply of Columbus, Kans., is drawn from a well 1,400 

feet deep, which passes through 165 feet of the Cherokee shale and through the Mississippian rocks and draws its supply from the Ordovician and Cambrian rocks. From 

the well the water, which rises within 65 feet of the surface, is pumped to a surfaceaerating reservoir and thence to the stand tower. The samples of sediment were collected from the cement surface reservoir.

16. The water supply at Afton, Okla., is derived from two wells, each 1,066 feet 

deep, which pass through the Mississippian rocks and the Chattanooga (Devonian) 

shale and draw their supply from the Ordovician and Cambrian rocks. The eastern
166 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN EEGION.

margin of the Cherokee shale (Pennsylvanian) is about a mile west of the well. The 

water rises above the ground to a height of 3 feet and pours out into a cemented basin, 

from which it is lifted by pumps to a stand tower. The samples of sediment were 

collected from the basin.

17. The municipal water supply of Vinita, Okla., is derived from several flowing 

wells, which draw their chief supply from a water sand at a depth of 665 feet and 

smaller supplies from a sand at a depth of 510 feet, both of which are in the Ordovician. 

The wells pass through 95 to 100 feet of Cherokee (Pennsylvanian) shale in their upper 

portion. The water flows from the wells into a square cement-lined reservoir, from 

which it is pumped into the stand tower. The sample of sediment was collected from 

the bottom of the reservoir.

18. Whitaker Park, at Pryor Creek, Okla., utilizes the artesian flow of a. well 600 

feet deep that draws its supply of water from the Ordovician rocks, which lie beneath 

the Mississippian limestones and 140 feet of Pennsylvanian shale.. The sediment was 

collected from a wooden trough leading from the well.

19. At Claremore, Okla., there are three deep wells near together, which range in 

depth from 1,100 to 1,500 feet. The wells pass through 750 feet of shales and sandstones 

of Pennsylvanian age, and then through 280 feet of Mississippian rocks, reaching 40 

feet of Chattanooga (Devonian) shale at 1,035 feet, beneath which, in the Ordovician 

rocks, the artesian flows are found. The sample of sediment was collected from a 

wooden tank in the bathhouse of the Radium Water Sanitarium Co. after having been 

piped 80 feet from the Brown well.

20-21. At Sulphur Springs, Ark., there are several springs in a small park in the 

valley of Butler Creek. The basins of these springs are about 6 feet deep and the water 

emerges from Ordovician dolomitic limestones. The Chattanooga (Devonian) shale 

outcrops on the hillside about 50 feet above the level of the springs. The samples of 

sediment were collected from the bottoms of the spring basins. The water at the 

springs has a distinct odor of hydrogen sulphide.

PHYSICAL STATE OF THE TBANSPORTED METALS. 

SUSPENDED OR COLLOIDAL PARTICLES.

At the outset it will be well to consider the possibility that the 

metals deposited with the reservoir sediments may have been transported in the waters as sulphides in fine or colloidal suspension or 

blown into the reservoirs as dust by the wind.

The waters are derived from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks 

and (as is shown on p. 250) must have traveled an average of more 

than 60 miles from intake to well. It would probably require 50,000 

or 100,000 years to make the journey, a period that would apparently 

be long enough to permit the suspended particles to subside. Moreover, it is difficult to see how the fine metallic sulphides could be 

continuously freed from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks with 

sufficient regularity to yield year after year the quantity that is 

deposited hi the reservoirs, or, by an extension of the reasoning to 

geologic time, to give rise to the ore deposits of the district.

If the suspended particles be supposed to originate from the well 

bore, it does not seem reasonable that they should be detached in 

about the same quantities in different wells, or in the same well at 

different times, or that the supply should continue indefinitely. So
REVIEW OP CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 167

far as known to the writer, no traces of zinc or lead deposits were 

reported in the logs of any of the wells delivering water to the reservoirs from which sediments have been analyzed.

If the suspended particles be supposed to be in a colloidal condition, 

the precipitating effect of electrolytes in the deep waters must be 

taken into account. The waters of some of the wells, as, for instance, 

the Whitaker Park well at Pry or Creek and the Radium well at Claremore, contain rather high percentages of sodium chloride are, in fact, 

unpalatably strong brines yet these waters carry a particularly high 

content of zinc, that of the water of the Pryor Creek well having 

been determined by Prof. Waring as 1^ parts per million. Clark 1 

found that carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide increased the 

amount of colloidal copper sulphide held in suspension in water and 

in a -yfoj- normal solution 2 of sodium chloride or potassium chloride. 

The water of the Whitaker well contains sodium chloride equivalent 

to a 6-fold normal solution, and that of the Radium well is equal to 

a 30-fold normal solution, that is, from 1,800 to 9,000 times as strong 

as the solution in Clark's experiment. In the early part of the period 

of ore deposition, when the artesian circulation had not been long 

established, the underground water must have consisted largely of the 

connate water of the rocks and must generally have approached sea 

water in chloride salinity, approximately a 27-fold normal solution.

All electrolytes precipitate colloids when both are in sufficient concentration, but the " precipitating power of electrolytes increases 

decidedly with the valence of the precipitating ions (H. Schulze's 

rule). Bivalent ions are far more efficient than univalent; trivalent 

ions in turn are still more effective than bivalent." 3 In addition 

to sodium chloride most of the deep waters contain calcium chloride, 

calcium carbonate, magnesium chloride, magnesium carbonate, 

alumina, and ferric oxide. These are all effective flocculents and 

precipitants of colloids, and in accordance with the rule, alumina 

and ferric oxide are particularly effective. Corroborative results on 

colloidal copper sulphide by the use of calcium chloride, calcium carbonate, and alumina were obtained by Clark,4 who also found that 

carbon dioxide, of which there is always more or less in the deep 

waters, "caused a very clean-cut flocculation of the colloidal copper 

sulphide" in the presence of a very dilute CrjVo- normal) solution of 

potassium carbonate and potassium chloride.

In the face of these facts any supposition that the metals are carried 

in suspension would seem to the writer to be untenable.

i Clark, J. D., A chemical study of the enrichment of copper sulphide ores: New Mexico Univ. Bull., 

vol. 1, No. 2, p. 139,1914.

3 A normal solution is one in which 1 gram of the substance is dissolved in 1 liter of the solution, 

a Stieglitz, Julius, The elements of qualitative chemical analysis, vol. 1, p. 135, 1912. 

< Clark, J. D., op. cit., pp. 137-141.
168 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

WIND-BLOWN PARTICLES.

As most of the samples of sediment from Kansas and Oklahoma 

were taken from open waterworks reservoirs, some of which were 

near railroads that may have been carrying concentrates to Kansas 

and Oklahoma zinc smelters and most of which contained a great 

deal of wind-blown material, it is advisable to consider the possibility that the zinc in the sediments was carried there by wind. The 

zinc may have been so carried into the water in three conceivable 

forms: (1) As fume from zinc smelters; (2) as dust particles from 

the soil; (3) as fine particles of zinc-blende concentrate blown from 

loaded cars in transit.

1. There are two zinc smelters in the vicinity of Pittsburg, Kans., 

but they are, respectively, 1 mile north and 2 miles northeast of the 

reservoirs from which the sediments were taken. The prevailing 

winds are from the southwest and would carry any fume in the opposite direction from the reservoirs. Moreover, the smelters were not 

in operation during any part of the year that the sediments were 

accumulating. The sample that shows the highest zinc content (sample No. 10 in the table on p. 164) was collected in the discharge pipe 

from the underground reservoir, where it could not have received 

any additions of atmospheric dust. Finally, samples of water collected directly from these and other wells contain .measurable quantities of zinc, as is shown in the table on page 164. None of the 

other samples was taken from reservoirs anywhere near a zinc 

smelter.

2. The sediments taken from the open reservoirs invariably yield 

the metals as amorphous sulphides, except only some crystallized 

pyrite. The metals found in sediments deposited in samples of 

water drawn directly from the wells also occur in the form of amor-, 

phous sulphides. If the metals were derived from wind-blown dusts 

carried from the soil they would probably occur in some oxidized 

form. The percentage of the metals in the sediments is much higher 

than that which the soils would be likely to contain over the wide 

area covered by the samples of sediment collected, and it seems improbable that the heavy metals would be concentrated in a windborne deposit. The sediment from the Fulton Insane Asylum was 

an incrustation from the boiler-water heater and came directly from 

the well without exposure to the air. The same is true of a sample 

from Pryor Creek, which contained zinc, but which was discarded in 

favor of a sample taken later from the trough leading away from the 

well. The sample from Claremore was taken from a closed tank inside 

the building and had not been exposed to the open air. Finally, the 

sediment from the Fulton reservoir and that from a ditch leading 

from the Silver well showed neither zinc nor lead, although these 

places are easily accessible to dust-laden winds.
EEVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 169

3. The average of nine composite analyses, covering 45,000 shipments of zinc concentrates, mostly carload lots, made between 1900 

and 1913, is as follows:

Average metal content of 45,000 shipments of zinc concentrates.

Per cent. 

Zinc........................................................ 57.507

Lead........................................................ .939

Copper....................................................... . 044

Iron.......................................................... 2.335

In the following table the other metals in the concentrates are 

reduced to their ratio to zinc in order that they may be compared 

with the similar average ratios of the metals in the sediments:

Ratios of zinc to other metals in reservoir sediments and in zinc concentrates.

Zinc to lead.

1:0.211

1:0.16

Zinc to copper.

1:0.334

1:0.0008

Zinc to iron.

1:77.6

1:0.041

Ratios.

Zinc concentrates are shipped from Joplin northwestward .and 

southwestward to smelters in Kansas and Oklahoma, but no lead 

concentrates are shipped in those directions. Many of the reservoirs 

from which samples of sediment were obtained are from a quarter of 

a mile to a mile from a railroad, over which possibly no zinc concentrates have ever been shipped. But under the most favorable 

assumptions the metals of the sediments can not have been derived 

from wind-blown zinc concentrates for the reason that the sediments 

contain proportionately an average of 13 times as much lead, more 

than 400 times as much copper, and nearly 1,900 times as much iron 

as do the zinc concentrates.

DEDUCTIONS FROM ANALYSES SHOWING METALLIC CONTENT AND 

RATIOS OF THE METALS IN ROCKS, RESERVOIR SEDIMENTS, AND 

ORES.

Important deductions may be drawn from the determined ratio to 

one another of the several metals contained in the sediments. In 

order that the ratio to each other of some pair that occurs in large 

proportions in certain sediments may not have undue weight in 

determining the average ratio, the ratios of the same pair of metals in 

sediments in which they occur in smaller quantities have been determined, and a common measure of ratio has been established by taking 

zinc as unity. The average ratios for the metals thus determined 

are therefore true averages.
170 ZIISTC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

It is interesting to compare the ratios of zinc to lead, copper, and 

iron in the reservoir sediments with the ratios of zinc to lead and 

copper in the large-quantity analyses of rocks by Robertson and by 

Weems, and with the ratio of zinc to lead, copper, and iron in the 

ores mined in the Joplin district from 1907 to 1913, inclusive. The 

results of Robertson's and of Weems;s work have already been given. 

The ratio of zinc to lead in the concentrates as sold in the Joplin 

district may be obtained from the statistics of production of these 

metals given in the United States Geological Survey's annual volumes of "Mineral Resources of the United States" for the period 

indicated. The local record of sales made before that period does 

not distinguish between sulphide and oxidized ores of zinc and does 

not give the metal content of either, so that accurate comparison can 

be made only as far back as 1907. Assuming that lead and zinc are 

recovered from the crude ore of the district in equal proportion, the 

ratio of zinc to lead produced during the last seven years is as 1: 0.229. 

It is possible, however, that, owing to its higher specific gravity, 

galena in hydraulic concentration is recovered in a proportion greater 

than that of sphalerite, and if so, the ratio of zinc to lead given in 

the table on page 171 is not high enough. On the other hand, it is 

clear that a larger proportion of lead ore was raised in the early days 

than now, and that a larger proportion of oxidized zinc ores was raised 

then than now. This should be expressed by raising the ratio of 

lead to zinc, which would operate to offset the decrease just mentioned, so that perhaps the figure given for lead is not far from the 

actual figure. The average proportion of copper in zinc concentrates 

may be determined from available assays of composites of samples 

of several thousand carload lots.1 Similarly an estimate of the copper 

in lead concentrates may be made from the determinations of Petraeus 

and Waring.2 From these may be calculated the total copper contained in the zinc and lead concentrates produced in the last seven 

years and also the ratio of the zinc to the copper. From the same 

sources the iron contained in the concentrates may be computed, 

and from that the ratio of zinc to iron may be derived. This will 

take into consideration, however, neither the iron in the zinc concentrates from the Miami (Okla.) district, which carry a heavy content of iron and which are not included in the composite analyses, 

nor that in the zinc concentrates of other districts, which contain so 

much iron that they must be treated in a roasting magnetic-separation 

plant before being sold, nor the pyrite of the discarded middlings 

separated in concentrating the ores, nor further, the specially pyritiferous portions of mines which are avoided in mining. The iron is 

therefore too low. The copper occurs as chalcopyrite, which in

1 TJ. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1913, pp. 122-124,1914.

2 Petraeus, C. V., and Waring, W. G., Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 80, p. 721,1905.
BEVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 171

concentration is drawn off with the pyrite middlings and discarded, 

so that it is not represented in the composite assays mentioned 

above. It therefore appears that the ratios of copper and iron to 

zinc must be considerably higher than the figures calculated. Both 

the ratio of zinc to copper and of zinc to iron are given in the table 

below, which includes also the ratio of zinc to lead, copper, and iron 

in the reservoir sediments and, for convenience, gives the results of 

Robertson's and of Weems's large-quantity analyses. (See pp. 78-79.)

Metallic content and ratios of the metals in rocks, reservoir sediments, and ores.

MISSOURI.

Cambrian and Ordovician limestones..

IOWA.

Ordovician and Silurian limestones. . . . 

Cambrian and Ordovician limestones

Ore shipments, 1907-1913 ...............

Average percentages.

Zinc.

0. 00901 

. 00425 

. 00104

.00029

Lead.

0. 00397 

. 00096 

. 00115

. 00326

Copper.

0. 00590 

. 00126 

. 00202

Eatios of metals.

Zinc to 

lead.

1 : 0. 440 

1:0.225 

1 : 1. 107

1:11.1

1 : 0. 225 

1:0.211 

1:0.229

Zinc to 

copper.

1:0.053 

1:0.297 

1:1.817

1 : 0. 297 

1:0.334 

1:0.0007

Zinc to 

iron.

1:77.6 

1 : 0. 0412

From an inspection of the table it appears that the ratio of zinc 

to lead in the reservoir sediments agrees closely with that of zinc to 

lead in the Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites, from the artesian 

circulating water in which the sediments were derived. This agreement acquires significance when it is seen that the ratio in the 

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks differs widely from the ratio in the 

pre-Cambrian, from that in the Mississippian, and from that in the 

Ordovician and Silurian rocks of Iowa. The ratio of zinc to lead in 

the ores now being mined also agrees practically with the ratio in 

the sediments and in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. This 

accords with the theory here presented, that the metals of the ores 

and of the sediments were derived from the metals of the Cambrian 

and Ordovician dolomites. However, for reasons given above, too 

much stress should not be placed upon the figures showing the ratio 

of zinc to lead in the ores as mined.

The proportions of the other metals in these three substances, however, are decidedly different, but the differences are such as would 

be expected from a consideration of facts that have been heretofore 

presented. Gottschalk and Buehler have shown that, when in contact, sulphides of copper and iron lag behind sulphides of lead and 

zinc in going into solution. When the sulphides of these four metals 

are disseminated through rocks subjected to continuous leaching
172 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN KEGION.

by circulating underground water the solution passing through in 

the earlier stages of the leaching will (zinc not considered) carry proportionately more lead, and in the later stages proportionately more 

copper and iron. Hence we see that the ores that represent an earlier 

stage of leaching contain a much smaller proportion of copper and 

iron to zinc than the original limestones. On the other hand, the 

sediments, which represent a later stage of leaching, contain ratios of 

copper and iron to zinc much larger than those in the ores or even, 

so far as copper is concerned, in the original limestones. Unfortunately, the analyses made by Robertson do not show the iron content of the rocks, so that the descent of the metal from the limestones 

to the sediments and ores can not be traced for iron, as it can for 

copper.

Copper occurs in the ores chiefly as chalcopyrite. The usual crystal 

form of this mineral is the tetrahedron, with parallel orientation, the 

crystals being formed on the surface of sphalerite, as shown in Plate 

VI, B, but it also occurs on dolomite and other minerals. Whatever its occurrence, it is always among the last minerals to be 

formed, a fact that supports the argument drawn from Gottschalk 

and Buehler's order of solution in pairs, and from the composition of 

the reservoir sediments and of the ores that copper was relatively 

more abundant in the later stages of the development of the groundwater circulation.

Iron occurs in the ores as marcasite and pyrite. These also are 

among the very last minerals to be deposited, a fact that corroborates 

the evidence furnished by the chalcopyrite as to the order of solution 

of the metals and their relative abundance in the sediments and in 

the ores and indicating the relatively greater abundance of iron in 

the later stages of the development of the circulation. The following 

quotation describes the paragenetic relations of the iron sulphides to 

the other ore and gangue minerals as noted by Smith:1

Iron sulphide formed earlier than galena or sphalerite has not been noted. When 

occurring with these minerals, it is in all cases superposed on them, showing locally 

a preference for one or the other, especially galena. Both marcasite and pyrite have 

been seen on chalcopyrite, while minute crystals of pyrite have been noted on 

marcasite crystals. Where these sulphides occur as metasomatic replacements they 

appear to have been developed simultaneously. A second generation of marcasite is 

sometimes seen, and in one instance was noted as occurring in the surface layer of 

calcite crystals. At the Mildred mine, west of Joplin, chalcopyrite and marcasite 

crystals are covered with calcite crystals, which in turn show hemispherical and 

botryoidal marcasite on their surfaces. In a number of instances in the sheet ground 

about Webb City marcasite has been noted in corrosion cavities in galena.

i Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 13,1907, reprinted 1914.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

BULLETIN 806 PLATE VI

A. SPECIMEN OF JASPEROID SHOWING FINE BANDING.

S. SPECIMEN OF CRYSTALIZED CHALCOPYRITE WITH PARALLEL ORIENTATION ON

SPHALERITE.

From cavity in sheet ground.
REVIEW OP CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 173 

RATE OF DEPOSITION OF ZINC IN RESERVOIR SEDIMENTS.

When the reservoirs at Pittsburg, Kans., were cleaned out in 

April, 1911 about a year had passed since the last cleaning the 

depth of the sediment in different parts of the reservoirs ranged from 

half an inch near the discharge pipe to a quarter of an inch at the 

far sides, averaging about three-eighths of an inch. When the area of 

the reservoirs was taken into consideration, it was found that the 

sediment which had collected in the course of a year amounted to 600 

cubic feet, which contained 5J pounds of zinc or 8J pounds of zinc 

sulphide. During the year in which the sediment collected there 

was supplied to the city of Pittsburg 385,000,000 gallons of water. 

The quantity of zinc precipitated in the sediment indicates that the 

zinc content of the water was 0.00173 of a part per million.

In two determinations of zinc in water from the Pittsburg wells, 

one made by E. H. S. Bailey, of Kansas State University, in 1897, 

and the other made by Chase Palmer, of the United States Geological Survey, in 1910, the zinc content was estimated as 0.6 and 

0.44 of a part per million, respectively. If all the water pumped into 

the reservoir in a year averaged 0.5 of a part per million of zinc, the 

total zinc content would be 1,600 pounds, or nearly 2,400 pounds of 

zinc sulphide. Therefore, not all of the zinc is precipitated in the 

reservoir, but a large proportion of it goes out with the water pumped 

from the reservoir. Another portion is precipitated in the underground reservoir and is not represented in the sediments.

PLACE RELATIONS OF THE ZINC, LEAD, COPPER, IRON, NICKEL, 

AND COBALT DEPOSITS TO THE PRE-CAMBRIAN NUCLEUS AND 

TO THE POST-CARBONIFEROUS CENTER OF THE OZARK UPLIFT.

The interesting and important results of the work of Gottschalk 

and Buehler (see pp. 44-46) throw much light on the distribution of 

the ore minerals with relation to the pre-Cambrian nucleus and incidentally upon the genesis of the ores. As the metallic sulphides are 

finely disseminated through the crystalline rocks of the nucleus, 

innumerable particles of different sulphides must lie in contact with 

one another in the underground water, which will oxidize and dissolve the sulphide lowest in the scale first and the one highest in the 

scale last. The sulphide particles not lying in contact will go into 

solution in the order of their solubility. The net result of the processes 

involved will be that the zinc sulphide will dissolve faster than the 

lead sulphide, and that the sulphides of copper, iron, nickel, and 

cobalt dissolve more slowly than the sulphides of lead or zinc. The 

same principles that operate for adjoining sulphide particles will 

operate, only much more strongly, for the sulphide components of 

mixed sulphide ore bodies when they are subjected to leaching.
174 ZING AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

When carried out to sea the metals will tend to be precipitated in the 

reverse order of their solubility. The less soluble ones will be precipitated nearer shore and the more soluble ones will be carried farther 

out to sea. As the pre-Cambrian nucleus was the source of the 

metals in Cambrian and Ordovician time, we should naturally suppose that the metals carried out and deposited in the Cambrian and 

Ordovician sediments would be arranged in an order conforming to 

the principle set forth. That is to say, we should suppose that zinc 

especially, considerable lead, and some copper and iron would be carried far out to sea, and that a great deal of the lead, most of the 

copper, and most of the other metals, except zinc, would be deposited 

with the limestones laid down nearer' the nucleus. As a matter of 

fact, these suppositions represent the distribution of the metals as 

they are found to-day. The mixed sulphides of nickel, cobalt, and 

copper are mined in connection with lead sulphide in Madison and 

St. Francois counties, Mo., on the eastern flank of the pre-Cambrian 

nucleus, and copper ore free from nickel and cobalt has been mined 

in Ste. Genevieve and Shannon counties, respectively, a short distance 

east and west of the nucleus. The heaviest iron deposits form a 

circle about the St. Francis Mountains except on the northeast. 

The largest deposits of lead connected with the Ozark uplift are 

found on the eastern flank of the nucleus, but considerable lead is 

found far from the nucleus, and the largest zinc deposits are in the 

Joplin region on the extreme western margin of the uplift.

PoSepny * notes this relation of the ores to the Archean nucleus 

and comments thereon as follows :"

The deposits occurring near the "islands" of granite and porphyry have special 

Interest. While the Silurian limestones of the surrounding country, farther from these

islands, present chiefly only lead and zinc ores, other metals, such as copper, cobalt, 

and nickel occur as the Archean foundation rocks are approached; and this circumstance is, to my mind, an indication that the source of the lead deposits also is to be 

sought in depth.

It may therefore be inferred that PoSepny believed that the metals 

have been drawn from depth in the Archean area, which then became 

the center of dispersion of the metals into the surrounding sediments, 

resulting in the relations noted.

In a recent report on the iron ores of Missouri Crane 2 finds that 

two classes of the ores, the secondary limonite and- the hematite of 

the filled sinks were originally deposited in the form of the sulphides, 

as is shown by the fact, among others, that pseudomorphs after marcasite and pyrite, principally marcasite, are found. The hematite ores 

are those referred to as "the specular ores of the sandstone region"

, Franz, The genesis of ore deposits: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 23, p. 303, 1894. 

2 Crane, G. W., The iron ores of Missouri: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, vol. 10, pp. 76-77, 9&-105, 1912.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 175

by Nason,1 who believed that they were deposited as sulphides by 

descending waters. Crane holds further that the hematite ores of 

the filled sinks were deposited as sulphides by descending waters, 

which leached the metal from the overlying Pennsylvanian rocks, 

just as Buckley and Buehler held for the lead and zinc ores of the 

Ozark region. Crane and Nason as well as Bain 2 have noted the 

occurrence of lead, zinc, and copper sulphides and oxidized ores with 

the iron ores of the filled sinks.

The present position of the iron ores that have been derived from 

sulphide deposits also harmonizes well with the artesian theory of 

origin, if the operation of the principle of selective solution of the 

sulphides set forth by Gottschalk and Buehler is taken into account. 

In the dissemination of the metals into the Cambrian and Ordovician 

seas from the crystalline rocks of the St. Francis Mountains the iron 

in contact with the other sulphides would have a tendency to hold 

back, but hi fact, owing to its preponderance over the other metals, 

more iron would be disseminated than other metals. The principle 

of selective solution would apply again, and more particularly to 

the sulphide constituents of any ore bodies formed by early circulation in the quaquaversal pre-Silurian rocks about the crystalline 

nucleus. Here, with the mixed sulphides in contact, the iron and 

copper would lag behind the lead and zinc in solution, and after 

several decompositions and recompositions in its transfer down the 

slope a mixed sulphide ore body would practically be freed entirely 

of; lead and zinc and finally of copper also, leaving iron alone. If 

now, through erosion, the iron sulphide body is brought near the 

surface it might be completely oxidized and rendered comparatively 

permanent in form and position. It will be noted that the heaviest 

iron deposits encircle the St. Francis Mountains, except to the northeast, as though their distribution had been controlled by that center.

The present distribution of the metals, however, has been complicated by elevations which took place at the close of Mississippian 

and Pennsylvanian tune, respectively. These elevations, discussed 

more fully on page 32, shifted the culminating point of tlie uplift from 

the pre-Cambrian nucleus to the present center of the dome in the 

vicinity of Wright County, Mo., 100 miles west of the pre-Cambrian 

nucleus. The post-Mississippian elevations exposed to erosion the 

Mississippian and the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, in which a 

karst topography was developed. The limestones of both these periods 

contained disseminated metals, as is shown by Robertson's large-, 

quantity analyses. The Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, as 

already pointed out, contain lead and zinc in about the same propor1 Nason, F. L., A report on the iron ores of Missouri: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 2, pp. 140-147,1S92. 

a Bain, H. F., and Ulrich, E. O., The'copper deposits of Missouri: TJ. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 267, p. 48,1905.
176 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

tions as the ores now mined in the Joplin district, but the Mssissippian limestones contain a larger proportion of lead. This difference 

is perhaps to be explained by the greater exposure of the Mississippian 

rocks to erosion during the post-Mississippian elevation, the disseminated zinc content being more easily dissolved than the lead, 

which remained behind.

After the deposition of the Pennsylvanian shales, the post-Carboniferous elevation resulted in the erosion of the Pennsylvanian and in 

the exposure of the Cambrian and Ordovician and the Mississippian 

limestones on the crest of the uplift. The initiation of a radial artesian circulation, with the crest of the dome as the receiving area, 

established a new center for the dispersion of the metallic contents 

of the rocks. The limestones of the central area, having been laid 

down at a distance of a hundred miles or so from the pre-Cambrian 

nucleus, probably contained a larger proportion of zinc than lead 

and very much smaller proportions of the other metals. In the solution and transportation of these metallic sulphides the rule enunciated 

by Gottschalk and Buehler would again hold, and the ore deposits 

in the central area of the uplift should contain more lead and those 

farther down the dome should contain more zinc. This is found to 

be the fact, as shown below. The dispersion of iron from the new 

center is indicated by the ringlike arrangement of the scattered iron 

deposits about the center.

As the pre-Cambrian nucleus still retained its quaquaversal structure, the effect of the differential solution of the sulphides would be 

operative there also. The Cambrian dolomites adjoining the nucleus 

would be added to the crystalline rocks of the nucleus as a source of 

the metallic content of the circulating ground water. These limestones, we have seen, should be relatively rich in lead sulphide and 

the other sulphides that stand higher in the Gottschalk-Buehler 

scale, but should contain a relatively small proportion of zinc. Buckley 1 comments on the absence of zinc in the mine waters of the 

disseminated lead district of southeastern Missouri, though Robertson's large-quantity analyses show more zinc than galena in the 

pre-Cambrian crystalline rocks. Zinc can not be entirely absent from 

the water derived from the Lamotte sandstone, however, for a sample 

of the incrustation upon the screen of the outlet pipe at the reservoir 

of the waterworks at Bonneterre, Mo., the supply of which is drawn 

from the Lamotte sandstone, was analyzed with the results given 

below. The material was kindly furnished by Mr. 0. M. Bilharz. 

The water in the reservoir comes in contact only with ordinary iron

Pipe-______________________________________

i Buckley, E. R., Geology of the disseminated lead deposits of St. Francois and Washington counties: 

Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, vol. 9, p. 227 [1909].
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN 606 PLATE VII

Note-- Solid triangles represent copper 

deposits.Triangles inclosed incircles'represent copper, nickel, and cobalt deposits. 

Figures represent the zinc percentage of 

the total outputof lead ana zinc in each 

county or region. Solid circles represent 

iron ores .oxidized from sulphides

MAP SHOWING DISTRIBUTION OF THE METALS ABOUT THE OZARK UPLIFT.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 177

Analysis of incrustation from waterworks reservoir at Bonneterre, Mo.

[W. George Waring, analyst.]

Per cent. 

CaC03 .................................................... Large.

Si02 ...................................................... 1.2

Fe....................................................... .72

Fb....................................................... -004

Zn........................................................ . 0027

Ni and Co................................................ No trace.

The material consists almost wholly of calcium carbonate.

Sphalerite has been found in recent years in the deeper workings 

of several of the lead mines of southeastern Missouri, the zinc content 

of the ore occasionally amounting to one-sixth as much as the lead 

content.

The accompanying map (PL VII) shows that the economic deposits 

of zinc, lead, copper, iron, nickel, and cobalt are distributed about 

the dome in relations precisely accordant with the data given by 

Gottschalk and Buehler. The copper, iron, nickel, and cobalt and the 

heavy lead deposits of the southeastern Missouri area are represented 

by conventional signs, but the proportion of zinc to lead in the total' 

ores mined in each county is shown by the black-face figures on the 

map. These figures are based on statistics of production by counties 

as given by Winslow, 1 supplemented by statistics of county production for later years, given in the annual reports of the Missouri 

Bureau of Mines and Mine Inspection. Counties for which no figures 

are given on the map have no reported production. Counties marked 

"0" have been credited with production of lead but not of zinc. 

The line drawn through the counties which have produced about equal 

quantities of lead and zinc, leaving those with more than 50 per cent 

zinc on the outside and those with more than 50 per cent lead on 

the inside, is especially significant, because it incloses the two structural centers of dispersion of the metals and thus represents graphically the selective solution and precipitation of lead and zinc sulphides 

as related to the artesian circulation of the Ozark dome. Lead is 

dominant over zinc within the line, though it extends in quantity 

beyond to the Pennsylvanian shale border, but it will be noted that 

the iron deposits are very nearly limited to the area within the line, 

those deposits outside the line occurring in the territory immediately 

adjacent to it.

Indications of similar place relation of the ores to the intake of 

the artesian circulation are pointed out in the discussion of the origin 

of the ores of the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district (pp. 213-217).

i Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 507-538,1894. 

84551° Bull. 606 15 12
178 ZING AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Referring to the lead and copper deposits of Wisconsin, Chamberlin 

says: 1

On pages 72 to 78 of the present volume [Geology of Wisconsin, vol. 4] Mr. Strong 

has reviewed more fully than any previous observer the facts at present ascertainable 

in relation to the occurrence of lead in the Lower Magnesian limestone of the region 

lying immediately north of what is recognized as the lead district proper, and to this 

[these pages] the reader is referred. On pages 69 to 72 he has described the copper 

deposits of the same region, which should be studied in connection with the lead, 

since they belong to the same class of deposits and occur in essentially similar 

situations. * * *

On pages 69 to 72 of this volume Mr. Strong describes the copper deposits of this formation found in the metalliferous area immediately north of the lead region, from 

which it appears that this ore, though not attaining, so far as past developments have 

demonstrated, industrial importance, yet has a development altogether exceptional 

in the formation in which it is situated; for, although the Lower Magnesian limestone is fully developed and extensively exposed both to the westward and northwestward, eastward and northeastward from this region, it does not there present 

any noticeable traces of cupriferous ores. These localized deposits therefore fall in 

the same category with the ores that have formed the main subjects of our present 

discussion, and it is evident that this area is to be added to the heretofore recognized 

lead region, as forming one general mineral district. The force of this conclusion 

becomes more especially evident when we consider the fact that copper occurs at several localities in the heart of the lead region and that at Mineral Point, in particular, it 

develops mines of economic importance. * * *

Its [copper's] comparative frequency in the Lower Magnesian limestone north of 

the lead region proper, where iron also abounds but zinc has not yet been found, may 

be regarded as lending support to the view that its distribution accords more closely 

with iron than zinc.

In a later paper Cox 2 makes the statement that copper ore to the 

value of more than $250,000 has been shipped from the vicinity of 

Mineral Point, on the eastern border of the district. He describes 

a copper prospect near Gratiot, southeast of Mineral Point, which 

gives indication of developing a considerable body of copper ore.

The rock strata in the upper Mississippi Valley district slope 

southward and westward, away from the Wisconsin uplift, and the 

artesian circulating water must flow in the same direction. The 

occurrence of deposits of galena, pyrite, and copper to the north, 

northeast, and east, up the slope from the main deposits of lead and 

zinc ores thus accords strictly with the place relation of similar ores 

to the Ozark uplift.

ASSOCIATION OF THE ORES WITH DOLOMITE AND JASPEBOID.

EELATIONS OF THE METALS TO THE GANGUE MINERALS.

The principal nonmetallic minerals and rocks associated with the 

ore deposits of the district are dolomite, calcite, secondary limestone, 

and jasperoid, a dark siliceous rock resembling chert, called cherokite

i Chamberlin, T. C., The ore deposits of southwestern Wisconsin: Geology of Wisconsin, vol. 4, pp. 516, 

518, 491,1882. 

s Cox, G. H., Copper in southwestern Wisconsin: Min. and Sci. Press, vol. 99, p. 592,1909.
U. S, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN 606 PLATE VIII

A. MICROGRAPH OF JASPEROID.

An aggregate of fine-grained allotriomorphic quartz, with sphalerite (shaded) and dolomite that includes minute crystals of quartz. Enlarged 53 diameters,

B. MICROGRAPH OF LIMESTONE BEGINNING TO ALTER TO JASPEROID. 

Small quartz crystals are scattered through the limestone.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 179

by Jenney and secondary chert by Winslow, Buckley, and others. 

Barite is also commonly associated with the ores in central Missouri 

and in the shallow mines of southeastern Missouri. Jasperoid is the 

invariable accompaniment of the ores in the sheet ground, and in 

much of the open ground as well. Dolomite ("spar") is the gangue 

mineral in much of the open ground above the sheet ground, and is 

the invariable accompaniment of ore in the rocks of Kinderhook age 

below the sheet ground. Dolomite occurs also with the jasperoid 

in the ores in the blanket breccia ground of the Quapaw district, in 

Oklahoma, as has been previously pointed out by the writer. 1 Where 

dolomite and jasperoid form the'gangue of the ores in the open 

ground, they are likely to be segregated by regions; that is, the garigue 

in a mine or closely related group of mines will be almost exclusively 

either jasperoid or dolomite. For example, the mining area southeast of Joplin is spar ground, whereas that south and west of Joplin 

is very generally jasperoid ground.

Though the dolomite and jasperoid seem thus to characterize 

different horizons or different areas, it is nevertheless true that 

their relation to each other and to the sulphide ores are in places 

so intimate that they were evidently deposited simultaneously.

OCCURRENCE AND FORMATION OF JASPEROID.

Jasperoid, as has been said, is a dark, fine-grained siliceous rock 

resembling chert. It forms the matrix of the chert breccia in many 

of the confused-ground mines and is intercalated with the chert in 

the sheet ground. It consists of a fine-grained aggregate of quartz 

crystals and generally contains disseminated grains of sphalerite, 

galena, or dolomite, or all of them. These grains may be arranged 

hi parallel lines, giving a banded appearance to the rock, as shown 

in Plate VI, A (p. 172). In the interstices between the grains there 

is considerable bituminous matter, and variations in the amount 

of the material in places give rise to a finer banding of the jasperoid. 

The appearance of jasperoid in thin section is shown in Plate VIII, 

A and B, illustrations presented by Smith.2

The banding of the jasperoid, which closely resembles that of sedimentary rocks, its occurrence in forms resembling mud pockets, 

its gradation at places into selvage and mud, and its occurrence as the 

matrix of breccias, as well as other features of it, have led to tjhe 

general conclusion that it is a silicified mud. Smith made a careful 

microscopic study of jasperoid, however, and came to the belief that 

it is almost invariably the result of metasomatic siliceous replacement of limestone. He says:

It occurs locally in lenticular forms such as characterize the occurrence of limestone 

in chert, and the manner of its occurrence in sheet ground suggests the replacement of

1 Siebenthal, C. E., Mineral resources of northeastern Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, p. 207, 

1908.

2Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C.. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 14,1907.
180 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

sheets and lenses of limestone. More definite evidence is found in the fact that all 

stages in the process of change from unaltered limestone to jasperoid have been 

observed, both megascopically and microscopically. Corroborative facts are the 

occurrence here and there of fossils, particularly crinoid stems, in typical jasperoid, 

as well as the presence of stylolites in a somewhat calcareous jasperoid at the Jack 

Johnson mine near Chitwood.

The general process of replacement, as shown by the microscope, is as follows: First 

a few scattered crystals of quartz appear in the limestone; this stage is seen in Plate 

VIII, A. With increase in the proportion of quartz the limestone decreases till in 

the later stages the rock consists chiefly of a granular aggregate of quartz with scattered, 

ragged grains of calcite, mere remnants of the former limestone. Finally even these 

disappear. Some calcite remnants are often found, even in the occurrences of jasperoid which most resemble mud pockets, and many of the lighter colored of the 

narrower bands of the banded jasperoid, as already noted, contain residual calcite 

grains. The quartz in replacing the limestone does not assume the fossil forms shown 

by the unreplaced calcite, and these forms therefore persist only as long as the calcite 

remains.

It seems probable, from their mutual relationship, as well as from the fact that 

sphalerite is found in the limestone with the first appearance of the quartz, but has 

not been noted in limestone wholly free from quartz, that the sphalerite and quartz 

have developed simultaneously. That dolomite also has developed at approximately 

the same time as the quartz seems probable from their microscopic characters as well 

as their general relations.

This explanation of the origin of jasperoid accounts for the scarcity of limestone in 

the ore deposits. In the sheet ground limestone is rarely found, jasperoid occupying 

those positions in which limestone would normally be looked for. In the breccia 

deposits limestone blocks are sometimes found, but the chert breccia of many mines 

appears to be wholly free from limestone, although dolomite and chert may border 

it on one side and limestone with chert on the other. While the relative proportion 

of chert and limestone in the Boone formation varies both vertically and horizontally, 

and while the ore breccias occur in the more cherty parts of the formation, nevertheless a considerable amount of limestone would naturally be expected with the breccias 

in most cases. The replacement of limestone by jasperoid would not only account 

for the apparent absence of much or most of the limestone to be expected in the chert 

breccias, especially in those mines which are practically free from dolomite, as the 

Oronogo mines and those in the hard sheet ground, but would also explain the fractured beds of chert sometimes seen suspended in a matrix of jasperoid.

Under this view selvage is generally a weathered and semidecomposed jasperoid, and much of the black mud is simply the final stage 

in the weathering and decomposition of the jasperoid.

SILICEOUS REPLACEMENT OF LIMESTONE.

T. Sterry Hunt 1 summarizes in the following words the results of 

the experimental work of A. H. Church 2 on siliceous replacement:

He prepared a solution of silica in water by dialysis, according to Graham's method, 

and found that when this solution, containing about one two-hundredths of silica and 

impregnated with a little carbonic acid, was filtered through fragments of coral, a 

large portion of carbonate of lime was dissolved, and the whole of the silica [was]

i Canadian Naturalist, 2d ser., vol. 1, p. 49,1864.

a On the composition, structure, and formation of beekite: London, Edinburgh, and Dublin Philos, 

Mag. and Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 23, p. 101,1862; On silica; Chem. News, vol. 5, p. 95,1862.
REVIEW OP CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 181

removed [from the solution]. Similar results, though to a less extent, were obtained 

with shells. In another experiment a fragment of a recent coral was fitted into the 

neck of a funnel, and a solution prepared as above, with a little carbonic acid and 

containing one one-hundredth of silica, was allowed to drop on the coral, and after 

slowly filtering through was found, as in the previous experiment, to have abandoned 

the whole of its silica, while the coral had lost nearly all its lime, although retaining 

its structure in a great measure. It was, however, covered with a thick film of 

gelatinous silica. Mr. Church further observed that the addition of small portions of 

the solid carbonate of lime, barytes, or strontia to a strong solution of pure silica caused 

it to gelatinize immediately; and according to Graham solutions of these carbonates 

have the same effect.

The maximum strength of a solution which did not deposit a 

portion on standing was that containing six-tenths of 1 per cent of 

silica; a stronger solution invariably gelatinized after a time.

R6LE OF COLLOIDAL SILICA IN THE FORMATION OF JASPEROID.

Bain* has suggested that the silica of the jasperoid was deposited 

in a colloidal condition. The facts which led him to this conclusion 

were: (1) Perfect crystal outline of blende that is completely embedded in the jasperoid; (2) no indication that the blende was deposited 

in a cavity; and (3) no concentric laminations around the crystals, 

such as usually occur when a crystal grows in soft sediments.

Kahlenberg and Lincoln 2 have shown that silica is completely 

hydrolyzed long before the stage of dilution prevailing in natural 

waters is reached, hence the silica in natural waters must always 

occur as a hydrolyzed colloid. In Church's experiments, outlined 

above, it was found that the addition of a small portion of solid 

calcium carbonate or of a solution of calcium carbonate to a strong 

solution of silica caused it to gelatinize immediately. When a recent 

coral was treated with a solution of silica charged with carbon dioxide, 

it was found that the calcium carbonate had been replaced by silica. 

The replaced coral was covered with a thick film of gelatinous silica 

and was very soft. Bain cites Le Conte 3 as speaking of-the silica at 

Sulphur Bank as so recent as to be still gelatinous, and notes Weed's 4 

description of the sinter deposits of the Yellowstone National Paik 

as showing that the silica in hot springs, at least, goes through a 

colloidal state, taking eventually an amorphous or opaline form. 

Levings 5 describes several occurrences of gelatinous silica as follows:

About four years ago, when the writer was connected with the Great Australia mine, 

Cloncurry, Queensland, a drive was beat out under the siliceous copper outcrop.

i Bain, H. F., Van Hise, C. R., and Adams, G. I., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc deposits of the 

Ozark region: IT. S. Geol. Survey Twenty-second Ann. Rept., pt. 2, pp. 106-107,1901.

a Kahlenberg, Louis, and Lincoln, A. T., Solutions of silicates of the alkalies: Jour. Phys. Chem., vol. 2, 

pp. 77-90,1898.

s Le Conte, Joseph, On the genesis of metalliferous veins: Am. Jour. Sci:, 3d ser., vol. 26, p. 9,1883.

« Weed, W. H., Formation of travertine and siliceous sinter by the vegetation of hot springs: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Ninth Ann. Rept., pp. 613-676,1889.

»Levings, J. H., Discussion of an article on "Gels in relation to ore deposition": Inst. Min. and Met. 

Trans., vol. 21, pp. 478-479,1912.
182 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Water was continuously flowing through this ore body, which acted as a drainage 

conduit for the surrounding country. Numerous vugs were cut into, and silica in 

all stages of gelatinization was found, varying from a viscous fluid to veins which 

could be cut with a knife, like cheese. The writer dehydrated many samples; some 

were practically pure silica, some contained carbonate of lime and carbonates of 

copper. In other samples taken from solidified portions a complete gradation from 

silica to calcite could be followed. Apparently silica and calcite can be precipitated 

from the same solution in any proportions. It may be mentioned that the lode occurs 

in diorite.

Some years previously, in Tasmania, some jellylike substance was brought for the 

writer to determine. It had been obtained from a vug in a siliceous copper lode, 

and contained some free slender quartz crystals about 2 inches long, both ends of 

which terminated in prisms. Some similar but better proportioned crystals about 

one-half inch long were also present. On examination the substance was found to 

be silica in a gelatinous state. The lode occurred in old sedimentary rocks.

In this connection there should be no ted the description (pp. 186-187) 

of the sediment from White Sulphur Spring. In this spring quartz, 

calcite, and pyrite are depositing simultaneously.

Hatschek and Simon,1 applying the principle of phenomena like 

Liesegang's rings to ore deposition, made a number of experiments 

with a gold salt dissolved in colloidal silicic acid in a test tube, 

pouring a reducing solution on top. Bands of precipitated metallic 

gold were formed in the silicic acid, parallel to its upper surface, 

which were analogous to the rings of Liesegang. The authors argue 

that these experiments indicate that auriferous quartz veins in 

which the gold occurs in bands are due to this sort of diffusion 

rather than to crustification. They say: 2

When piercing the Simplon tunnel a vein of silicic acid in the gelatinous condition 

was discovered, and it does not therefore seem too daring to assume a gelatinous state 

as the transition between the original liquid and the ultimate solid form of a quartz 

vein. The solution which contained the silicic acid may also have contained the 

gold salt, and when this solution set to a gel this salt would be distributed uniformly 

throughout. It is, however, possible also that the silicic acid set to a gel first, after 

which the gold diffused into it. The reduction or precipitation of the metal was a 

subsequent process, and the reducing agent, as far as some alluvial deposits are concerned, most probably was a gas. * * *

Quartz veins with banded structure find a ready explanation with the formation of 

the strata mentioned in experiment No. 6. If we again assume a vein of gelatinous 

silicic acid with uniform gold contents, and we assume surface waters containing the 

reducing agent to follow the quartz vein from the surface downward through the salbands, we obtain ultimately a vein with bands of rich quartz lying parallel to the vein 

walls at the outcrop, gradually decreasing in richness as depth is attained, and simultaneously losing the banded appearance.

Brief reference has been made to the banded character of the 

jasperoid. A view of a specimen of jasperoid exhibiting typical

1 Hatschek, E., and Simon, A. L., Gels in relation to ore deposition: Inst. Min. and Met. Trans., vol. 

21, pp. 451-459,1912.

2 Idem, pp. 456-457.
REVIEW OF COEEOBORAfiVE BVlbisNOB. 183

fine banding is shown in Plate VI, A (p. 172). Smith 1 describes it 

somewhat in detail as follows:

Here and there the jasperoid is marked by bands of greater or less width. The 

coarser banding is due to variations in the amount of contained sphalerite or dolomite. The finer banding is in lighter and darker shades of gray, and, as shown by 

the microscope, is due to variations in the amount of interstitial bituminous matter, 

depending on differences in texture, or to variations in mineral composition, such as 

the occurrence of calcite in some of the bands. Some of these finer bandings are 

curved, but most of them are horizontal or nearly so and parallel to the broader bands. 

Many of them are near and parallel to the upper surface and some extend only a part 

of the way across an exposure of the rock.

The resemblance of the banding of jasperoid to the banding 

obtained in the experimental work of Hatschek and Simon and others is marked. It seems not unreasonable to suppose that in certain favorably situated areas gases may have collected above the colloidal jasperoid and effected the rythmic precipitation of the metals 

and the dolomite, while the bitumen collected in the interband areas. 

Such a colloid would not offer strong hindrance to the diffusion of the 

ore-bearing solutions or to the expansion of the growing ore crystals. Again, such a colloidal mass would be effective as a support for 

the smaller chert fragments, the present position of which indicates 

that they floated in the nascent jasperoid matrix. Even if a portion 

(perhaps the major portion) of the jasperoid originated through the 

replacement of limestone, as determined by W. S. T. Smith, the 

replacing silica may for a time have been in a colloidal state.

OCCURRENCE AND FORMATION OF DOLOMITE.

Dolomite occurs in three forms in the Joplin region. A finegrained buff variety evidently resulted from the dolomitization of the 

limestone in place without alteration of the bedding, for such beds 

of dolomite may at places be followed directly into unaltered beds of 

limestone. Though nowhere associated with areas of mineralization this form of dolomite is usually found where the rocks have 

been considerably disturbed by solution. This kind of dolomite is 

similar in texture to all the widespread formations of dolomitic 

limestone. A second variety of dolomite, usually called "gray spar," 

occurs in large bodies of massive coarse granular texture, which 

lie adjacent to the ore in many of the ore bodies of the area. The 

crystals of dolomite in this variety of the rock are many times 

larger than those in the variety first mentioned, and show the curved 

faces characteristic of the mineral. The third variety of dolomite 

is known as "pink spar" and occurs in veins in both the foregoing 

varieties, or forms the lining of cavities or pockets in them. This

i Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 13, fig. 21,1907.
184 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

variety and calcite line cavities in the ore bodies in many places 

where the massive varieties of dolomite do not occur, as, for instance, 

in chert ground. The crystals in pink spar are larger than those 

in gray spar, are pink in color, and are typically saddle shaped with 

curved faces.

The following petrographic description of the dolomite of the 

region and discussion of its origin is given by Smith: 1

The dolomite grains have in few or no cases the medium or dark gray color which 

characterizes the rock as a whole, being usually pale gray with a pink tinge, which 

locally affects the rock mass. The common dark color of the rock is due to interstitial 

matter, ordinarily seen megascopically as numerous small dark-gray or brown to 

blackish specks. The amount of these impurities is variable, but all the dolomite 

contains them to a greater or less extent. The dolomite has as a rule a rather tough 

surface of fracture, on which the rhombohedral forms of many of the grains may often 

be made out.

Microscopically the texture of the dolomite approaches panidiomorphic granular. 

The angular spaces between the grains are most commonly filled with jasperoid, 

which contains in places a small proportion of dolomite and is usually of a brownish 

color from bituminous impregnation; but in many specimens bituminous matter 

forms the predominant filling of the intergranular spaces, in which case-they are 

generally dense or opaque. These bituminous areas form the dark specks seen in 

the hand specimen.

Jasperoid was found in the majority of the massive dolomites examined. It occurs 

intermixed with the dolomite in all proportions, though as a rule the amount is small. 

Analyses indicate approximately, by the percentage of silica, the proportions of 

jasperoid commonly present in these dolomites. As already noted, jasperoid and 

dolomite are sometimes found grading into each other.

That the massive dolomite has been formed by the dolomitization of limestone is 

shown by the general limitation of its occurrence to the ore deposits, by the inclusion 

in it of beds and lenses of chert, and by the local occurrence of limestone in the process of passing over into dolomite. In this process the fossils are as a rule completely 

obliterated.

DOLOMITE AND JASPEROID IN THE ASPEN DISTRICT, COLO.

The gangue minerals associated with the ore deposits of the Aspen 

district of Colorado are very similar to those that accompany the ore 

deposits of the Joplin district. There, as in the Joplin district, the 

ores are associated with jasperoid and dolomite. Barite is plentiful 

at Aspen. It is not plentiful in the Joplin district, but it is plentiful 

in central and southeastern Missouri. Spurr 2 says:

This local dolomization almost invariably accompanies the ore. Even when the 

latter is in blue limestone there is usually a sort of envelope of dolomite around it, 

which in turn is surrounded by the limestone. In rare cases, when the ore is directly 

inclosed in blue limestone without such an envelope, its analysis shows the presence 

of magnesia, while the limestone is almost entirely pure.

The microscope affords means to trace the alteration of the blue foraminiferal 

limestone into dolomite in its various stages. In this process the coarse calcite be1 Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 14,1907. 

8 Spurr, J. E., Geology of the Aspen mining district, Colo.: U. S. Geol. Survey Mon.31, pp. 210-211,1898.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 185

comes broken up into smaller crystals, which assume the rhombohedral form and 

the yellowish tinge distinctive of dolomite. The characteristic structure of the blue 

limestone persists for a time during this alteration, but becomes fainter as the crystallization proceeds. The coarsely crystalline calcite and the cryptocrystalline 

variety which form the two distinct phases of the blue limestone both become finely 

crystalline dolomite, but the texture of the two varieties continues different for 

some time. The dolomite often incloses small grains of pyrite or is stained by disseminated limonite.

Spurr finds that the local dolomitization, associated with watercourses, is not due to the surface water of the present' time for, 

describing certain springs and waters inflowing along faults, he says: 1

These waters, which evidently come mainly from the surface, do not appear to 

exercise any dolomizing influence on the limestone which they traverse, and the 

phenomena of dolomization, silicification, and ore deposition along the faults show 

that the waters which produced them were in some way more potent than the cold 

waters which now circulate underground.

At Glenwood Springs, Colo., 40 miles from Aspen, Spurr found 

that the water of the Yampa Spring (No. 31 in the synoptical table 

and table of analyses) was accomplishing a dolomitic replacement 

of the limestone on the side walls of its channels. This water contains free carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide in notable quantities. 

Spurr gives analyses of the wall rock taken from different places to 

show that there is a progressive increase in the magnesia and silica 

, content of the rock in proportion as the water has had access to it. 

His description of the progressive alteration of limestone to jasperoid 

is very similar to the description by W. S. T. Smith of the similar 

replacement in the Joplin district (pp. 179-180). Spurr 2 concludes 

that the dolomitization and the silicification were contemporaneous, 

as follows:

From the association of jasperoid with dolomite belonging to the second period, as 

well as from the evidence which microscopic study affords, it is clear that the quartz 

was deposited at the same time and under the same conditions as the magnesia. In 

the case of the dolomite the conclusion has been arrived at that the change from 

limestone has been brought about by ascending magnesia-bearing waters, and it has 

been shown that such a change is now going on at Glenwood Springs. The compara- 

'tive analyses which were cited to prove this phenomenon at Glenwood Springs also 

show an accompanying silicification, which is actually being brought about by the 

ascending hot waters.

SPRING DEPOSITS AT SULPHUR SPRINGS, ARK.

In the northwest corner of Arkansas, at the village of Sulphur 

Springs, there is a group of springs, two of which, known respectively as White Sulphur Spring and Black Sulphur Spring, have 

lately been described by the writer.3 The springs emerge in the

1 Spurr, J. E., op. cit., p. 212.

2 Idem, pp. 220-221.

8 Siebenthal, C. E., Spring deposits at Sulphur Springs, Ark., with microscopic examination by H. E. 

Merwin: Econ. Geology, vol. 9, pp. 758-767,1914.
186 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

valley of Butler Creek, the rock underlying which belongs to the 

"YeUville formation," of Ordovician age. The Chattanooga shale 

outcrops in the hills at an altitude of about 50 feet above the 

floor of the valley. The springs are walled up and cemented, their 

basins being about 2 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. The temperature of the water is that of the basin, and is the mean annual temperature of the region for that "depth. Both springs contain noticeable quantities of hydrogen sulphide gas and deposit a sediment in 

the bottom of the basin. The sediment from the White Sulphur 

Spring is almost black. The water from this spring is No. 35 in the 

synoptical table (p. 150). Analyses of these sediments, given in 

the table of analyses of reservoir sediments (p. 164), show the presence of lead, zinc, copper, and iron in each. Megascopic examination of the sediments shows the presence of a considerable quantity 

of crystallized pyrite in each. In the hope that the microscope 

might reveal some crystals of sphalerite or galena, the sediments 

were submitted for closer examination to H. E. Merwin, of the Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution. The results of this 

examination, though disappointing in not yielding crystallized sphalerite or galena, are nevertheless valuable and interesting and are 

given herewith. 1

MICROSCOPIC EXAMINATION OF DEPOSITS OF SULPHUR SPRINGS.

By H. E. MERWIN.

Black Sulphur Spring. The noteworthy constituents of the sediments are quartz 

grains and quartz crystals, pyrite, and impure calcite concretions.

Many of the irregular grains of quartz and also those that still retain crystal outlines 

have been so much corroded that their surfaces are spongy.

The calcareous concretions are not numerous and are small (diameter about 0.5 

millimeter). They have radial structure but irregular surfaces. The refractive 

index of crushed fragments is considerably higher than that of pure calcite, but the 

concretions effervesce freely in cold dilute acid and the resulting solution reacts 

for iron, evidently showing that the concretions are not dolomitic. The maximum 

refractive index, 1.69 1.71, is too high for aragonite.

The pyrite occurs in nodular aggregates, the largest about 3 millimeters in diameter, 

and in single crystals as large as 0.4 millimeter in diameter. The cube and octahedron are the only forms recognized. The cube faces show no striations and are much 

less bright than the octahedron faces. By growing into the spongy surfaces of quartz 

grains the pyrite becomes firmly attached and joins the grains into groups.

Many small sharp-angled, bright-faced quartz crystals, 0.5 millimeter in diameter, 

were attached to etched quartz.grains in such a way as to indicate that deposition of 

quartz takes place in parts of the spring, probably at a distance from the source of 

supply.

White Sulphur Spring. Pyrite and calcite are the only minerals that appear to be 

depositing in this spring. The pyrite is in nodules and single crystals, as in the other 

spring.

Distinct calcite crystals 0.2 millimeter long were seen on a piece of iron wire taken 

from the spring. Smaller crystals'form an oozy deposit, and other small crystals are

i Siebenthal, C. E:, op. cit, pp. 765-766.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 187

aggregated into heavy grains. All these crystals have the optical properties of nearly 

pure calcite.

The grains of quartz, pyrite, and calcite are etched and pitted, but to a very much 

less degree than in the Black Sulphur Spring. Many of these grains are double pyramids with angles only slightly rounded. Their origin is not known.

The cited analyses of the waters of White Sulphur Spring and 

of Black Sulphur Spring and their sediments show that they have a 

high content of chlorides and alkali metals, similar to that of the 

deep-well waters, and that, like many of those waters, upon standing 

they deposit a dark sediment which contains the metals as sulphides. 

The sediments differ from most of those deposited by deep-well 

waters, however, in containing crystallized sulphide of iron, calcite, 

and quartz. It was to be expected that the sediments might show 

dolomite as well as calcite, for the waters contain relatively large 

proportions of magnesium, but the microscope revealed no trace of 

crystallized dolomite, and the analyses of the sediments show that 

the magnesium is deposited in relatively small quantities. Nevertheless, it appears to the writer that these waters, which come from 

the same geologic horizon as the deep waters of the Joplin region 

and are similar to them and to the Miami mine waters in quality and 

that deposit, as those waters do, calcite, quartz, metallic sulphides, 

and crystallized pyrite, were undoubtedly capable not only of depositing the ores of the Joplin region but also the gangue minerals 

and rocks, calcite, secondary limestone, dolomite, and jasperoid.

COMPARISON OF ACTION OF SURFACE AND ARTESIAN WATERS IN 

RELATION TO THE FORMATION OF JASPEROID AND DOLOMITE.

If, as Smith 1 has shown, the jasperoid and dolomite that accompany the ores were formed by replacement of limestone, the replacement was doubtless effected by the ore solutions. If it can be shown 

that ascending solutions were better constituted to accomplish this 

replacement than laterally moving solutions or solutions descending 

from the Pennsylvanian above, we may cite the occurrence of the 

jasperoid and dolomite with the ores as evidence .of the artesian 

theory of the origin of the ores.

Winslow 2 points out that a tongue of Mississippian rocks extends 

from the Joplin region eastward toward the center of the Ozark region 

and infers that this was probably a trough during the erosion interval 

just antedating the Pennsylvanian deposition. The erosion of the 

Cambrian and Ordovician dolomites higher on the dome would supply magnesium to the waters flowing down this trough and result in 

the local dolomitization of the Mississippian limestone.

i Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 14,1907. See quotations on pp. 179-180 and 184 of this report, 

a Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, p. 485,1894.
188 ZINC AND "LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN KEGION.

Buckley and Buehler* believe that the shales and thin beds of 

limestone of the Pennsylvania!! series are the source of the magnesium 

required to form the dolomite, the metal being taken into solution 

from those rocks as they were weathered and eroded, and the solution 

being carried down into the Mississippian rock, producing local 

dolomitization.

Bain 2 holds that the ore metals and the magnesium were derived 

from the dolomitic limestones of the Cambrian and Ordovician and 

brought into their present situation by the water of the artesian circulation, which also carried the silica that locally replaced the limestone by jasperoid. The writer also holds this view.

The following tables show the silica and magnesium content of the 

waters of springs in the Pennsylvanian shales waters, according to 

the hypothesis of Buckley and Buehler, representing descending solutions; of springs in the Mississippian limestones representing the 

laterally moving solutions, considered by Schmidt and others; and 

of waters of deep wells drawing their supply from the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks, representing the ascending artesian solutions considered by Bain, Smith, and the writer. The analyses given in the 

first table have been compiled from Schweitzer; 3 the others are compiled from tables of analyses given on pages 124-140.

Silica, calcium, and magnesium content of waters of springs supplied from Pennsylvanian rocks of Missouri.

[Parts per million.]

Clay County:

Rogers Spring.. . ................................

Regent Spring. ..................................

Henry County: 

Sand Creek Spring..............................

Jackson County:

Johnson County:

Pertle. ..........................................

Silica 

(SiOa).

10.1 

43.1 

26.1 

19.1 

20.0

18.0 

12.0

8.8

18.0 

26.0 

57.0

9.9 

28.5 

16.8 

26.8

22.7

Calcium 

(Ca).

238.96 

73.6 

98.7 

121.9 

65.2

45.9 

3.7 

436.9

87.2 

100.9 

10.6

49.0 

66.3 

28.7 

141. 8

104.6

Magnesium 

(Mg).

98.7 

10.5 

7.2 

13.6 

6.9

16.3 

2.5 

70.3

8.8 

16.9 

1.3

21.7 

19.1 

4.4 

30.1

21.9

Reactweight 

ofCa 

(rCa).

11.9 

3.7 

4.9 

6.1 

3.3

2.3 

.19 

21.8

4.4 

5.0 .'5

2.4 

3.3 

1.4 

7.1

5.2

Reacting 

weight 

ofMg 

(rMgJ.

8.1 

.9 

.6 

1.1 

.6

1.3 

.21 

5.8

.7 

1.4 

.1

1.8 

1.6 

.4 

2.5

1.8

Ratio 

of rMg 

torCa.

1:0.68 

1:0.24 

1:0.12 

1:0.18 

1:0.17

1:0.58 

1:1.12 

1:0.26

1:0.17 

1:0.28 

1:0.21

1:0.73 

1:0.48 

1:0.25 

1:0.35

1:0.39

1 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., The geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

vol. 4, p. 21,1906.

a Bain, H. F., Van Hise, C. R., and Adams, G. I., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc deposits of 

the Ozark region: U. S. Geol. Survey Twenty-second Ann. Kept., pt. 2, pp. 209-211,1901.

3 Schweitzer, Paul, A report on the mineral waters of Missouri: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 3,1892.
EEVIEW OF COREOBOEATIVE EVIDENCE. 189

Silica, calcium, and magnesium content of waters of springs supplied from Mississippian

rocks in the Joplin region. 

[Parts per million.]

No. in 

tables 

of analyses.

87

101

102

109

110

Silica 

(S10»).

15.0

14.9

17.5

22.7

9.7

16.0

Calcium 

(Ca).

42.6

127.1

45.8

19.8

107.4

68.5

Magnesium 

(Mg).

2.5

8.7

6.8

1.6

6.5

5.2

Reacting 

weight 

of Ca 

(rCa).

2.1

6.3

2.3

1.0

5.4

3.4

Reacting 

weight 

ofMg 

(rMg).

0.2

.7

.6

.1

.5

.4

Ratio 

of rMg 

to rCa.

1:0.10

1:0.11

1:0.24

1:0.13

1:0.10

1:0.14

Silica, calcium, and magnesium content of deep-well waters in Ozark region. 

[Parts per million.]

Name or owner of well.

Missouri:

Clinton No. 2. ....................:.......

Silver (to 1,100 feet) ......................

Silver (below 1,100 feet)...................

Missouri Lead & Zinc Co. (depth 1,387 feet) .

Missouri Lead & Zinc Co. (depth 940 feet) .

Fulton ...................................

Alba.....................................

Redell.. ......... .........................

Webb City ......................... 1 .....

Kansas:

Fort Scott. ...............................

Pittsburg waterworks ....................

Pittsburg (No. 3).. .......................

Oklahoma: 

Vinita. ...................................

Whitaker Park. ..........................

Radium ............'.....................

Fairland. .................................

Average ................................

No. in 

tables 

of analyses.

27

QO

38

40

42

51

55

56

64

. 68 

76

82 

84

86

88

89

91

92

95

96

98

19.

QO

90 in^

i f»

On

23

25

34

45

46

77

Silica 

(Si02).

14.0

4.0

8.8

14.0

11.7

5.0

9.0

2.4

10.8

10.0 

8.4

14.2

7 9

15.1

9.1

16.8

19 1

47.7

9.8

10.1

35.0

6.7

8 9

16.3

10.7

9.2

in Q

42.2

13.2

9.6

9.5

13.29

Calcium 

(Ca).

80.1

 80.4

115.1

105.8

116.7

739.7

196.9

495.0

53.3

37.0 

39.3

44.0 

52.8

68.6

35.0

37 7

79.0 <in ^

39.2

37.9

52.0

43 3

ftO O

AQ £»

68.4

65.6

91 3

5,604.1

31.2

183.5

oo o

1,486.0

1,480.0

36.3

344. 98

Magnesium 

(Mg).

32.6

36.6

56.6

44.4

50.1

329.2

234.5

180.0

7.2

17.1 

14.8

21.7 

16.3

38.2

15.9

17.3

6.2

12.8

19.0

16.1

5.0

99 1

01 q

35.4

29.3

31.2

8.4

1,045.3

12.3

65.1

14 9

472.7

487.9

18.7

101.36

Reacting 

weight 

of Ca 

(rCa).

4.0

4.0

5.7

5.3

5.8

36.9

9.8

24.7

9 7

1.8 

2.0

2.2

9 fi

3.4

1.7

2.0

3 9

2 n

9 fl

1 Q

2.6

2 0

3 1

3

K

3.4

3.3

1.1

97Q ft

1.6

9.2

1.6

74.1

80.6 1- 8

17.414

Reacting 

weight 

ofMg 

(rMg).

2.7 °. n

4.7

3.6

a 9

97 1

19.3

14.8

6

1.4 

1.2

1.8 

i Q

3.2 i <*

1.4

.5

1.1

1.6 i °,

.4

1 8

2.6

2 Q

2.4

2

C

'.7

87.6

1.1

5.3

1 9

39 2

40.5

1.6

8.41

Ratio 

of 

rMg 

to 

rCa.

1:0.67

1:0.75

1:0.81

1:0.69

1 ft 79

1:0.73

1:1.96

1:0.60

1:0.22

1:0.76 

1:0.62

1:0.81 

1:0.51

1 -fi <M

1:0.75

1:0.72

1:0.13

1:0.52

1

. n on

1:0.70

1:0.16

1:0.84

1 -ft CO

1:0.84

1:0.70

1 ft 78

1:0.66

1:0.31

1:0.68

1:0.58

1:0.76

1:0.53

1:0.50

I

.ft Qfi

1: 0. 69
190 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Silica, calcium, and magnesium content of spring and well waters in the Ozark region.

[Parts per million.]

Average of 15 springs supplied from Pennsylvanian

Average of 5 springs supplied from Mississippian

Average of 34 wells drawing water from Cambrian

White Sulphur Spring, Benton County, Ark., supplied from Ordovician rocks. ... .^ .................

Ocean (Dittmar's analysis). . ........................

Silica 

(Si02).

22.7

16.0

13.3

7.4

33.7

2.5

Calcium 

(Ca).

104.6

68.5

345.0

35.9

568.5

420.0

Magnesium 

(Mg).

21.9

5.2

101.4

16.3

95.0

1,316.0

Reacting 

weight 

of Ca

(rCa).

5.2

3.4

17.4

1.8

28.4

21.0

Reacting 

weight 

ofMg

(rMg).

1.8

.4

8.4

1.3

7.8

108.2

Ratio

of 

rMg 

to

rCa.

1:0.39

1:0.14

1:0.69

1:0.75

1:0.27

1:5.15

The table last presented shows that the average spring water in 

Pennsylvanian rocks is well supplied with silica and contains a fair 

proportion of magnesium to calcium. The waters of the springs in 

the Mississippian rocks, on the contrary, contain much less silica and 

only about one-third as much magnesium in proportion to the calcium. The waters from the deep wells, though containing still less 

silica, carry nearly twice as much magnesium in proportion to calcium as the waters from the Pennsylvanian rocks and about five 

times as much as the waters from the Mississippian rocks. The consideration of these facts would naturally lead to the conclusion 

that the waters from the Pennsylvanian rocks would be the most 

effective in silicification and that the deep-well artesian waters would 

be the most effective in dolomitization.

The table also shows the silica, lime, and magnesia content of 

water from White Sulphur Spring, at Sulphur Springs, Ark., and 

from Yampa Spring, at Glenwood Springs, Colo. Classified by geochemical character both these spring waters, as shown in the synoptical table (p. 150), fall among the deep-well waters of the Joplin 

region and resemble the water of the ocean, according to Dittmar's 

analysis (No. 52 in the synoptical table), although ocean water contains a much higher proportion of magnesium to calcium than the 

well waters. The average well water contains about seven-tenths 

as much total reacting weight of magnesium as of calcium, whereas 

the total reacting weight of magnesium in ocean water is more than 

five times as great as that of calcium. It is very generally believed that widely extended beds of fine-grained dolomite the world 

over have been formed on the bottom of the sea by the reaction of 

unconsolidated calcareous deposits' with the magnesium salts held in 

solution in sea water.

In the deep artesian waters of the district, then, we have: (a) Waters 

that, in their content of carbon dioxide and silica, resemble the experimental solution with which Church obtained a siliceous replacement
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 191

of limestone; (&) waters that closely resemble the water of Yampa 

Spring, which, as Spurr has shown, dolomitizes and silicifies the wall 

rock of its channel; (c) waters that, except in degree of concentration and relative proportion of magnesium to calcium, are closely 

related to sea water; and (d) waters that are identical with the waters 

of Sulphur Springs, Ark., which are depositing crystallized quartz, 

calcite, and pyrite, as well as uncrystallized sulphides of lead, zinc, 

and copper.

Waters of this kind, carrying a relatively high content of magnesium, on rising to the surface under artesian pressure through nonmagnesian limestones exchange magnesium for calcium through 

mass action. The carbon dioxide in the water, which is in part combined with magnesium to form magnesium bicarbonate and in part 

combined with the heavy metals to form bicarbonates will enter into 

a new combination with the calcium of the limestone, taking it into 

solution and throwing down magnesium and the metals. It may 

reasonably be inferred that such water must deposit also silica, and 

this inference is confirmed by Spiirr's observations of the action of 

the water of Yampa Spring and by the results of Merwin's examination of sediments from Sulphur Springs, Ark. As the supply of the 

solutions is constantly renewed the dolomitization and silicification 

will progress until the final result is dolomite and jasperoid.

ABSENCE OF DOLOMITE AND JASPEROID IN MISSISSIPPIAN ROCKS 

BENEATH THE PENNSYLVANIAN IN OTHER REGIONS.

The writer is familiar with the unconformable contact of the 

Pennsylvanian and Mississippian rocks in Indiana and has not there 

seen either jasperoid or dolomite in the underlying limestones of the 

Mississippian, such as should have occurred if dolomitization and the 

formation of jasperoid were produced by surface waters deriving 

their magnesium and silica from the Pennsylvanian shales. As Bain J 

has pointed out, the reports of the geological surveys of Illinois and 

Iowa appear to record no observation of the presence of dolomite or 

jasperoid in the Mississippian rocks that immediately underlie the 

Pennsylvanian in those States. Neither has the writer observed 

dolomite or jasperoid in limestones of Mississippian age in contact 

with the Pennsylvanian rocks at points remote from ore deposits in 

that part of Arkansas or Oklahoma with which he is familiar. He 

has traversed the outcrop of Fort Scott limestone for nearly a hundred 

miles and has seen no jasperoid or dolomite in that limestone, yet it 

is intercalated between two shale formations of the Pennsylvanian 

system and is in a position where it was likely to be affected by waters

* Bain, H. P., Review of special report on lead and zinc by E. Haworth and others: Econ. Geology, vol. 

2, p. 190,1907.
192 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

passing through the Pennsylvania!! shales. Buckley 1 notes the 

occurrence in southeastern Missouri of fine marble beds in the series 

of shales and limestones which has been called the Davis formation 

and remarks that a large number of beds of limestone occur in the 

formation, though the overlying and underlying formations are essentially dolomites.

CONCLUSION.

Both the megascopic and the microscopic character of the ore 

and gangue shows that the ores, the jasperoid, and the dolomite, were 

deposited from the same solution, for the most part simultaneously 

and in the main as by replacement of limestone. The experiments 

of Church (see pp. 180-181) show that in solutions containing silica 

and carbon dioxide limestone is replaced by silica. The solutions 

from which the ores, the dolomite and the jasperoid, were deposited 

must therefore have contained carbon dioxide, silica, calcium, magnesium, the metals of the ores, and hydrogen sulphide or sulphate 

radicle in order to cause the precipitation of the metals as sulphides. 

The artesian deep-well waters of the region contain these substances, 

and they are now depositing the metals as sulphides in reservoir 

sediments. Sea water, the greatest agent of dolomitization, if classified geochemically, falls near the deep-well waters. The water of 

the Yampa Spring, which, as Spurr shows, has both silicified and 

dolomitized the limestone adjacent to its channel, falls near the 

deep-well waters in the geochemical classification and has similar 

characteristics. The water from White Sulphur Spring at Sulphur 

Springs, Ark., also falls near the water of Yampa Spring in the classification. Chemical analysis of sediment from this spring and from 

the similar Black Sulphur Spring shows they deposit zinc, lead, copper, and iron. Microscopic analyses of the sediments show that the 

springs are depositing crystallized pyrite, quartz, and calcite. Dolomite and jasperoid have not elsewhere been formed in the limestones 

below the Pennsylvanian, where the circulation was never artesian. 

In the Joplin region, as is shown on a later page, dolomite, j asperoid, 

and ore are not found above the Chattanooga shale where that formation is continuous and efficient as a barrier to ascending solutions.

It may therefore be concluded that the association of dolomite and 

jasperoid with the ore deposits of the Joplin region is evidence that 

they were formed by ascending solutions similar to the artesian circulating water now rising in deep wells in the Pennsylvanian area 

west of the Joplin region.

»Buckley, E. B., Geology of the disseminated lead deposits of St. Francois and Washington counties: 

Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, vol. 9, p. 43 [1909].
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 193

RELATION OF THE JOPLIN ORE DEPOSITS TO THE CHATTANOOGA

SHALE.

ORE DEPOSITS AT THE HORIZON OF THE CHATTANOOGA SHALE.

Buckley and Buehler have formulated a critical test for the theory 

that the Joplin ores were deposited from circulating artesian water. 

This test involves the relations of the deposits to the Chattanooga 

shale and, in substance, is that the ascending metalrbearing solutions, 

coming into contact with the "Devono-Carboniferous" shale, should 

have their metals precipitated in part" by the organic matter of the 

shale or by the hydrogen sulphide gas originating in the shale, and 

that deposits of average or greater richness in lead should be formed 

at or near the horizon of the shale. They say: 1

As this circulation starts upward, through the Devono-Carboniferous shales, it will 

be brought at once into contact with the veiy abundant organic matter which the 

third premise above would cause these shales to contain. As already shown, the 

presence of this organic matter forms reducing conditions and the source of hydrogen sulphide. The latter is probably the main precipitant of organic origin, and in 

this discussion will be the precipitant referred to.

The instant hydrogen sulphide is introduced into the solutions carrying lead and 

zinc salts we have the conditions for precipitation. As a result, the sulphide would 

be deposited soon after leaving these shales, if not actually within them. Considering 

the solutions as either alkaline or neutral, the hydrogen sulphide would at once precipitate, together, the lead, zinc, and probably the iron as sulphides. If the alkaline 

sulphides were present in abundance, the iron might remain in solution as described 

on pages 94 and 95, not being precipitated until coming in contact with acids or other 

salts coming from surface waters, in which case the iron sulphide would certainly 

be concentrated at a very high level, probably near the level of the underground 

water. * * *

Had the upward circulating waters been acid, which would hardly be the case 

under the conditions cited, the hydrogen sulphide would at once have precipitated 

the galena, while the zinc and iron would have been carried upward until neutralization had taken place, when they in turn would have been deposited. We would 

therefore, in the case of an ascending acid solution, have obtained a vertical segregation of the ores, with the galena occurring below the blende and pyrite. Thus, no 

matter what the original nature of the single ascending solution, there would be 

formed within or starting directly above the Devono-Carboniferous shales either an 

intimate mixture of the sulphides of lead, zinc, and iron, showing little or no vertical 

segregation, or one in which galena has been concentrated largely at the base of the 

deposits, near the Devono-Carboniferous shales. * * *

We know of no way by which the galena precipitated in the primary deposits in 

the lower part of the formation could become segregated at upper levels by secondary 

concentration. Consequently, the galena should occur intimately mixed with sphalerite and pyrite in the primary deposits, under the conditions cited, wherever these 

primary deposits are found. Furthermore, galena of undoubted primary concentration should occur down to the Devono-Carboniferous shales. * * *

If the ascending circulation carried the metallic salts and the required organic or 

reducing material were present in the shales, the conditions necessary for deposition

1 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., The geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

vol. 4, pp. 107-110,1906.

84551° Bull, 606 15 13
194 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN BEGION.

were evidently present throughout this part of the formation. If this were the case, 

it is hard to conceive why uniformly throughout the district the deposits do not 

occur in this portion of the formation.

The writer has pointed out that the term " Devono-Carboniferous 

shale" was used by Bain to denote the Devonian Chattanooga shale 

and the Carboniferous shale of Kinderhook age. Only one of these, 

the Chattanooga shale, is notably rich in organic matter and can be 

regarded as a precipitant for the solution. As the Chattanooga shale 

is not widely distributed in the Joplin region, ore deposits should not 

occur in that formation "uniformly throughout the district."

Three conditions are necessary in order to subject the artesian 

theory to this test, namely, (a) the Chattanooga shale must be present; (6) ore deposits must exist in the upper strata in the area in 

order to show that conditions will permit solutions to ascend through 

the shale; (c) sufficient deep drilling must have been done to establish 

the presence or absence of ore at the postulated horizon.

The first condition eliminates all but one of the main producing 

camps of the Joplin district. Granby is the only important camp 

underlain by the Chattanooga shale. Fortunately, Granby has also 

been the scene of systematic drilling that reached to or beyond the 

Chattanooga shale. The Granby Mining & Smelting Co. has very 

kindly furnished two charts of deep drilling in that region, dated 

July, 1907, and March, 1909. The area covered by 'these charts 

comprises 160 acres in sec. 31, T. 26 N., R. 30 W., just north of the 

town of Granby. From these two charts all the sections that 

represent drill holes which undoubtedly reach the Chattanooga shale 

have been arranged in linear order on the accompanying chart (PL 

IX). The records of shallow drill holes and holes not reaching the 

Chattanooga shale have been omitted. The horizon of the Chattanooga shale is that identified by Buckley and Buehler as " DevonoCarbonif erous." 1 Inspection of the chart will show a very persistent 

ore horizon at the level of the Chattanooga shale. The irregularities 

of level that may be observed are due largely to the fact that the 

elevation of the surface was not taken into account in charting the 

records.

An analysis of the charts of this drilling just north of Granby shows 

that 52 drill holes reached the horizon of the Chattanooga shale. 

Of these, 34 report "selvage" or "clay," the driller's terms for soft 

shale, at the horizon of the shale. The shale was probably struck in 

a number of the other drill holes, but its occurrence in them is not 

noted on the charts, the narrow space in the columnar sections being 

taken up in delineating the ores found at that horizon. In several 

places, however, there is neither ore nor any indication of the shale, 

from which it must be inferred that the shale is not persistent so near

»Buckley, E. K., anci Buehler, H. A., op. Qjt, PI,'V, facing p. 29.
U S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH DIRECTOR

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KEY MAP

CHART OF DRILL HOLES ON THE GRANBY MINING & SMELTING GO'S LAND AT GRANBY MO

House Doc 63d Cong-. , 3d Sess
'. REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 195

to its northern limit. Of the 52 holes that reach the horizon of the 

shale, ore is reported at that horizon in 28 galena alone in 10, blende 

alone in 7, and both galena and blende in 11. Nine of these 28 holes 

show also cuttings of ore at higher levels. In 8 the higher ore indicated is blende, and the remaining hole shows both blende and galena. 

In 19 holes, "mundic," or iron pyrites, is reported, associated with 

ore in 10 holes and occurring alone in 9 holes. The cuttings from 6 

drill holes were assayed, the average blende content being 10.8 per 

cent and the average galena content being 3.3 per cent, or as 1:0.308. 

If we take the production of the Granby district from 1893 to 

1904, inclusive, as given by Buckley and Buehler, 1 and complete it by 

adding the production for 1905-6 from the Joplin statistics of weekly 

sales and the production for 1907-1912 from the annual volumes 

of "Mineral Resources of the United States/' and if we calculate 

the metal content of the ores for the whole period by the average 

metal content (not recoverable zinc) for the years given in the "Mineral resources," we have a total of 85,000 tons of zinc and 13,338 

tons of lead, a ratio of zinc to lead of 1:0.157, equivalent to a ratio 

of blende to galena of 1:0.122. On the other hand, if we take the 

total production of the Granby district from the time of the first discovery of lead up to 1893, as given by Winslow, and bring it to date, 

as above, we get a ratio of zinc to lead of 1:0.463, equal to a ratio of 

blende to galena of 1:0.359. If these ratios be compared with the 

ratio of blende to galena of 1:0.308, as shown by the assays of cuttings 

from the Chattanooga shale, it appears that the ore at the level of 

the shale is relatively richer in galena than the deposits worked during the last 18 years, and almost as rich in galena as the total ore 

produced to date. The high ratio of lead in the total production is 

the result of the preponderance of galena mined in the early years. 

The early mining in the Granby district was shallow and the ores were 

galena, cerusite, and calamine. Even now the output of calamine 

is two or three times as large as that of blende. The original deposits 

of sulphides in the open ground at the base of the Pennsylvanian 

shale were oxidized, the zinc being in part carried elsewhere and 

deposited as calamine, the galena and some cerusite remaining. In 

some places the galena was probably residually concentrated, as is 

pointed out by Winslow. And as mining went on and became deeper 

the ratio of zinc to lead steadily increased, as is shown by the 

following table:

Ratio of zinc to lead in ore produced at Granby, Mo., 1870-1912.

1870-1879.............................................. 1 : 0. 84

1880-1892.............................................. 1 : 0. 36

1893-1906.............................................. 1 : 0. 22 -

1907-1912.............................................. 1 : 0.18

i Buckley, E.. E., and Buehler, H. A-, op. cit., p. 4,
196 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

If the average rate of production and the average ratio of zinc to 

lead for the last 6 years be maintained for 15 years the ratio of zinc 

to lead in the total production at the end of that time will be just 

about that indicated by the assays of the deep drill cuttings. If the 

ratio of zinc to lead continues to increase it will, of course, not require 

15 years to bring the average down to that of the drill cuttings.

The character of the ore solutions has been discussed rather fully 

in the preceding chapters. They were waters containing free carbon 

dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. Such waters may be very weakly 

acid, but they are not "acid solutions" in the sense in which that 

term is used by Buckley and Buehler hi the foregoing quotation. 

They had in mind waters charged with sulphates and containing free 

sulphate radicle and free hydrogen ion; in other words, free sulphuric acid.1 Waters weakly acid with carbonic acid and hydrogen 

sulphide would act practically as neutral waters. Therefore, according to Buckley and Buehler, "the galena should occur intimately 

mixed with sphalerite and pyrite in the primary deposits under the 

conditions cited. Furthermore, galena of undoubted primary concentration should occur down to the Devono-Carboniferous shales."

We have found, then, at Granby, the only place where the test 

can at present be fairly applied, that: (a) There is a persistent ore 

horizon at the level of the Chattanooga shale; (6) that galena and 

sphalerite both occur at this level; (c) that the relative proportions 

of lead and zinc at this horizon are practically the same as in the 

local deposits worked in the past and as likely to be worked in the 

future, for, although this conclusion may seem to be the result of 

pushing rather far the results of assays of cuttings for 6 drill holes 

out of 28, yet it is corroborated by the fact that of the drill holes 

show-ing ore, 21 showed galena at the shale horizon as against 18 

that showed zinc; (d) that pyrite occurs with the galena and blende 

at the shale horizon; and (e) that of the holes showing ore at the deep 

horizon, 9 showed blende at higher levels as against 1 that showed 

lead. It would seem to the writer that the facts are about as near 

to the postulated conditions as one could reasonably ask.

ABSENCE OF OEE DEPOSITS, DOLOMITE, AND JASPEROID ABOVE THE 

CHATTANOOGA SHALE WHERE THAT FORMATION IS CONTINUOUS.

The Chattanooga shale, as has already been noted and as is shown 

on the map (PI. Ill), is not widely distributed. Its northern edge in 

the Joplin region seems to pass near Miami, Peoria, and Granby, and 

to swing from Granby southeastward. The shale is not found at 

Quapaw, Galena, Joplin, Carthage, or Aurora. It is mapped at 

places southeast and southwest of Springfield by Shepard,2 who also

> See analyses of mineral and mine waters, quoted by Buckley and Buehler, op. cit., pp. 101-102. 

2 Shepard, E. M., A report on Greene County: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 12, pp. 67-71,1898.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 197

shows isolated outcrops north of Springfield. It apparently occurs 

also Bear Ash Grove, as is shown by the section of the Pennsylvania 

Co.'s shaft given by Winslow. 1 From Granby southeastward to White 

River it does not outcrop and its margin is not exactly known. It 

occurs near Eureka Springs, Ark., and outcrops in the bluffs at the 

headwaters of White River, between Eureka Springs and Fayetteville. It outcrops in a small area near St. Joe, Ark. It occurs west 

of Granby and Fayetteville wherever its horizon is at the surface, as 

far south as the lower stretch of Illinois River, in Oklahoma. The 

formation is therefore apparently persistent throughout that region. 

According to the artesian-circulation theory the distribution of 

the Chattanooga shale should show a clearly defined relation to the 

Joplin ore deposits. Where that shale is unbroken it should be 

impervious to ore solutions and should prevent then- ascent into the 

Mississippian rocks above, and thus also prevent any ore deposition in 

those rocks. As a matter of fact, in the large area outlined on the map 

as underlain by continuous or unbroken shale there is no workable 

deposit of ore nor, so far as is known to the writer, any deposit that 

contains dolomite or jasperoid. The smaller patches may, of course, 

divert the ore solutions but can not prevent their ascent into the 

Mississippian. The single lead and zinc mine in the southwestern 

part of Washington County, Ark., is probably near the southern 

edge of the shale, which thins out toward the south and is absent in 

the small upthrown area a few miles northwest of Bunch, Okla. If 

a small deposit should at some time be found above the shale it 

would not contravene the foregoing statement, for a small deposit 

might conceivably be due to a local artesian circulation in the Boone 

formation.

PRESENCE OF QBE, DOLOMITE, AND JASPEROID ALONG THE SENECA 

FAULT WITHIN THE AREA UNDERLAIN BY THE CHATTANOOGA 

SHALE.

The writer has elsewhere 2 described the Seneca fault, which 

extends from a point several miles northeast of Spurgeon, Mo., 

southwestward to a point between Pry or and Choteau, Okla., a 

distance of about 70 miles. The fault is a double one, a long narrow 

block of Boone, Chester, and overlying rocks, from 200 to 1,300 

feet wide having been let down into the Boone formation. The 

throw of the fault ranges from a few feet up to 100 feet or more. 

The northern border of the Chattanooga shale is crossed .by the 

fault near Seneca and the territory southwest of that city traversed 

by the fault is underlain by the shale. The whole course of the

i Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, p. 628,1894. 

8 Siebenthal, C. E., Mineral resources of northeastern Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, pp. 197- 

198,1908.
198 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS Of THE JOPLIN KEGION.

fault between Seneca and Spurgeon is marked by prospect shafts, 

which have located more or less ore, and considerable mining has 

been done at several places between these points and also southwest 

of Seneca as far as the Sycamore Creek district, a distance of 3 miles. 

The ore found along the fault is marked by the gangue minerals that 

are generally associated with it in the Joplin region calcite, dolomite, 

and jasperoid. In the region southwest of the Sycamore district, 

however, for the remaining 50 miles over which the fault extends, 

neither dolomite, jasperoid, nor ore can be seen, although a few 

prospect openings lie along the course of the fault, and the fault 

zone, with its characteristic breccia, is exposed at several places in 

the bluffs of Neosho (Grand) River. Apparently the fault in this 

part of its course did not have sufficient throw to offset more than 

the thickness of the shale, or where the throw was greater than the 

thickness of the shale perhaps the shale was entrained in the fault 

plane and thus sealed the opening to the ascending circulating 

water. At any rate the Cambrian-Ordovician circulation does not 

seem to have made its way upward into the Mississippian rocks hi 

this part of the course of the fault, for the breccia cement here 

instead of being the dolomite-jasperoid-ore cement found along the 

northeastern part of the fault, is exclusively calcitic, apparently 

having been derived by infiltration from the wall rock of Mississippian limestone.

The writer regards the absence of ore, dolomite, and jasperoid 

where ,the shale is continuous and their presence where its continuity 

is broken by the Seneca fault as conclusive proof that the ore and 

gangue were derived from solutions ascending from the Cambrian 

and Ordovician rocks.

HEAVIER ORE DEPOSITS AT THE NORTHERN MARGIN OF THE CHATTANOOGA SHALE.

A lens of Chattanooga shale intercalated between the Ordovician 

and the Mississippian would have the same effect on the artesian 

circulation as the "perched water tables" described by Veatch,1 

imposing certain irregularities on the artesian circulation, such as 

have been outlined in the chapter on underground circulation (p. 36). 

The large, continuous sheet of shale just described, however, not 

only partakes of the westerly dip of the uplift but lies on both its 

flanks and forms a cap over its southwestern axial prolongation. 

The intersection of the border of the Chattanooga shale with the 

inner margin of the Pennsylvanian shale on the south flank of the 

uplift is near Fayetteville, Ark., where the top of the shale lies

i Veatcb, A. C., Underground water resources of Long Island, N. Y.: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. 

Paper 44, p. 57,1906.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN 606 PLATE X

95°

I S S O U R

SKETCH MAP SHOWING DIRECTION OF ARTESIAN FLOW IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE OZARK UPLIFT.

Diagonal shading represents Pennsylvanian shale; dotted areas represent Chattanooga (Devonian) shale; areas marked with strokes and dots represent crystalline rocks of St. Francis Mountains; crosses

represent mining camps; arrows show direction of artesian flow.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 190

about 1,000 feet above sea level, and the similar intersection on the 

north flank is near Miami, Okla., where the top of the shale lies 

about 400 feet above sea level. The relation thus described has a 

significant bearing on the extent of the ore deposits of the Joplin 

region, for it means that the Chattanooga shale slopes toward the 

Joplin district through most of the distance between Joplin and 

Fayetteville. The axis of the uplift passes between Fayetteville 

and Bentonville, as is shown by the deformation contours (PL IV). 

Water entering the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks on the higher 

central part of the uplift and flowing down the dome under artesian 

pressure will rise beneath the Chattanooga shale and tend to flow 

toward the highest part of the arched undersurface of the shale. 

In other words, the axis of the uplift thus becomes the main line 

of flow of the underground circulation in that direction. So too

the Berryville-Joplin anticline will have a tendency to control the 

direction of the underground circulation. Having risen beneath 

the Chattanooga shale, which is continuous in the region about 

Fayetteville, Eureka Springs, Granby, and in the area farther west, 

the solutions have but two avenues of escape. Currents will be 

set up in these two directions and in the rest of the area the circulation will remain impounded. The direction of these two currents 

and their relations to the structural axis, to the distribution of the 

Chattanooga and the Pennsylvanian shales, and to the location 

of the mining districts of the Joplin region are indicated on the 

sketch map forming Plate X.

After the Pennsylvanian shales had been eroded away there 

would apparently be surface outlets on the south side of the axis 

near Morrow, Ark, and Bunch, Okla., for the water beneath the 

Chattanooga shale. Lead and zinc ores have been mined at Morrow.

Water circulating under the Chattanooga shale on the north side 

of the axis escapes only along the lower northern margin of the shale 

from Granby to Miami. It therefore flows beneath the Chattanooga 

toward that border, beyond which it ascends into the "open ground" 

of the Mississippian rocks and deposits its metals. The territory along 

the northern border of the Chattanooga shale is therefore favored by 

concentration in two directions. That is, the ore solutions in any 

sector of the dome will be concentrated in the subtending segment 

at the inner edge of the Pennsylvanian shale; but the solutions that 

flow out radially beneath the Chattanooga shale will be carried to the 

north edge of that shale, where they will rise and be added to the 

normal radial circulating water of the adjacent sector. It is significant that this area, between Granby and Miami, includes the principal 

ore-producing districts of the Joplin region.
200 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

DISTRIBUTION OF MINING DISTRICTS IN A CIRCLE CONCENTRIC 

WITH THE INNER EDGE OF THE PENNSYLVANIAN SHALE.

Almost every geologist who has described the ore deposits of the 

Ozark region has noted that the productive districts are distributed 

around the periphery of the uplift. Jenney 1 noted this distribution 

as follows: 

The ore deposits are confined to limited areas, distributed without apparent regularity over the uplifted regions but showing some tendency to group near the marginal / 

belts rather than in the central plateaus. 

Haworth 2 thus described the arrangement of the mining camps :

It will be noted that all of the principal mining towns in the southwestern district, 

with the exception of Aurora and Wentworth, lie within a zone about 10 miles in 

width, which very closely parallels the axis of the Ozark area. This same condition ; 

is shown to be true elsewhere. The lead and zinc ores of Hickory, Benton, Morgan, Camden, Cole, and Miller counties in the central district, and of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Ste. Genevieve, St. Francois, and Madison'counties in the eastern x 

district, and the ore bodies near the boundary line between Arkansas and Missouri, 

on the south, all lie in this peripheral zone. '

Keyes 3 emphasized the peripheral distribution of the productive j 

areas about the uplift:., (

The lead and zinc deposits of Missouri and Arkansas are not scattered promiscuously 

through the Ozark uplift but are confined to a well-defined belt of greater or less width . /. 

which borders the basal margin of the dome and completely encircles it. )

The productive mineral-bearing belt is rather sharply delimited on its outer border j 

by the margin of the coal measures. Its inner border is somewhat more irregular, ;; 

owing to local peculiarities which need not be referred to in detail at this time. There / 

are some unimportant deposits within the main ore ring in positions suggesting former 

locations of the belt, before the coal-measures margin had moved so far as it is at present ; 

down the slope of the dome.

Smith 4 likewise noted the circular zone of the mining districts: j

These four districts are arbitrarily chosen so as to include the chief ore-producing i;

centers. If all the scattered deposits known in the region were included a continuous -,

zone would be outlined, beginning with the southeastern Missouri district on the *

east, circling to the northwest, then to the south not far from the margin of the Ozark <'

uplift, and finally eastward along the northern slopes of the Boston Mountains. I

The peripheral arrangement of the productive districts about the ! 

Ozark uplift may be easily seen on the map (PI. Ill). If individual oc- ; 

currences of ore were shown the continuity of the belt would be even ^ 

more striking. The one exception, already noted, is that the area 

underlain by a continuous sheet of Chattanooga shale contains no ' 

ore deposits. If the location of the ore bodies has been determined [

i Jenney, W. P., The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., 

vol. 22, p. 212,1894. t

1 Haworth, Erasmus, Special report on lead and zinc: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, p. 104,1904. -

» Keyes, C. R., Geographic distribution of lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley: Eng. and Min. 

Jour., vol. 86, p. 1004,1908.

« Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 1,1907.
BEVIEW OF COB.ROBOBATIVE EVIDENCE.

by the retreating edge of the Pennsylvania!! shale, which formed 

the outward limit of the artesian circulation, as set forth in the 

preceding pages, the peripheral distribution is easily understood. 

No other explanation is evident.

This explanation is applicable also to the distribution of certain 

worked-out shallow lead deposits of the southeastern Missouri disseminated lead district, the location of which has been thus described 

by Buckley: 1

It is very significant that the shallow mines rarely occur in the Bonneterre except 

where the overlying Davis shale has been removed. It is also noticeable that these 

mines are chiefly near the contact of the Bonneterre dolomite and Davis shale.

The Davis shale of Buckley overlies the Bonneterre limestone and 

both, in the main, dip away from the St. Francis Mountains. The 

Lamotte sandstone, beneath the Bonneterre, is saturated with water 

under strong artesian head. Before the region was drained by mine 

pumps there must have been an artesian circulation in the Bonneterre as well as in the Lamotte, and the circulating water came 

naturally to the surface at the inner margin of Davis shale of Buckley, 

which he has described as an effective septum between the waters of 

the Bonneterre and the Potosi limestones. The area where the circulation reached the surface is marked here, as in the Joplin region, by 

ore deposits. That these deposits were small, and that many of the 

deeper and larger disseminated deposits are formed farther out, 

beyond the margin of what Buckley has called the Davis shale, and 

beneath the shale itself, does not militate against this view, as in the 

opinion of the writer the recurrent portion of the artesian path, that 

is to say, the return flow beneath the impervious cover is, in the 

Joplin region, the portion most effective for ore deposition. In that 

region deposits of lead and zinc ores occur beneath the Pennsylvanian 

shale cover several miles back from its margin.

Winslow,2 who postulated descending or laterally moving solutions 

to explain the lead and zinc deposits elsewhere in Missouri, appealed 

to a distinctly artesian circulation to account for the deep disseminated lead deposits of southeastern Missouri, as the following extract 

will show:

The numerous vertical crevices furnished channels for the flow of the solutions. 

The sheets of galena frequently found in these crevices prove that the solutions 

followed them. These were sufficient to supply the ore of higher-lying disseminated 

bodies. The contraction and disappearance of the crevices with depths make them 

inadequate for the deep deposit such as prevail along Flat Eiver. For these ores we 

are inclined to refer to the underlying sandstone, which is in close proximity, as the 

solution, carrier. This is saturated with water, much of which flows directly from 

decomposing crystalline rocks. The sandstone itself contains particles and fragments

1 Buckley, E. R., Geology of the disseminated lead deposits of St. Francois and Washington counties: 

Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 2d ser., vol. 9, p. 229 [1909].

2 Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 486-487,1894.
202 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN KEGION.

of these rocks, which must hold more or less of the metals. A downward flow of water 

toward Flat River and Bonne Terre is induced by reason of the slope of the Archean 

floor, and also probably by the Farmington anticline to the east which we have 

described. The water is thus under pressure sufficient for it to rise up through the 

limestones, and where suitable physical and chemical conditions are reached the 

deposition of the ore will take place.

In fact, Buckley 1 attributes the disseminated lead deposits in part 

to artesian solutions:

The disseminated ore bodies were in part the result of the abstraction of lead from 

waters circulating along channels and bedding planes in their journey from the surface 

to the sand, and in part from solutions, under hydrostatic pressure, which rose along 

channels which extend upward into the dolomite from the underlying sandstone. 

These channels, in some instances, may have reached to the top of the Bonneterre and 

the small irregular disseminated ore bodies of the upper levels may have been formed 

by these solutions.

It would be difficult indeed to explain, otherwise than by ascending 

solutions, the deposition of such ore bodies as Nason 2 describes in 

this region as follows:

At two shafts with which the writer is well acquainted, immediately under the 

slates [Davis shale of Buckley] was a larger or flat channel from which a large quantity of surface [coarsely crystallized] lead was taken.

In the upper Mississippi Valley region, according to Van Hise,8 

the Maquoketa ("Cincinnati") shale forms the upper limit of the 

artesian circulation. Here also the lead and zinc deposits are inside 

but adjacent to the inner margin of the shale.

Similar relations of the ore deposits to an overlying shale cover 

are shown in many places on the map of the eastern part of the 

United States (PI. XI).

LEAD AND ZINC DEPOSITS AT GREAT DEPTHS.

Cuttings from deep drill holes made at many places in the Joplin 

region, in Kansas northwest of the Joplin region, and elsewhere in the 

Mississippi Valley contain sphalerite and galena. Some of these 

cuttings were raised from depths greater than those to which it may 

reasonably be assumed that descending surface waters penetrate, 

and some of them were taken from points beneath very considerable 

thicknesses of Pennsylvanian shale. Zinc ore is reported in chert 

in the cuttings of a well at Stone City, Kans., at a depth of 591 feet, 

220 feet below the base of the Pennsylvanian shale.4 The writer is 

informed by William Waugh, one of the drillers of the Stone City

1 Buckley, E. R., Geology of the disseminated lead deposits of St. Francois and Washington counties: 

Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, vol. 9, p. 234 [1909].

2 Nason, F. L., The disseminated lead deposits of southeast Missouri: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 73, p. 480, 

1902.

3 Van Hise, C. E., Some principles controlling the deposition of ores: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 30, 

pp. 143-150,1901.

4 Haworth, Erasmus, Special report on lead and zinc: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, p. 63,1904.
S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BULLETIN 606 PLATE XI

Pennsylvaman shales 

overlain by later formations

Pennsylyaman and 

Permian shales

and Nashville uplifts

1. Ozark

2. Wisconsin 

S.Cincinnati

4. Nashville

5. Ouachita

6. Arbuckle

7. Llano

Lead and zinc deposits

MAP SHOWING RELATION OF LEAD AND ZINC DEPOSITS OF THE EASTERN HALF OF THE UNITED STATES TO UPLIFTS AND MARGINAL

SLOPES AND TO BORDERING SHALE FORMATIONS.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. , 203

well, that cuttings from other wells which he has drilled in the vicinity 

of Pittsburg, Kans., have shown galena and sphalerite taken from 

about the same depth as in the Stone City well, and that the showing 

of ore at some places would be considered good enough to justify 

sulking a shaft had it been found in the Joplin district and at shallower 

depths.

A number of deep holes drilled in the Joplin district for water have 

struck deposits of zinc and lead at depths between 300 and 800 feet. 

The ore-bearing bed in the Granby district at a depth of about 300 

feet has already been noted.

J. A. Udden records l the occurrence of sphalerite in the cuttings 

from the Carbon Cliff well, 10 miles east of Kock Island, 111., at a 

depth of more than 700 feet in the Galena limestone. He also notes 2 

the -presence of sphalerite in cuttings from a well at Peoria, 111., in 

limestone and shale, correlated with the Kinderhook, at a depth of 

699 feet.

These occurrences of lead and zinc and the one struck in the drilling 

at Belle Isle, La., to be described later, are? easily comprehensible in 

the light of the artesian-circulation theory and seem to be logical 

consequences of such a circulation of the ore-bearing solutions, but 

it is extremely unlikely that solutions moving directly downward 

from the surface could have deposited the sulphides.

ORE DEPOSITS BENEATH PENNSYLVANIAN SHALE.

The zinc and lead ores at Miami, Okla., are in sandstone of Chester 

age that is overlain by Pennsylvanian shale and in the cherty Boone 

limestone that lies directly beneath the ore deposits in rocks of Chester age. The sandstones associated with the ores are impregnated 

with bitumen, which causes trouble in concentrating the ores.3 The 

ores have not been directly oxidized although they have been affected 

somewhat by solution, as is shown by the occurrence of etched crystals of galena and sphalerite in several mines. The work of draining 

the mines at Miami was heavy from the very beginning of mining. 

One of the effects of the pumping was to dry up a large sulphur 

spring at a point not far from the end of the long run in which the 

principal ore was found. This spring was well known, because the 

bog around it had yielded a large collection of bones of prehistoric 

animals, which testified to its long existence.

The mine water at Miami first pumped was highly charged with 

hydrogen sulphide, and in early days, when the mine drifts were 

small, the gas was so strong as to affect the eyes of the miners, who

1 Udden, J. A., An account of the Paleozoic rocks explored by deep borings at Rock Island, HI., and 

vicinity: U. S. Geol. Survey Seventeenth Ann. Rept., pt. 2, p. 836,1896.

2 Udden, J. A., Artesian wells in Peoria and vicinity: Illinois State Geol. Survey Bull. 8, p. 322,1907. 

8 Siebenthal, C. E., Mineral resources of northeastern Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, p. 209, 

1908.
204 ZINC AND LEAD. DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION".

could therefore work only in half-day shifts, or, when the gas was 

very strong, in half-hour shifts. As mining was continued and as the 

underground workings were made larger, the hydrogen sulphide was 

hardly noticeable except in new and small drifts at some distance 

from the old workings, as described on pages 227-228. Similar 

occurrences of hydrogen sulphide gas in mine drifts in Kentucky 

have been reported by A. M. Peter.1

According to the artesian-circulation theory of the genesis of the 

Joplin ore deposits, the first water struck in mines beneath the Pennsylvanian shale that is, the water that comes into the mines when 

they are first opened, really the ground water of the region beneath 

the shale should resemble the water of the original artesian circulation, which is represented by the waters of the deep wells in the 

Pennsylvanian area west of the Joplin region, wells that draw their 

supply from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks. After the water 

table has been so much lowered by pumping that the water draining 

.the surface strata passes downward to the mine drift, the mine 

waters are entirely different from those first pumped. Very generally in the Joplin region the water pumped from a mine just opened 

at some distance from older mines is at first potable. Later, owing 

to oxidation of ores in the upper part of the mine, it becomes unpalatable and even strongly acid.

The analyses of deep-well waters already presented show that the 

water of the original circulation was alkaline-saline and contained 

free carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. The analyses of the 

Miami mine waters, also presented herein, show that they are very 

similar to the waters of the deep wells. The abundance of hydrogen 

sulphide in the waters of the Miami mines has already been noted.

The Miami mines are the only deposits beneath the Pennsylvanian 

shale so far worked in the Joplin region. The mine waters here are 

not only of the general character demanded by the artesian theory 

but differ from all other mine waters in the district and even from the 

waters of the interior deep wells, resembling closely the waters of thedeep wells at the border of the region. A sample of water from the 

Church mine, collected in 1911 (No. 18 in the table of analyses, p. 137), 

yielded on analysis a trace of zinc. An analysis of the water from 

the Chapman & Lennan mine, collected in September, 1912, when the 

mine was opened (see No. 30 in the table) yielded no zinc, but both 

this and the Church mine water contain hydrogen sulphide and correspond closely with the waters of the deep wells at the border of the 

region, among which they fall in the synoptical table (pp. 149-150). 

A second analysis of the Chapman & Lennan mine water (No. 71), 

made in December, 1912, after three months' steady pumping had

i Kentucky Agr. Exper. Sta. Eighteenth Ann. Kept, (for 1905), p. 229 [1906]; Nineteenth Ann. Kept, 

(for 1906), p. 274 [1907].
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 205

drained all the surrounding mines, shows plainly the influence of surface conditions in the doubled quantity of calcium bicarbonate. The 

oxygen and carbonic acid brought in by mine ventilation and the 

influx of some surface water were factors in the change in the water. 

According to the artesian-circulation theory the water first pumped 

from this mine represents the water of the original ore solution and 

the water pumped later represents a water that has yielded its metals 

and that has been contaminated to a certain extent by surface waters. 

The writer has already suggested on page 34 that there is a reverse 

current beneath the edge of the Pennsylvanian shale bordering the 

artesian area. The occurrence of/ ore at Miami and its reported 

occurrence in Kansas several miles back from the margin of the shale 

show that the reverse circulation reaches back beneath the shale for 

5 or 6 miles at least from the border. Farther back, beyond the reach 

of this subshale circulation, the ground water must be impounded 

and practically stagnant. The Pennsylvanian shale in this region 

of subshale circulation lies on the old karst topography of pre-Pennsylvanian time. The Mississippian limestone and chert rocks, which 

had been fashioned into the karst topography, constituted an eminently suitable site for ore deposition in the channels, cavities, and 

breccias which resulted from solution of the limestone. Here the 

slow-moving metal-bearing solutions with dissolved carbon dioxide 

and hydrogen sulphide would be under favorable conditions to permit the escape of the carbon dioxide with resulting precipitation of 

sulphides by the hydrogen sulphide. Exactly similar conditions 

must have obtained beneath the marginal zone of the shale during 

its entire retreat down the slope of the dome. It is believed that 

most of the open-ground deposits in the region were deposited in a 

position analogous to these deposits beneath the Pennsylvanian. The 

open-ground deposits are very commonly associated with shale 

patches which represent the "roots" of the downward extensions of 

the shale as deposited in the depressions of the karst topography.

BITUMEN AT THE BASE OF THE PENNSYLVANIAN SHALE.

.At a place known as Tar Spring, on Tar Creek, about 6 miles 

north of Miami, Okla., a heavy bitumen oozes in considerable quantity from the bank of the creek at the contact of the Pennsylvanian 

(Cherokee) shale and the lower rocks. In the mines at Miami the sandstones and limestones of Chester age at the same geologic horizon, 

the base of the Pennsylvanian shale, are impregnated with bitumen, 

which, as has already been noted, interferes seriously with the concentration of the lead and zinc ores occurring in the same sandstone. 

In the same mines bitumen also oozes from crevices in chert of the 

Boone formation below the Chester rocks. The bitumen sometimes 

interferes greatly with prospecting by the churn drill. Bitumen
206 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

occurs in limestone of Chester age at the base of the Pennsylvanian 

shale just west of Afton, Okla., and also in pockets in the Boone 

formation in association with the ore deposits of the Joplin region 

generally.

When petroleum is forced through a bed of shale it is fractionated 

into its lighter and its heavier components, the lighter parts passing 

through the shale and the heavier parts that is, the bitumen remaining behind. If the current carrying the petroleum from which the 

bitumen was derived was ascending, the bitumen would have been left 

behind at the place where it is now found the base of the Pennsylvanian shale. Water ascending ,under artesian pressure may drive 

oil out of shaly formations, but oil can not possibly go downward 

into shale, driving out water before it; and id it could, it would leave 

the fractionated bitumen at the top of the shale. Hence the circulating 

water that left the bitumen, which is closely associated with the ores 

at Miami, was ascending, a conclusion confirmed by the analyses of the 

bitumen. On the 240-foot level of the Lennan Zinc & Lead Co.'s 

mine in the Miami district the "tar" seeps from the chert wall of the 

drift and forms a pool containing several barrels. A sample of this 

bitumen and a sample of a similar bitumen found below the Pennsylvanian shale in a bore hole in the northern part of the district, near 

the Kansas-Oklahoma State line, about 8 miles west of Baxter 

Springs, Kans., were analyzed by David T. Day, of the United States 

Geological Survey, who makes the following report showing the result 

of his analysis:

I have examined the two samples of "tar" from the Miami mining district of northeastern Oklahoma. The examination shows that these tars contain only about 8 

per cent of hard asphalt and would be classified as asphaltic oils, and that they consist 

entirely of unsaturated hydrocarbons. Such hydrocarbons would not diffuse readily 

through shales or other very close grained rocks. The unusual fact that they contain 

no saturated hydrocarbons whatever indicates that a proportion of saturated hydrocarbons has escaped by diffusion into the close-grained rocks, leaving this material as 

a residue. This is what would necessarily take place with a crude oil, containing both 

saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, in contact with Pennsylvanian shale, and 

would entirely accord with the idea you express in your letters as to the fractionation 

of this petroleum at the base of the shale.

THE PLEASANTON CIRCLE.

According to Haworth, 1 a considerable quantity of lead ore and 

some zinc ore has been mined near Pleasanton, Linn County, Kans., 

about 50 'miles within the border of the area of Pennsylvanian 

shale. The ores are said to occur in a circular disturbed area in 

the shale, about 50 feet in diameter. At this place there were three 

periods of mining activity, during one of which, about 1873, a shaft 

is reported to have been sunk to a depth of 250 feet. Between 1900

i Haworth, Erasmus, Special report on lead and zinc: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pp. 69-70,1904.
REVIEW OF COEEOBOEATIVE EVIDENCE. 207

and 1901 another shaft was sunk to a depth of more than 100 feet. 

The base of the Pennsylvanian shale in that region is reached at a 

depth of about 500 feet. During the last period of mining about 

15 tons of lead ore was taken from depths of 65 to 85 feet. In all 

perhaps 50 tons of ore was raised, mostly galena. 

Haworth says:

The galena was of a high grade of purity, was not weathered or oxidized in the least, 

and produced brilliant surfaces on the crystalline faces, approximating in brilliancy 

fresh cleavage surfaces. This implied recent deposition, or at least a total absence 

of an approach toward, disintegration or weathering. There was no indication of spring 

water or artesian water rising in the ore chimney, but everything implied that the 

water present was surface water working downward in a normal condition.

This appears to be a "circle deposit" strictly analogous in structure to'the circle deposits of the Joplin district, except that both 

the center (or core) and the side walls are shale, whereas in the Joplin 

district the core may be shale but the side walls are invariably 

chert and limestone. The circles of the Joplin region have originated 

by the dropping down of the central area, owing to solution of the 

underlying limestone. The shale center in some circles has thus 

been displaced as much as 200 to 250 feet. When the circles were 

first formed, before the Pennsylvanian (Cherokee) shale was eroded, 

from the Joplin region, their upward extensions consisted of shale 

both as to core and side walls, and they must have presented much 

the same appearance as the Pleasanton circle. In order to produce 

this appearance the shale in the circle need not drop as much as 500 

feet, of course; a drop of a small part of that distance would probably "cause a break that would reach to the surface. The karst 

topography of the Mississippian limestone on which the Pennsylvanian shales were laid down doubtless extended as far northward 

as Pleasanton, and the conditions were probably favorable to the 

formation of such circles.

In the absence of any other explanation of the local disturbance 

of the shale in the Pleasanton circle, and in view of what has been 

said above, it seems reasonable to conclude that this circle had an 

origin similar to that of the analogous circles in the Joplin district. 

If so, this circle reaches also to the Mississippian limestones and the 

way would be open for the ascent of the artesian water, which might 

be expected to deposit the metals in the brecciated shale just as 

similar waters rising through bore holes deposit the metals in the 

waterworks reservoirs in the same region. Haworth * says there is 

no evidence that the circle has been filled with artesian water. In 

the absence of an analysis of the water, it is not clear what evidence 

would show that the waters were or were not artesian, unless it be a 

flow above the surface. But the elevation of Pleasanton, 862 feet

» Haworth, Erasmus, op. cit., p. 70.
208 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

above sea level, is probably too great to permit a flow at the surface 

in that region at the present time. On the other hand, the absence 

of oxidation of the sulphides indicates that they have not been subject to the action of surface waters'.

Finally, if the disturbance does not reach the Mississippian and if 

there is no escape for the surface water in that direction, it is hard to 

see why there should be sufficient drainage toward this chimney or 

natural well in the shale to concentrate the metals from the surrounding shale. It seems more reasonable to think that the surface 

water would fill the chimney up to the water table; its level remain800' 1000* 1200* 1400 1600* 1800

500'

FIGUKE 8. Cross section of Belle Isle, La. (After Veatch, Louisiana Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1899,

p. 228.)

ing stationary at that point, whatever rainfall was added flowing off 

laterally down the slope of the water table. Thus there would be no 

appreciable drainage from the surrounding region to the chimney 

and little possibility for the concentration of ores in it.

GALENA AND SPHALERITE IN LOUISIANA SALT MOUNDS.

Veatch 1 notes the presence of fairly large masses of galena, 

sphalerite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, and barite in clay strata penetrated at a depth of 63 to 68 feet by a salt shaft sunk on Belle Isle. 

The structure of Belle Isle (fig. 8) is very sharply anticlinal and the 

sulphides were found at the crest of the anticline, 45 feet above the

i Veatch, A. C., The Five Islands; Louisiana Geol. Survey Ann. Kept, for 1899, p. 225 [1900].
EEVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 209

first showing of salt. Harris 1 gives the log of a deep drill hole sunk 

about 100 feet south of the shaft. In this hole pyrite was found in 

shale at 100 feet and in limestone at 2,112 feet, and galena, chalcopyrite, and pyrite were found in rock salt at 2,520 to 2,606 feet. Small 

quantities of gas and oil were struck at several horizons, as well as 

deposits of sulphur, gypsum, and anhydrite. The sulphides thus 

occur to a greater or lesser extent in association with deposits of salt, 

gypsum, dolomite, barite, sulphur, oil, and gas. The sulphides consist 

of aggregates of sharp, unworn crystals, which evidently have not been 

transported but have been segregated in place in the clays. Shell 

beds involved in the dome structure contain shells of species now 

living in the Gulf'of Mexico, a fact which seems to show tha-t the 

period of the uplifting was Pleistocene or Recent. The country 

about Belle Isle is a saltwater marsh. From the surface of the marsh 

to a depth of 100 feet or so there are clays; below this come 300 to 

400 feet of gravels, in which there is fresh water under artesian pressure. Therefore the sulphides and salt can hardly have been concentrated laterally from strata outside the present area of the dome 

since the dome was formed. Before the dome was formed the clays 

in which the sulphides are found were probably spread out horizontally some distance below sea level, and it is difficult to understand 

how the sulphides could have been segregated in that position. Nor 

is it easy to see how they can have been leached from the clays making up the upper part of the dome and deposited by descending 

waters. The position of the sulphides at the crest of the anticline 

indicates rather that they were deposited by ascending solutions.

Fenneman 2 cites the abnormally high temperature of the waters 

associated with the oil and gas and salt domes of the Coastal Plain 

as evidence that they are ascending waters. He also notes that some 

of the waters in these domes are as saline at depths of 100 or 200 feet 

as the waters of wells 2,000 or 3,000 feet deep els'ewhere in the Coastal 

Plain, and this he cites as further evidence of their ascension.

Harris accounts for the dome structure as the result of upward 

thrust due to the growth of crystals, chiefly of salt, in masses below, 

the salt crystallizing out of saline waters rising under artesian pressure. If the several domes be plotted by dots on a map and these dots 

connected by lines, the lines, according to Harris,3 represent series of 

northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast parallel faults, at the 

intersections of which the waters under artesian pressure found a 

readier outlet to the surface. He holds that these artesian waters

i Harris, G. D., Oil and gas in Louisiana, with a brief summary of their occurrence in adjacent States: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 429, pp. 44-45,1910.

a Fenneman, N. M., Oil fields of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coastal Plain: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 282, 

pp. 120-121,1906.

a Harris, G. D., Eock salt, its origin, geologic occurrences, and economic importance in the State of Louisiana: Louisiana Geol. Survey Bull. 7, pp. 75-82,1908.

84551-° Bull. 606 15 14
210 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN KEGION.

were undoubtedly derived from the gulfward-sloping formations of 

the Coastal Plain of the Mississippi embayment. He points out that 

the great Balcones fault in Texas has a southwest-northeast course, 

and that the Red River fault of Texas and the Alabama Landing 

fault of Louisiana have northwest-southeast courses, both systems 

being roughly parallel to the corresponding sets in the theoretical 

systems of faults. Some years ago Branner 1 discussed the relation 

of the Balcones fault of Texas and of other faults in Arkansas to the 

western margin of the Mississippi embayment and the relation of 

faults in Alabama to the southeastern margin of the embayment. 

The views of Branner and Harris thus in a way supplement each other.

Hill,2 citing immense springs which rise along the Balcones fault, 

had previously attributed the salt, sulphur, dolomite, gypsum, and 

other deposits of the mounds to replacement of limestone by artesian 

flows from the water-bearing beds of the Cretaceous which rise along 

faults and transport, besides the substances mentioned, gas and 

petroleum. It was early suggested that the domes were caused by 

the intrusions of volcanic plugs, and Washburne 3 has further suggested that emanations from such intrusions which have not reached 

the surface have been instrumental in the formation of the associated 

deposits of salt, dolomite, and gypsum. On the other hand Ordonez 4 

holds that the connection between the oil and the volcanic rocks in 

Mexico is exclusively mechanical, having nothing to do with the 

origin of the oil, which is believed to be purely organic. Christie 5 

quotes the explanation of Arrhenius that such deposits of salt as 

those of the mounds are due to gravity the salt, being lighter than 

the overlying rocks and plastic under pressure, is squeezed upward 

along lines of weakness. No matter which of the theories proves to 

be correct, the postulated conditions provide openings for the ascent 

of the artesian waters of the Gulf Coastal Plain formations.

The waters that deposited the salt at Belle Isle deposited also 

sulphur, gypsum, limestone, and dolomite. Hence the waters were 

alkaline-saline sulphureted waters carrying a notable content of 

magnesium. This is likewise true of the deeper waters of the Joplin 

region. The substances brought in by the solutions that formed the 

salt domes are lead, zinc, iron, and copper sulphides, salt, gypsum, 

barite, sulphur, dolomite, oil, and gas. Those brought in by the 

solutions that deposited the Joplin ores are lead, zinc, iron, and copper 

sulphides, dolomite, and a little barite. Barite, however, is very 

plentiful in the central Missouri lead and zinc mines and in the

i Branner, J. C., The former extension of the Appalachians across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas: 

Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 4, pp. 362-365,1897.

 * Hill. R. T., The Beaumont oil field, with notes on other oil fields of the Texas region: Franklin Inst. 

Jour., vol. 154, pp. 273-281, 1902.

3 Washburne, C. W., Chlorides in oil field waters: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 48, pp. 692-693,1915.

4 Ordtfnez, Ezequiel, The oil fields of Mexico: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Bull. 94, p. 2532,. 1914. 

s Christie, W. A. K., Notes on the salt deposits of the Cis-Indus Salt Range: India Geol. Survey Records, 

vol. 44, pt. 4, p. 258, 1914.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 211

shallow lead mines of southeastern Missouri. The general presence 

of bitumen in the Joplin district and the "tar" in the ores at Miami, 

Okla., have been noted on pages 205-206. Moreover, the deep waters 

of the Joplin district, especially those impounded beneath the Pennsylvanian shales, are relatively rich in salt, sulphureted hydrogen, 

and calcium sulphate. The very close similarity of the deposits and 

the artesian waters of the saline domes to those of the Joplin region 

indicates similarity of origin.

LEAD AND ZINC DEPOSITS ASSOCIATED WITH OTHER GEANTICLINAL UPLIFTS AND MARGINAL SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL 

VALLEY OF THE UNITED STATES.

DEPOSITS IN UPLIFTED AREAS IN CENTRAL VALLEY. 

GENERAL CONDITIONS IN THE UPLIFTED AREAS.

The explanation of the genesis of the Joplin ore deposits set forth 

in the preceding pages, if true, should be of general application, and 

wherever beds of limestone and dolomite containing disseminated 

metals and overlain by an impervious cover have been elevated into 

a geanticlinal or sloping position there we should look for the development of an artesian circulation and of a tendency to segregation of 

the metals. Whether the masses produced by such segregation shall 

be large enough to be called ore deposits will depend on several conditions, among others the quantity of disseminated metals available 

for concentration, the competency of the circulating water to carry 

them, the presence of a physical environment favorable for their 

segregation, and the duration of the period of circulation. If, for 

example, the metal-bearing solutions rose against an impervious 

shale cover and found no fractures or openings other than the 

natural pore spaces and the joints of the rocks, ore would probably 

not be deposited with the same facility or in the same quantity as 

in the open ground at the base of the Pennsylvanian shale in the 

Joplin district.

In the central valley of the United States, besides the Ozark region, 

several areas of low, flat uplift offer the requisite structural conditions 

for testing the theory. They are indicated on the accompanying 

sketch map (PI. XI), which shows the outcropping formations at the 

crest of each area, the inner border of the impervious cover, and the 

mining districts, or, if the deposits are not of that order of magnitude, 

the individual occurrences of ore.

WISCONSIN UPLIFT.

The chief of these areas is the Wisconsin uplift, in which the essentials of the artesian-circulation theory were first worked out by Van 

Hise. 1 The elevated area of crystalline rocks in north-central Wisi Van Hise, C. E., Some principles controlling the deposition of ores: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 

30, pp. 142-150,1901.
212 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

consin is flanked by sedimentary rocks, which dip gently to the 

southwest, south, and southeast. The lead and zinc deposits are 

found in dolomitic limestones that are capped by the Maquoketa 

shale, both of Ordovician age. According to Van Hise, the artesian circulating water that deposited the ores was limited above 

by the impervious Maquoketa shale. The main deposits are limited to the area embracing the southwestern part of Wisconsin and 

the contiguous parts of Illinois and Iowa, but smaller, isolated 

deposits stretch away for some distance in the direction of the 

Maquoketa border to the northwest, and also to the east.

CINCINNATI UPLIFT.

The Cincinnati uplift is another area that exhibits the proper 

structural conditions to furnish an artesian circulation. Calcareous 

shales and shaly limestones of Ordovician age form the center of 

the area and are overlain by Silurian and Devonian limestones, 

these, in turn, being overlain by Devonian and Carboniferous shales. 

The rocks of the central or Blue Grass region of Kentucky are fairly 

rich in lead, and numerous veins of galena, with barite and fluorspar 

gangue, are scattered over the region. 1 This fact harmonizes with 

the place relations of the metals to the center of the radial circulation, as pointed out on page 177. Deposits of zinc are found in 

Lewis, Rowan, and adjoining counties on the southeastern border 

of the uplift, and smaller deposits are found on the western border. 

The deposits in Lewis and Rowan counties have lately been examined for the Kentucky Geological Survey by Fohs, 2 who has kindly 

indicated for the writer the location of a number of other deposits 

not within the area discussed in his report. The ore is found in 

limestone of Niagara age, and lies within 10' miles of the border of 

the Pennsylvanian shale. In general, the northern part of this 

uplift, in Ohio and Indiana, does not seem to have been the site of 

a metalliferous circulation. The outcropping rocks differ from those 

in the Blue Grass region in that they consist of shales of the Richmond formation, which, in addition to being poorer in the metals, 

have afforded a poor artesian circulation.

NASHVILLE UPLIFT.

The Nashville uplift, the southern continuation of the Cincinnati 

anticline, is characterized by the same structural relations and 

practically the same stratigraphic relations as the Cincinnati uplift. 

Numerous deposits of lead are known in the central region of Tennessee, and some of them have been mined, as is noted by Nelson.3

1 Miller, A. M., The lead and zinc bearing rocks of central Kentucky, with notes on the mineral veins 

Kentucky Geol. Survey Bull. 2, pp. 25-35,1905.

2 Fohs, F. J., Kentucky Geol. Survey Eept. of Progress for the years 1910 and 1911, pp. 6-7,1912.

3 Nelson, W. A., Notes on lead in Tennessee: Resources of Tennessee, vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 100-117, Tennessee Geol. Survey, 1912.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 213

Deposits of zinc occur in the area, but information is not at hand 

as to their location. The Nashville uplift extends into the northern 

part of Alabama, where lead has been mined near Guntersville, in 

Marshall County, and near New Market, in Madison County.

KENTUCKY-ILLINOIS FLUORSPAR DISTRICT.

Although the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district is not an uplift, 

it is so related to the Cincinnati and Nashville uplifts, both in its structure and the character of its ore deposits, as to bring it strictly 

within the limits of this discussion.

The lead and zinc deposits of the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar 

district, because of their common association with a fluorite gangue 

and their occasional association with igneous dikes, are regarded by 

some writers as genetically distinct from the other deposits of the 

Mississippi Valley. Emmons,1 writing in 1892, before any exposures 

of igneous rocks were known in Illinois, says that, as far as the facts 

go, they point to the derivation of the fluorspar and the metallic 

minerals from the surrounding limestone. Bain,2 in 1904, after 

numerous dikes and sills of mica-peridotite and lamprophyre had 

been discovered in Kentucky and Illinois, declared for the igneous 

origin of the deposits, maintaining that they were derived chiefly 

from hot solutions given off by the parent magma of the dikes and 

basing his conclusions on the association of antimony with the lead; 

on the argentiferous character of the galena, which has an uncommonly high silver content for Mississippi Valley lead ores; on the 

enormous quantity of fluorspar as contrasted with that in other 

lead and zinc districts in the Mississippi Valley, which do not contain any fluorspar; on the deposition of the ore in true fissure veins; 

and, finally, on the occurrence of igneous rocks in the vicinity of the 

ore deposits. Bain has strongly reaffirmed this view recently.3 

Smith,4 noting the igneous dikes and the deep-seated fissures which 

they indicate, thought it probable that the ore and gangue minerals 

were dissolved from the rocks below the Carboniferous system by 

thermal circulating underground waters which ascended through 

fissures to the Mississippian rocks, where the ores were deposited. 

Fohs5 accepts the theory of the igneous origin of the deposits as best 

explaining their peculiar features.

The Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district (see PI. XI) occupies a 

position midway between'the Nashville uplift and the Ozark uplift. 

These uplifts were probably once connected by a structural ridge. 

A broad structural ridge trends northwestward from the St. Francis

1 Emmons, S. F., Fluorspar deposits of southern Illinois: Am. lust. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 21, p. 52, 

1893.

2 Bain, H. F., The fluorspar deposits of southern Illinois: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 255, pp. 61-67,1905. 

s Bain, H. F., Min. and Sci. Press, vol. 108, pp. 299-300,1914.

< Ulrich, E. O., and Smith, W. S. T., The lead, zinc, and fluorspar deposits of western Kentucky: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 36, pp. 150-154, 1905. 

6 Fohs, F. J., Fluorspar deposits of Kentucky: Kentucky Geol. Survey Bull. 9, pp. 61-63,1907.
214 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Mountains toward the central Missouri district and a similar ridge 

extends southeastward from the St. Francis Mountains and is cut 

off by the Mississippi embayment. If continued in this line, it would 

join the Tennessee uplift and would put the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district on the north slope of this ridge, with the rocks dipping 

northward toward the Pennsylvanian shale. Prior to the formation 

of the Mississippi embayment this district, so far as structure, relation to the Pennsylvanian, and artesian possibilities are concerned, 

would be in a position analogous to the mining districts of the Ozark 

uplift, but since the formation of the embayment, which probably 

antedated the ore deposition, there has been no large expanse of 

higher rocks to the south and west to furnish an artesian circulation. 

It seems to the writer, however, that water falling on the west side 

of the Cincinnati uplift and on the northwest portion of the Nashville 

uplift and entering into the flow down the slopes of those uplifts 

beneath the Ordovician and Devonian shales must to some extent 

escape upward in the intensely faulted region of the Kentucky-Illinois 

district. There are no igneous rocks near the Cincinnati or Nashville 

uplifts, except the peridotite dikes of Elliott County, described by 

Diller,1 which are 100 miles from the center of the Cincinnati uplift 

and on its eastern slope, so that they can not have contributed to the 

waters which deposited the ores of the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar 

district. Veins containing galena or sphalerite, with a gangue of 

calcite, barite, or fluorspar, are common in both uplifts, as noted by 

Miller 2 and by Nelson. 3 Emmons 4 found an appreciable quantity 

of fluorine in limestone collected at some distance from any fluorspar 

deposit in southern Illinois and Smith 5 gives an average of 0.08 of 1 

per cent in 3 samples of limestone not near fluorspar deposits in 

western Kentucky. Finlayson 6 found fluorine in each of four 

samples of limestone tested for that element. Miller does not mention dolomite among the gangue minerals in the veins of central 

Kentucky, nor does Nelson list dolomite as occurring with galena in 

middle Tennessee. It has already been noted that the waters of 

central Kentucky are alkaline-saline carbonated and sulphureted 

and commonly zinciferous. No doubt the waters of the Nashville 

uplift are similar. Carles has shown (see pp. 55-56) that carbonated 

waters can dissolve and transport compounds of barium, strontium, 

and fluorine. If the water of an artesian circulation could find its

1 Diller, J. S., Peridotite of Elliott County, Ky.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 38, pp. 9-10,1887.

2 Miller, A. M., The lead and zinc bearing rocks of central Kentucky, with notes on the mineral veins: 

Kentucky Geol. Survey Bull. 2, pp. 25-35,1905.

« Nelson, W. A., Notes on lead in Tennessee: Resources of Tennessee, vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 100-117, Tennessee Geol. Survey, 1912.

< Emmons, S. F., Flourspar deposits of southern Illinois: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 21, p. 52,1893.

5 Smith, W. S. T., The lead, zinc, and fluorspar deposits of western Kentucky: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. 

Paper 36, p. 152,1905.

« Finlayson, A. M., Problems of ore deposition in the lead and zinc veins of Great Britain: London, 

Geol. Soc. Quart. Jour., vol. 66, p. 300,1910.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 215

way from these uplifts to the faults of the fluorspar district, it would 

beyond question be capable of forming both the ore deposits and 

their unusual gangue. Water falling on the portions of the uplifts 

indicated must in part enter the underground circulation of the 

Ordovician limestones. These limestones are overlain by shaly Ordovician formations, and still above by the Chattanooga shale. These 

shale formations will prevent the upward escape of the circulating water, which must therefore seek to ascend through the complex 

system of fractures and faults in the western Kentucky area. The 

fact that this area lies much lower than the intake areas in the uplifts 

makes such escape possible; and furthermore, as the only avenue of 

escape of waters from the considerable areas indicated, it necessitates 

a very considerable concentration of the circulating water at this 

point, with probable resulting segregation of its mineral content.

Quantitative analyses are not at hand to determine whether or not 

the underground waters of the district are deep seated in origin. 

Burk 1 has pointed out that "springs of water heavily charged with 

hydrogen sulphide are found along the principal lead and zinc sulphide 

deposit in the Columbia vein" one, of which is the Crittenden 

Spring. The water from this spring was qualitatively analyzed by 

Robert Peter,2 who found that it contained a notable quantity of 

hydrogen sulphide gas, some carbonic-acid gas, and 440 parts per 

million of total solids, consisting of sodium chloride and magnesium 

sulphate, with small traces of iron, calcium and potassium. Reference has already been made to the occurrence of hydrogen sulphide 

gas in mine drifts at Miami, Okla., and in Kentucky. One of the 

latter occurrences was in the central Kentucky district and the other 

in the western Kentucky district. The two waters giving off the gas, 

as described by A. M. Peter, are very similar. The result of a 

qualitative analysis of the water from western Kentucky, from a 

zinc mine 49 feet in depth 4 miles west of Marion and 100 yards from 

the "White Sulphur Springs" [Crittenden Spring] is as follows: 3

Qualitative tests showed the presence of much sodium chloride with some calcium 

carbonate, calcium sulphate, calcium chloride, a little magnesium chloride, potassium 

chloride, and lithium chloride. The sediment contained free sulphur, ferrous sulphide, and organic matter.

The presence of free sulphur in the sediment would suggest that the gas which 

appeared with this water was hydrogen sulphide.

The analysis shows that this is not a surface water but an alkalinesaline carbonated and sulphureted water, similar to the mine water 

at Miami, Okla., to the deep-well waters of that region, and to the

1 Burk, W. E., The fluorspar mines of western Kentucky and southern Illinois: Min. Industry, vol. 9, 

p. 294,1901.

a Chem. Kept. Kentucky Geol. Survey, vol. A, pt. 3, p. 152,1888.

s Peter, A. M., Averitt, S. D., and Amoss, H. L., Mineral waters: Kentucky Agr. Exper. Sta. Eighteenth 

Ann. Kept., for 1905, p. 229 [1906].
216 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

ore solutions which have deposited the ores of the Joplin district. 

The sediment likewise, in respect to sulphur and iron sulphide, is 

similar to the reservoir sediments of that district, analyses of which 

have been given.

In Illinois the igneous rocks are nowhere closely related to the ore 

bodies, and in Kentucky they are at few places so related. At the 

Old Jim mine, near Marion, Ky., the ore body extended for a distance 

of 400 or 500 feet alongside a peridotite dike and for one-third of the 

distance lay on both sides of the dike. The ore consisted of zinc 

carbonate and some sulphide, but fluorite was entirely absent. The 

composition of the ore body was the same at the Lady Farmer mine, 

on the same dike, a short distance from the Old Jim mine. So far 

as the evidence afforded by these two deposits is concerned, they 

may have been formed by cold ascending solutions just as those in 

the Ozark region or upper Mississippi Valley region were formed, 

except that here the solutions probably ascended by the same opening 

as the igneous material. The ascending solutions and the ascending 

igneous material evidently reached the surface by way of the fissures 

and the fault planes the easiest avenues of escape. The ore and 

gangue minerals could have been transported by cold solutions, but 

if the solutions were in some places heated through radiation from 

the dikes they were no doubt rendered more active. Bain and 

Smith both commented on the absence of dolomite in the gangue 

and noted the contrast presented in this respect by these deposits 

to those of the Ozark uplift and of the upper Mississippi Valley, 

where dolomite is so plentiful. Attention has been called above to 

the absence of dolomite as a gangue mineral in the veins of central 

Kentucky and middle Tennessee. Jasperoid is a common gangue in 

the western Kentucky district, as it is in the Joplin region. The 

silver content of galena mined in Kentucky is very small, ranging 

from a trace to 2 or 3 ounces to the ton of concentrates, whereas the 

silver content of galena mined in southern Illinois has averaged 

nearly 5.7 ounces to the ton of lead concentrates for the period 1907- 

1913. A sample of lead concentrates from Rosiclare assayed 9.5 

ounces to the ton, according to Whitney, 1 and other reports indicate a 

range up to 12 or 14 ounces. The lead concentrates of southeastern 

Missouri average a little over 1 ounce to the ton. Bain lays stress on 

the presence of antimony in the ores of this district as evidence of 

their magmatic origin, but, as shown by Williams, 2 a little antimony 

occurs in the galena of southeastern Missouri, a somewhat larger 

proportion in the galena of central Missouri, and most of all, amounting to one-half of 1 per cent, in the galena of southwestern Missouri.

1 Whitney, J. D., On the upper Mississippi lead region: Wisconsin Geol. Survey, vol. 1, p. 199,1862.

2 Williams, C. P., Indust ial report on lead, zinc, and iron: Missouri Geol. Survey, pp. 16-17,1877.
EEVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 217

Basing his conclusions on the foregoing statements, the writer 

believes that most if not all of the ore deposits in western Kentucky 

have been formed by cold artesian circulating water which was derived 

from Ordovician formations outcropping in the Cincinnati and Nashville uplifts and which ascended through fissures into the Mississippian 

rocks, where the ores were precipitated. If some of the deposits in 

the deep fissure veins, such as those in Illinois that carry argentiferous 

galena, are due to igneous influences, we have here not a transition 

type of deposit but a juxtaposition of types one due to a normal 

artesian circulation, the other to thermal waters associated with 

igneous activity.

The occurrence of galena, with little or no sphalerite, in the veins 

of the Cincinnati and Nashville uplifts and of sphalerite in excess 

of galena in the western Kentucky region is in line with the place 

relations of the ores to the intake of the artesian circulation already 

set forth (p. 212).

OUACHITA UPLIFT.

In Arkansas and Oklahoma the Ouachita uplift, according to 

Branner/ was a low, flat geanticline until after the Pennsylvanian 

epoch, when it was involved in the Appalachian mountain-making 

movements and thrown into long, narrow folds. These folds obscure 

the relation of the ore deposits to the original geanticlinal structure 

and to the present anticlinorium. At the Kellogg mine, in Pulaski 

County; the Silver City mine, in Montgomery County; the Cedar Point 

mine, in Hot Springs County; and the Bellah mine, in Sevier County, 

Ark., as well as at the place of the recent discoveries on Buffalo Creek 

in Oklahoma, galena and generally sphalerite, with a little chalcopyrite, occur in veins that cut across the highly folded quartzitic 

sandstones. The sulphides are generally associated with a gangue 

of calcite, dolomite, and some barite. These deposits, none of which 

have developed into paying mines, are, with the exception of those 

at Silver City, on the north and south sides of the culmination of 

the Ouachita uplift, to which they bear the same geographic relations as the deposits heretofore described bear to other uplifts. The 

Silver City deposits are directly upon the uplift.

ARBUCKLE MOUNTAIN UPLIFT.

The Arbuckle Mountain uplift of Oklahoma consists of a core of 

pre-Cambrian granites and diabases, overlain on the north by the 

Reagan sandstone, a basal conglomerate formation of Upper Cambrian age; and that in turn is overlain by the dolomitic Arbuckle 

limestone, in which the ore deposits occur. ' The Arbuckle limestone 

is overlain by shales and shaly limestones of Ordovician and Silurian

i Branner, J. C., The former extension of the Appalachians across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas: 

Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 4, pp. 357-371,1897.
218 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

age. The ores consist of zinc carbonate and sulphide in a dolomite 

gangue. The whole uplift is greatly faulted and, especially in the 

mining district, is sharply folded. If faulting and folding be disregarded, the general relation of the ore district to the crystalline area 

is one of a structural slope to the northeast, and it seems reasonable 

to conceive that an artesian circulation brought up the ores against 

the inner edge of the shaly members of the overlying formations.

LLANO UPLIFT.

The Llano uplift, comprising the pre-Cambrian area of central 

Texas, is a broad dome surrounded by a scarp of Paleozoic rocks. 

The geology and mineral resources of the eastern part of the area 

have been described by Paige,1 who refers to an occurrence there of 

lead ore that exhibits such relations to the crystalline rocks and the 

Paleozoic sedimentary rocks as to suggest its origin from ore solutions 

having an artesian circulation and notes that the conditions resemble 

those existing in the disseminated lead region of southeastern Missouri.

DEPOSITS OF LEAD AND ZINC ASSOCIATED WITH THE EASTERN MARGINAL SLOPE OF THE CENTRAL VALLEY. 

TENNESSEE.

The ore deposits associated with the geanticlinal uplifts of the 

central valley of the United States have now been briefly described. 

It remains to consider any deposits possibly associated with the dip 

slopes about the eastern margin of the valley. The most promising 

deposits of this class now being worked are the lead and zinc deposits 

of eastern Tennessee. These have recently been described by 

Purdue.2 They occur in breccias at different horizons in the Knox 

dolomite, of Cambrian and Ordovician age. This formation, which 

is underlain by shales and limestones and overlain by Ordovician, 

Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous rocks, occupies a position 

areally between the Archean rocks of the Great Smoky Mountains 

and the Pennsylvanian ("Coal Measures") rocks of the Cumberland 

Plateau a. position analogous to that of the Cambrian and Ordovician of central Missouri and northern Arkansas, with the exception, however, that the rocks in Missouri and Arkansas form a dip 

slope in which there is an artesian circulation, whereas the rocks 

between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau 

are thrown into a series of long, parallel folds and overthrust faults, 

which preclude the possibility of an artesian circulation of any great 

scope transverse to the folding and faulting. Purdue holds that the 

ores were originally disseminated through the Knox dolomite and

1 Paige, Sidney, Mifleral resources of the Llano-Burnet region, Tex., with an accountof the pre-Cambrian 

geology: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 450, pp. 75-77,1911.

2 Purdue, A. H., The zinc deposits of northeastern Tennessee: Tennessee Geol. Survey Bull. 14,69 pp., 

1912.
REVIEW OP CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 219

were segregated in the breccias by circulating ground waters but 

not by surface waters. Hence, deposition probably resulted from 

ascending waters. The very numerous sink holes indicate active 

underground circulation and solution. The oxidized ores are naturally more or less residual, as their position shows, but the position of 

the deposits of the sulphides should give some indication of their 

relation to the structure. A brief review of the sulphide deposits 

shows a reasonably close dependence on local structural features. 

The sphalerite ore bodies northeast of Knoxville, from Love Creek 

to Mascot, are on a dip slope to the southeast, involving various 

Cambrian formations, the Knox .dolomite (Cambrian and Ordovician), and the Chickamauga limestone (Ordovician). The ores occur 

in the Knox dolomite within a quarter of a mile of the outcrop of the 

overlying argillaceous limestone of the Chickamauga formation. The 

deposits southwest of Leadvale and those near Dandridge have a 

simijar position. The Powell River ore deposits are on the slopes 

of a broad, gentle anticline in the Knox dolomite.

VIRGINIA.

The lead and zinc deposits of Virginia are found principally in the 

Shenandoah limestone, which is the equivalent of the Knox dolomite 

and of several underlying Cambrian formations as well. The horizon 

of the ore deposits in Virginia is considerably lower stratigraphically 

than that of the Tennessee deposits. Lead and zinc deposits in 

metamorphic schists of probably Cambrian age (according to Watson) in Alb'emarle County and of pre-Cambrian age in Louisa County 

will not be considered here. The general structure of the region is 

similar to that of the eastern Tennessee field, just described, in that 

it consists of a series of parallel folds and overthrust faults. Watson * holds that the metals were originally drawn from the preCambrian rocks and laid down in a disseminated state with the 

Shenandoah limestone, of Cambrian and Ordovician age, in which 

formation they have since been concentrated into workable deposits 

by meteoric waters. The ores form replacement deposits and cavity 

fillings in breccia and are associated with dolomite and calcite as 

gangue minerals; in a few deposits a very little fluorspar is found. 

The ores are believed to have been deposited by the water of an 

ascending circulation of no very great vertical extent; probably a 

circulation determined by local structural features, such as have 

been indicated in discussing the eastern Tennessee deposits. Watson 

says: 2

Recent prospecting about 20 miles west of Austinville, in the extreme southwest 

corner of Wythe County at Cedar Springs seemingly indicates that the ores occur on 

or near the faulted crest of an anticline. The distribution, therefore, of the ores in

i Watson, T. L., Lead and zinc deposits of Virginia: Virginia Geol. Survey Bull. 1, pp. 128-133,1905. 

» Idem, p. 53.
220 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

Wythe County is along a narrow belt which crosses the southern part of the county in 

a north of east direction. This belt is a structure zone, one of anticlinal folding and 

faulting, and the ores are deposited along and near the fault in the shattered and 

recemented limestone of the anticline. Precisely similar relations obtain in the 

east Tennessee lead and zinc district, which is a continuation southwestward of the 

Virginia district.

The association of the deposits with anticlinal structural features 

is good evidence that the ores were deposited by ascending solutions, 

just as their association with synclinal structures would be evidence 

in general of descending solutions.

PENNSYLVANIA.

The principal zinc and lead deposits of Pennsylvania are in the 

Saucon Valley, in Lehigh County, and smaller deposits are at the 

Bamford mine, in Lancaster County, and at the Sinking Valley 

mines, in Blair County. The ores are found in fractures, breccias, 

and cavities in Cambrian and Ordovician limestone, or the "Np. II 

formation" of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey. The unoxidized ores consist of sphalerite and some pyrite. The chief mines 

in the Saucon Valley were the Ueberroth, Hartmann, and Saucon, 

which have been well described by Clerc, 1 who attributed the ores to 

ascending thermal solutions. Lesley 2 opposed this view in the following language:

The limestone formation in the Saucon Valley lies in a deep trough, into which and 

to the bottom of which flows the rainfall of the surrounding mountains. The beds 

are uptilted and broken, the innumerable fissures which traverse them and the caverns 

which have been excavated in them permit the accumulation of great quantities of 

water; the dissolution of the lime rocks has produced concentrated masses of zinc ore.

* * * Veins of zinc ore do in fact exist in Sinking Valley, opposite Birmingham, 

but they are concentrations of the zinc and lead from the limestone beds of the valley 

and there is no good reason for thinking that they are connected in any way with the 

underground depths. * * * It is evident that the source of the ore was above 

and not beneath.

Miller,3 who has recently studied the mines of the Saucon Valley, 

believes that the iron as well as the zinc deposits were formed by 

artesian waters. His conclusions are as follows:

In the formation of the Friedensville zinc deposits it is believed that downward - 

percolating waters containing carbonic acid derived from the atmosphere and organic 

matter, sulphuric acid derived from the oxidation of pyrite, and possibly some organic 

acids dissolved the small disseminated particles of zinc and iron carbonates and sulphides and carried them in solution to places where the water found an easy escape 

upward, such as occurs in the shattered and faulted zones near Friedensville. Several 

hundred and perhaps several thousand feet of limestone and shales overlay the present 

exposed strata, while this work of concentration was-most active, and consequently 

the waters were of considerably higher temperature and had greater soluble power

1 Clerc, F. L., The mining and metallurgy of zinc in the United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1882, pp. 361-365,1883.

2 Lesley, J. P., Pennsylvania Geol. Survey Summary Final Kept., vol. 1, pp. 436-447,1892.

3 Miller, B'. L., Economic geology of the Allentown quadrangle, Pa.: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull, (in preparation).
REVIEW OP CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 221

than at present. The abundance of marcasite found with the pyrite indicates, 

however, that the ore-bearing solutions precipitated their load under moderate 

temperatures.

The pyrite and sphalerite were deposited in part in the fissures through which the 

solutions passed and in part as metasomatic replacements of the limestone walls. At 

the intersections of fissures through which solutions were passing the mingling of waters 

of somewhat different compositions caused increased precipitation and resulted in 

the formation of the great masses of ore already described. Metasomatic replacement 

of the dolomitic limestones seems to have been much more important than precipitation in existing fissures. The dense black finely crystalline masses of sphalerite preserve the texture of the original limestone. In some places the contact between the 

ore and the limestone is sharp and regular, but in most places it is otherwise, which is 

explained by the lack of homogeneity of the greater part of the limestone which permitted the solutions to migrate unequal distances from the trunk channels.

The Friedensville ore deposits represent the segregation of zinc minerals obtained 

from a great thickness of limestones. The limestones in the vicinity of the mines are 

probably 2,500 to 3,000 feet thick, while perhaps as great a thickness has been removed 

by erosion. The probability is that the ore was collected throughout a thickness of 

limestones aggregating 5,000 to 6,000 feet. This is approximately twice the thickness 

of the limestones of the region, but due to the intense folding to which they were subjected the vertical thickness at any one point was probably doubled.

Tha process of segregation was undoubtedly slow, but has extended from the close 

of the Ordovician, when the first great orogenic movements folded and faulted the 

limestones of the region up to the present. The segregation of pyrite by meteoric 

waters is still taking place in the region, and no doubt disseminated zinc minerals are 

likewise being dissolved near the surface, carried downward to great depths, and 

deposited from ascending waters. Thus the formation of the deposits represents a 

time interval of millions of years.

The Bamford mine, 5 miles northwest of Lancaster, lies in a synclinal valley of the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones. It contarns sphalerite and galena with calcite as a gangue. The Sinking 

Valley mines are located on the crest of a plunging overturned anticline in the same Cambrian and Ordovician limestone. Their unoxidized ores were sphalerite, galena, and a little pyrite, in a gangue of 

dolomite with some barite.

Describing the Bamford mine, Frazer 1 quotes E. G. Spilsbury as 

follows:

The deposit occurs in the form of two parallel bed veins in the lower Silurian limestones, near their line of contact with the shales of the same epoch, although, so far aa 

developed, the actual line of contact has always been found barren. In this respect 

the deposit differs from a very similar one in Sinking Valley, Blair County, where 

the contact lines between the shales and the limestones are quite productive.

The veins at the Bamford mine are most unmistakably bedded veins and not fissures 

or gash veins. They are conformable both to the stratification and dip of the inclosing 

rocks. * * *

Lesley 2 concludes as follows:

All that has been said above proves that these zinc-lead veins are precipitation 

deposits, are not connected with any deep metallic masses in the underworld, and

1 Frazer, Persifor, jr., The geology of Lancaster County: Pennsylvania Second Geol. Survey Rept. 

CCC, pp. 198-199, 1880. 

a Lesley, J. P., Pennsylvania Geol. Survey Summary Final Rept., vol. 1, p. 447,1892.
222 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

can not descend lower than the extreme limit of rain-water percolation in any district 

of the State to which they belong. * * * I consider them as of the nature of 

comparative recent cavern and fissure deposits, scarcely at all changed in forin by 

later earth movements.

NEW YORK.

In southeastern New York lead and zinc mines have been worked 

at Guymard, Wurtsboro, and EUenville, in Orange, Sullivan, and 

Ulster counties. The galena and sphalerite, associated with much 

pyrite' and some chalcopyrite, in a quartz gangue, are found in veins 

in the Shawangunk conglomerate, of Silurian age. These rocks dip 

steeply westward and are overlain by the shaly Salina formation, 

also of Silurian age.

Whitney notes the occurrence of lead and zinc in New York as 

follows: 1

Along the southern edge of the great Azoic nucleus of this State, in the counties of 

Herkimer, Montgomery, and Lewis, many specimens of lead ore have been obtained 

from the Lower Silurian strata. In the last-named county, near the village of Martinsburgh, according to Prof. Beck, galena is found associated with pyrites, in narrow 

veins, traversing the Trenton limestone. * * *

Specimens of blende and galena are not unfrequently met with in the Upper 

Silurian strata, in the neighborhood of Rochester, and from thence to Niagara Falls.

Lead and zinc deposits are known in the Adirondack pre-Cambrian 

area of northern New York. C. H. Smyth, jr.,2 describes the famous 

Rossie lead mines as having been derived from the pre-Cambrian 

limestone infolded into the granite, comparing the Rossie ore deposits 

to a lead and zinc vein in Cambrian sandstone overlying the preCambrian limestone near Redwood, where the relations are clearer 

than at the Rossie mine, 7 miles distant'. The Rossie deposits are 

veins, occupying fissures in the gneiss, and are composed of galena 

and calcite with subordinate quantities of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and 

sphalerite.

Smyth says:

Water circulating through the limestones under pressure and seeking an exit toward 

the surface would find a ready channel through the crushed zone of the sandstone, 

depositing during its ascent mineral matter taken up from the limestones. This 

explanation of the formation of the vein is sufficiently in harmony with all the facts 

in the case to be regarded with some confidence, and it gives added strength to the 

hypothesis as applied to the Rossie veins. In both cases it is probable that the vein 

minerals came from below, and in both cases the crystalline limestone, known to be the 

carrier of the vein minerals, is present, at Redwood probably directly below the 

vein, at Rossie in the immediate vicinity and perhaps directly below. 3

The lead and zinc deposits near Fowler and near Edwards are also 

found in the pre-Cambrian limestone. The ore body at the Edwards 

mine lies in limestone dipping 45° NW. and on the hanging wall of a

1 Whitney, J. D., The metallic.wealth of the United States, p. 401, Philadelphia, 1854.

2 Smyth, C. H., jr., The Rossie lead veins: School of Mines Quarterly, vol. 24, pp. 421-429,1903. 

s Idem, pp. 427-428.
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 223

body of talc. Intervening prospects show a fairly definite zone of 

mineralization having similar relations and extending to the Balmat

mine. CANADA.

In Canada galena accompanied by more or less sphalerite is found 

in numerous veins in the crystalline limestones infolded in the preCambrian rocks. Among the best known mines are the Olden zinc 

mine, 35 miles north of Kingston, and the Hollandia mine, near 

Bannockburn, Ontario. The deposit at the Hollandia mine has been 

described by J. Volney Lewis * as occurring in a highly siliceous phyllite or fine-grained quartz schist, which was originally an argillaceous, 

sandstone. The vein minerals are predominantly galena and calcite 

which are accompanied by some sphalerite and marcasite. There is 

no quartz or silicates. The character of the ore and the absence of 

known igneous rocks in the vicinity of the ore body suggest strongly 

to Lewis "that both the minerals and the waters by which they were 

deposited were derived from the adjoining sediments."

The Ramsay lead mine, near Carleton Place, Lanark County, 

Ontario, is on a galena-calcite vein which cuts the "Calciferous" 

dolomitic limestone and pinches out in the underlying Potsdam 

sandstone. The mine is on the southern border of a basin in the 

Laurentian rocks occupied by Cambrian and Ordovician sediments.

Sphalerite is irregularly disseminated through the Silurian limestone (of Niagaran age) from Niagara Falls northwestward to the 

head of Lake Ontario. The Albemarle mine is a prospect in this 

limestone in Albemarle Township, Bruce County, 5 miles northwest 

of Wiarton. The ore is blende in a calcite gangue.

GENERAL OCCURRENCE OF THE ORES IN BRECCIAS.

The zinc and lead deposits of the Joplin region consist largely of 

chert breccias having a matrix of jasperoid or dolomite containing 

sphalerite and galena. Smith,2 in discussing these deposits, says that 

the concentration and deposition of the ores were apparently due 

largely to the brecciation of the rocks, which exposed a large area 

of rock surface to the action of ore-bearing solution and permitted 

greater freedom of circulation and consequent greater volume of flow.

The place of contact between a solid and a liquid is the field of 

operation of the surface energy of a liquid. Ostwald 3 writes of "the" 

phenomenon of adsorption, or surface condensation on solid bodies 

that is, the fact that on contact surfaces between solids and liquid 

solutions the concentration of the dissolved substance is different

1 An Ontario lead deposit: Econ. Geology, vol. 1, pp. 682-687,1906.

* Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 18,1907. 

s Ostwald, Wilhelm, The scientific foundations of analytical chemistry, p. 19,1900.
224 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

from and probably always greater than in the rest of the solution." A 

gas escaping from a solution tends to do so on the face of a solid, the 

sharp edges of breccias being especially favorable to the liberation 

of gases from solutions. The influence of breccias in the precipitation of ores may, then, be due to the greater contact surface and 

the greater number of sharp edges exposed by brecciation, and to 

adsorption.

The solutions that furnished the ore deposits of the Joplin region 

are believed to have been ascending alkaline-saline waters containing dissolved carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. As these solutions slowly rose to the surface under artesian pressure they were cooled 

from, say, 70° F. at a depth of 900 feet to 55° F. at the surface. 

Further, they were under less and less pressure as they rose, particularly when they reached the "open ground" at the base of the Cherokee shale. These changes favor precipitation of the salts in solution, 

and the change last noted also favors the liberation of the dissolved 

gases, which is further favored by the large surface and the sharp 

edges of the breccia through which the solutions pass. The liberation of the gases, particularly carbon dioxide, results in the precipiA

FIGURE 9. Diagram representing the adsorption concentration curve before and after precipitation in

breccias.

tation of the metals as sulphides, as already shown. As the solutions 

undergo these changes, which progressively favor deposition, it may 

be supposed that, after a solution-has ascended to the point where 

deposition begins, the precipitation will be practically. continuous 

until the portion of the solution at that point has been depleted of 

metallic salts or has escaped at the surface. Having formed this 

conception of a continuously precipitating, solution rising through 

the breccias, we may pass to the consideration of the method by 

which adsorption is especially effective as an aid to precipitation in 

the breccias.

The adjacent faces of breccia fragments may be represented by the 

parallel vertical lines A and B in figure 9. These vertical lines may 

t>e joined together by the horizontal line A-B, representing a uniform 

state of concentration in the solution rising through the breccias a 

state of concentration that has just reached the point of saturation for 

the lead and zinc compounds. According to the laws of adsorption, 

the concentration of. the salts about to be deposited is greater adjacent 

to the faces of the breccia fragments and increasingly greater in proportion to the fineness of the breccia. The concentration of the solution 

as regards a metallic salt may be represented, therefore, by the upper
REVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 225

broken line the line of dashes showing supersaturation adjacent to 

the wall and something less than saturation in mid-channel. If the 

solution be conceived as remaining stagnant at this point, deposition 

should fake place upon the solid in the area of supersaturation. As 

the concentration near the solid is reduced by deposition, the adsorption-concentration curve will be reestablished by movement of the 

salt from mid-channel to the border and further precipitation will 

be followed by further redistribution of the concentration, and so on 

until the concentration at the border is not above the saturation point 

for the metallic salt and the solution in mid-channel is below the saturation point, represented by the dotted line. This would terminate 

ore deposition from this solution under these conditions, but, as was 

pointed out above, the solutions are continually ascending and thus 

become cooler, are under less pressure, and evolve gases. Therefore, as each portion of the solution is relieved of its supersaturated 

salt, it makes way for more saturated solution from below and is 

itself carried farther upward where it again becomes saturated, owing 

to cooling, relief of pressure, or escape of gases. It is probable, therefore, that once begun the deposition of metallic salts from a solution 

under the conditions outlined goes on almost continuously until the 

metals are exhausted or the solution reaches the surface.

Though a descending solution is doubtless subject to adsorption, it 

does not seem likely that there can be much precipitation from such 

a solution, as a downward-moving solution is progressively subject 

to more and more pressure, which increases the capacity of the solution to hold the metals and particularly the gases in solution, and thus 

opposes the precipitation of ore.

As breccia deposits are characteristic of the ores of the Joplin district, and as such deposits are much more likely to be precipitated 

from ascending than from descending solutions, they in themselves 

indicate that the ore was derived from ascending solutions.

CONSTANT INFLOW OF MINE WATER.

Bain 1 believes that a large part of the water that flows into the 

mines is derived from waters ascending from the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks. His argument in part is as follows:

The best reason for believing that the ground water is fed mainly from distant 

sources lies in the fact that the amount of water pumped from the mines is independent 

of seasonal changes. Except in the case of unprotected openings or very open ground, 

severe storms and rainy weather do not increase the amount of water that must .be 

handled.

Buckley and Buehler 2 strongly combat this view and assert that 

very generally in the Joplin district the inflow is 25 to 50 per cent

i Bain, H. F., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Twenty-second Ann. Kept., pt. 2, pp. 167-168,1901.

a Buckley, E R., and Buehler, H. A., Geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur, Geology and Mines, 

2d ser., vol. 4, p. 21 [1906].

84551° Bull. 606 15 15
226 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

greater in the rainy season than in the dry season. They also maintain that after a mine has been drained very little water comes in 

from the bottom, so that there is scarcely any inflow of water which 

may be attributed to an upward circulation. -

Haworth 1 measured the quantity of water pumped from the mines 

and the quantity flowing off the tract, and thus obtained estimates of 

the return flow into the mines and the increment of water from dictant sources, the latter amounting to 10 or 15 per cent of the total 

water pumped. He concludes as follows:

It would seem that no one could examine the entire territory carefully and observe 

the vast amount of surface water which reaches the ground through shafts and various 

kinds of artificial opening's, natural "sinkholes" particularly, and add to this the much 

greater amount which must necessarily work its way downward through the soil into 

the rocks so greatly fissured everywhere in the mining district, without admitting that 

a large proportion of the water now found in the mining district below permanent 

water level originates directly from local rainfall. It is equally probable that a portion 

of this same ground water is migrating westward down the slope of the Ozark area. 

This migratory water, therefore, comes in part from the catchment areas at or near the 

pummit of the Ozark hills, and in part from additions constantly made to it throughout 

the entire distance. The eastern catchment area is entirely too small to provide it all.

Reviewing Haworth's report, Bain 2 accepts these results and 

points out that even if the quantity of water contributed from the 

deeper horizons be smaller than that of local origin, it is easily possible 

that it may be the more important in ore deposition.

No doubt the foregoing views are justified by conditions in the 

Joplin district generally. Special conditions exist in the Miami district, however, and abundant and exact data show that the mine 

water of that area, which is derived almost entirely from the deeper 

sources, is remarkably constant in volume at any given level, but that 

it progressively increases with increase in extent and depth of mining 

operations. The mines at Miami are entirely beneath the Pennsyl- 

' vanian shale, the shafts penetrating from 40 to 220 feet of the shale 

before they reach ore. The collars of the shafts are raised above the 

reach of surface waters and the clay about the cribbing is well puddled, so that the shafts are practically water-tight, and only a very 

little surface water reaches the mines, amounting to no more than a 

shower down the shaft way. One or two cave-ins beneath mill ponds 

have allowed the ingress of some surface water. In 1908 the writer 

made a preliminary report 3 on the Miami district, based on examinations made in 1907. His conclusions in regard to the flow of mine 

water were as follows:

A circumstance which has delayed the development of the district is that each 

undertaking requires the raising of 500 to 750 gallons of water per minute. This of

1 Haworth, Erasmus, Special report on lead and zinc: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pp. 95-101,1904.

2 Bain, H. F., Econ. Geology, vol. 2, pp. 189-190,1907.

8 Siebenthal, C. E., Mineral resources of northeastern Oklahoma: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 340, p. 102, 

1908.
BEVIEW OF CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 227

course has been the case in most of the new camps in the Joplin region. With the 

lowering of the underground water level of mining the amount of pumping ordinarily 

becomes inconsiderable. In the Miami district, however, the situation is somewhat 

exceptional. The surface of the ground is low, not more than 25 feet above Tar Creek, 

the drainage level for the region, and the water-bearing ore stratum is capped by the 

unbroken Cherokee shale. The mine water is different from the surface water in other 

camps, being highly charged with H2S, like the deeper artesian waters, and the height 

to which it rises may represent artesian head rather than the underground water table. 

If this be so, there may be no great diminution of the amount of water with time, but 

on the contrary a possible increase with the development of the underground workings.

R. R. Heap,1 superintendent of the mines of the Lennan Zinc & 

Lead Co. and the Miami Zinc & Lead Co. at Miami, has recently published a paper on the drainage problems of the region, in which he 

gives figures showing the increase of flow within 5 years and from 

these the following table has been prepared:

Mine water pumped in Miami district, 1907-1914.

Year.

1907

1908 

1909

1911

1912 

1913

1914o

19140

Pumping company.

New State.............

Queen City-Joplin. .....

Lennan Zinc & Lead. . . 

.....do.................

.....do.................

Depth of mining 

(feet).

90

126 

163

230

263

285

6320

Water 

pumped 

(gallons per 

minute).

500+

500 

750

1,000

1,200-1,250 

1,350

1,700\2 n

finnfAuW

a Communicated by R. R. Heap May 14,1914.

6 This depth represents the level of the water at the pump shaft and not the water-table level; the quantity of water raised per minute will therefore gradually diminish until the water table has been lowered 

to the depth indicated, when a constant flow may be expected of, say, 1,400 or 1,500 gallons at the 320-foot 

level, which, with the throw of the small pumps, will probably give a total of about 2,000 feet for the camp. 

This is exclusive of the extreme north mines on Tar Creek and the mines on Horseshoe Lake northwest of 

Miami.

The first mines opened at Miami were at the south end of the 

present camp, and in mines opened farther north there was a progressive deepening of the ore horizon in that direction, so that each new 

mine had to assume the burden of draining the whole camp. The 

increase in depth and in quantity of water to be pumped is shown in 

the foregoing table. With each increase in depth of mining it was 

necessary to lower the water table of the surrounding region to the 

new depth, and this always resulted in a greatly increased flow of 

water, which gradually 'diminished until the new water table was 

established, when the flow became constant at the figures indicated. 

Heap 2 has described the pumping operations while lowering the water, 

table from 210 to 263 feet.

The pump worked almost steadily on a volume of 2,000 gallons per minute for a 

period of 50 days, when the water level had been lowered sufficiently to permit of

i A geological drainage problem: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 96, pp. 1205-1211,1913. 

a Idem, pp. 1208-1209.
228 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

crosscutting the run. This progressed slowly because of the necessity of closing the 

door after each round of shots and then waiting for the water to drain below the top 

valve before opening the lower slide gate, which would let the water drain down 

sufficiently to swing the door back into the drift safely. The water pouring in from 

all sides let the H2S escape, which made it necessary at first to work a double crew 

half an hour on and off, without even then obtaining good results. These difficulties 

made the development work progress slowly, and almost two months were required 

for drifting sufficiently to permit mining a reasonable tonnage.

The first diminution in the inflow was noticeable when the water table receded 

below the top of the drift door, from which time the decrease continued at the rate of 

about 100 gallons per minute each week until no seepage through the breccia cementations in the face was noticeable. Since this time, with the face of the drift down dry 

to the floor, the inflow has remained seemingly constant, being between 1,200 and 

1,250 gallons per minute. The total amount of time consumed in the lowering of the 

water table from the 210-foot level to the 263-foot was five months.

Later data communicated by Heap, under date of April 6, 1914, are 

as follows:

The volume or inflow of water was the heaviest during the first two weeks in February, there having been a maximum of 2,150 to 2,200 gallons per minute during the 

second week in February, at which time we had entirely crosscut the run a width 

of 120 feet. Since tKen there has been a gradual diminution, until at this writing we 

are pumping 1,700 gallons per minute.

As has been noted above, the water table, in May, 1914, had not 

yet been lowered to 320 feet. Until that point has been reached the 

quantity of water raised may be expected to diminish slowly until 

the water table has been lowered to 320 feet, when the flow will 

probably settle down at 1,400 or 1,500 gallons a minute.

Snider,1 arguing against an artesian origin for the Oklahoma ores, 

suggests that " the water in the Peoria and Lincolnville camps is not 

artesian and that in the Miami camp can probably be accounted for 

by the rainfall on the territory immediately to the east." The 

ground-water circulation at Peoria and Lincolnsville is not different 

from that in other camps of the Joplin region where the Boone 

formation is the surface rock. The writer has pointed out that the 

mine waters of the Miami region, when classified according to their 

geochemical properties, fall alongside the deep-well waters of the 

region and are not at all similar to the waters of springs and shallow 

wells. The regularity of flow likewise sets them off from surface 

waters.

i Snider, L. C., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc of Oklahoma: Oklahoma Geol. Survey Bull. 9, 

p. 60,1912.
ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION. 229 

NONCORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 

VERTICAL ORDER OF THE SULPHIDES.

VEETICAL AERANGEMENT OF LEAD, ZINC, AND IRON SULPHIDES IN

GENERAL.

The general experience in lead and zinc regions has been repeated 

in the Joplin district in that lead ores were the principal ores first 

mined, a preponderance of zinc ores were mined at greater depths, 

and ores containing more or less iron sulphide were reached in the 

deeper mines. Many individual ore bodies, however, form exceptions to this general rule. In some mines, especially those associated 

with carbonaceous shales, which protected the ores from oxidation 

and solution, pyrite was plentiful near the surface; in others, zinc

ores overlay the lead ores. In the sheet ground of the DuenwegOronogo belt, which is the deepest level generally mined in the Joplin 

region, the- average ratio of zinc to lead produced in the period 

1908-1913 is as 1:0.282, and the average ratio of zinc to lead produced in mines of the open ground of southwestern Missouri for the 

same period is as 1:0.164, a little more than one-half that mined in 

the sheet ground, although the open-ground mines are, on the average, 

not nearly so deep.

It has been contended 1 that this vertical arrangement of the 

metallic sulphides is prima facie evidence that the solutions depositing the metals were descending, and that the vertical succession 

merely represents the deposition of the sulphides according to their 

solubility. So, too, Bain and Van Hise found in this vertical order 

evidence of the downward sulphide enrichment of the ores.

Since this vertical arrangement of the metallic sulphides is undoubtedly general, so far as ore mined is concerned, it will be well to examine 

carefully the conclusion drawn therefrom as to the downward flow 

of the ore solutions and also to indicate certain facts which militate 

against that conclusion.

VERTICAL ORDER SHOWN BY CHRONOLOGIC RECORD OF MINE OUTPUT 

OF OPEN-GROUND DEPOSITS.

The order in which the metals have been mined, represented by 

the statistics of the production of the district, chronologically considered, may be, and in fact is, quite different from the vertical relations of the ores as they were originally deposited and is also quite 

different from their relations in a single ore body. In other words, 

because certain ore bodies exhibit these relations and because the 

order of production of metals has in general exhibited the same

i Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., The geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

2d ser., vol. 4, pp. 97-98 [1906].
230 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

succession, it is not therefore safe to argue that all deposits of the 

region originally showed the same vertical order. 

Buckley and Buehler 1 argue as follows:

As already explained, we find at Granby, as well as throughout the southwest 

Missouri district, the major portion of the galena occurring above the blende in heavy 

beds or chunks at comparatively shallow depths. At Granby this heavy deposit of 

galena has occurred mainly froin 15 to 60 feet beneath the surface, in different parts 

of the area, although some of the ore has been found at the grass roots. The occurrence 

of the galena is mainly between flint layers, and is often from 1 to 4 feet in thickness. 

This method of occurrence precludes the possibility of any mechanical segregation, 

excepting that due to settling of the entire mass. The galena must have been deposited largely at approximately its present level. These heavy deposits have furnished 

at least three-fourths of the lead mined in the district, and undoubtedly constitute 

at least that percentage of the primary deposits. * * *

In the primary deposits by ascending solutions, as shown above, the galena must 

have been deposited from the neutral solutions in intimate association with the 

blende throughout the vertical extent of the primary ore body. Considering this 

massive galena to constitute only three-fourths of the primary deposits, we should 

have had, in order to have concentrated the lead by a descending circulation, at least 

three-fourths of the primary ore body extending above the present horizon of the 

lead. In other words, the present massive segregation of the galena must be near, 

if not at, or below the base of the first ores deposited by ascending waters.

In order to provide for this vertical distribution of the primary ores, we must conclude that, at the time of their deposition, the Mississippian must have extended 

stratigraphically, to a considerable height above its present horizon, probably from 

100 to 200 feet, and that erosion has carried off this thickness of the Mississippian 

since the first deposition of the ores.

This argument assumes that the artesian-circulation theory 

requires that the quantity of lead and zinc sulphides deposited shall 

be evenly distributed from the bottom to the top of the ore-bearing 

rocks. This assumption could be true only as it might apply to 

strictly homogeneous rocks, and~even in such rocks we should find 

the richest deposits near the surface, where the gases escape. In 

heterogeneous rocks the ores will naturally be deposited in greatest 

abundance in the strata most favorable to deposition. Other 

things being equal, the most common deciding factor in favor of 

deposition, as W. S. T. Smith has pointed out, is the presence of 

open, brecciated ground. Hence the horizon of great ore deposits 

hi the Joplin district is that zone of the Mississippian which lies 

just beneath the Pennsylvanian shales and which had developed a 

karst topography before the. shale was laid down. This "open" 

or "confused" or "soft" ground of the miner has been the great 

productive zone of the Joplin region. Another horizon at which 

ores'are found abundantly is that known as the "sheet ground" 

in the Grand Falls chert member of the Boone formation. Other 

and deeper horizons at which the rocks have yielded some ore and 

which may become more productive in the future are in the rocks 

of Kinderhook age and also at the level of the Chattanooga shale.

i Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., op. cit, pp. 10&-109.
NONCOBROBOEATIVE EVIDENCE. 231

Pertnsylvanian shale

.Chert arid 

limestone

The diagrammatic sketch forming figure 10 is the result of an 

attempt to represent graphically the relation and the vertical distribution of galena and sphalerite in the original deposits before the 

more or less complete erosion of the Pennsylvanian shale allowed 

the oxidation, solution, and transfer of the ore in the upper parts of 

the ore bodies. The figure represents an ideal composite of all the 

ore bodies of the district and not a section of an individual deposit. 

The places of greatest lateral expansion of the diagrammatic ore 

body represent the horizons most favorable to deposition of the ores 

that is, the horizons which have yielded the most ore. The diagrammatic ore body has been so drawn as to represent approximately the same relative proportion of lead to zinc as is shown by the 

total quantity of ore produced in the Joplin district to date. In 

the absence of any data showing the depth from which the openground ores have been derived, or the relative production of mines in the 

open ground and the sheet 

ground except during the 

last few years, it was not 

possible to make the diagram more than approximately accurate.

A fact generally recognized in the district 

namely, that the preponderance of the ores as 

originally deposited and 

as recovered by mining 

were in the uppermost 

strata of the Mississippian rocks is shown plainly in the diagram. 

In the view of the writer the argument of Buckley and Buehler fails to 

take this fact fully into account, and it also fails to consider fully the 

differential solution, transportation, and redeposition of the ores. If 

nothing else remains to show the previous existence of ore minerals at 

any point in the oxidized zone, their former presence at some places 

may be inferred from the geologic relations. In some of the mining 

areas of the Joplin region the country rock is largely limestone and 

the chief gangue minerals are dolomite and calcite with some secondary limestone. In such areas in the district the ore minerals in the 

upper part of the deposit might be dissolved and completely transported, leaving absolutely no traces of their former presence. In other 

areas, however, the country rocks are cherty and the gangue consists 

largely of jasperoid, a siliceous, resistant rock. Cavities in the jasperoid having the outlines of crystals of galena or sphalerite testify to the

Grand Falls 

chert member

Shaly limestone

Chattanooga 

shale b

FIGURE 10. Diagram showing vertical distribution of galena 

(L) and sphalerite (Z) in the original ore deposits.
232 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN

former existence of those minerals. Where such cavities in the 

rocks show that galena has been present, the impressions of the 

crystals and grains of sphalerite are almost invariably present too. 

Such impressions of crystals and grains of sphalerite occur also at 

many places where galena was not present. Hence we may reasonably conclude that the presence of partly oxidized galena in 

unresistant rocks is generally good evidence of the former presence 

of sphalerite, though the rocks may now contain no apparent trace 

of sphalerite. If this conclusion be accepted we may not unreasonably be skeptical of any argument which would attempt to restore 

the original vertical order of the sulphide deposits from the statistics 

of production of all ores, sulphide and oxidized.

The metal taken into solution and carried downward may be deposited as the carbonate or as the silicate; or possibly the solution 

may be carried deep enough to mingle with the deeper ground water, 

to be changed to bicarbonate, and eventually to be deposited as a 

sulphide, just as in the original concentration. How deep the solution should go hi order to bring about this result can not be determined. As before pointed out, it is quite impossible to say whether 

the crust of sphalerite deposited on old spikes and like objects in old 

mine drifts is deposited from normal deeper ground water or from 

oxidized mine waters. No wurtzite has been seen in such crusts and 

the inference is that the concentration of acid ions in the depositing 

solutions was not strong enough to produce that unstable sulphide, 

which, as Alien 1 has shown, is formed at low temperatures with but 

small concentration of the stronger acid ions. Alien's conclusions 

are corroborated by the facts that on the two specimens of sphaleriteincrusted spikes illustrated by Bain 2 there were small calcite crystals, 

which were undoubtedly formed in place, and that the cementing 

material was largely calcitic and effervesced freely with dilute acid. 

It therefore seems probable that sphalerite and galena deposited 

under such conditions have not been precipitated from strongly acid 

mine waters but have been derived from solutions not differing 

greatly from the water of the artesian circulation which originally 

segregated the ores.

The relations of such transferred metals to the original vertical 

order of the sulphides may be made clearer by figure 11. The hypothetical original sulphide ore body, outlined by the broken lines, is 

generalized from the composite ore body shown in figure 10 (p. 231), 

by omission of the irregularities which represent the heavier deposits 

at the more favorable horizons. This ore body, expanding laterally

i Alien, E. T., and Crenshaw, J. L., The sulphides of zinc, cadmium, and mercury; their crystalline 

forms and genetic conditions; microscopic study by H. E. Merwin: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 34, pp. 

355-360,1912.

» Bain, H. F.., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Twenty-second Ann. Kept., pt. 2, pp. 158-159,1901.
NONCORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 233

1-

2- 

3

O/f/GINAL BASE OF PEHN5YLVANIAN SHALE --- -^ r- ~7~ 

PRESENT \ ** SURFACE /

to indicate the heavier deposits in the "open ground/' terminates 

upward against the Pennsylvanian shale. That part of the former 

galena (a) above the present surface is represented as having been 

carried downward, either residually or in solution, and is now found 

at (&), adjacent to the primary galena ore. The galena, both original 

and transported, is shown as extending to the present surface of the 

land, for some galena is even now found at the "grass roots." The 

transported lead is either residual galena or cerusite or redeposited 

galena or cerusite. Similarly the space (c), indicating the area leached' 

of ore on the zinc side of the hypothetical ore body, includes not only 

the area of the former sphalerite ore body above the present land 

surface but also a very considerable area below it, showing the 

greater solubility of zinc ores as 

compared to lead ores. The zinc 

leached from (c) has been carried 

downward to the region (d), and 

there deposited as carbonate, silicate, or sulphide. The foregoing 

statement as well as the diagram 

expresses the truth in general terms, 

of course. It does not mean that 

the ore dissolved from the upper 

part of any particular ore body is 

necessarily deposited against the 

lower part of that same ore body. 

On the contrary, the ore removed 

may be added to some distant deposit; and the ore body from the 

upper part of which it was removed 

may have received similar additions 

from afar.

It is evident that if we take the ratio of zinc to lead at several equidistant levels, such as lines 3, 4, and 5 in the diagram, we shall get a 

constantly increasing figure as we go downward until we pass the 

zone of maximum secondary 1 deposition, below which we should find 

that the ratio of zinc decreases until we reach the bottom of the zone 

of secondary deposition, where the ratio of galena to sphalerite is that 

which is normal to the primary sulphide deposits of the district. As

1 The terms "primary" and "secondary" as used above have a somewhat wider significance than as 

ordinarily used in discussions of downward sulphide enrichment. The new ores may be carbonates or 

silicates as well as sulphides; the ores are not necessarily and perhaps not even commonly added to the 

lower part of the same ore body from which they were extracted; the secondary sulphide ores are not deposited as such by substitution for another sulphide; and finally, enrichment is not a necessary consequence 

of the solution and redeposition of the metals. So used, the terms mean simply original and derived. So 

far as may be seen the derived or secondary sulphides do not differ from the primary sulphides, and in fact 

the only thing that can be definitely determined is that some of the sulphides are of a later generation than 

the others.

FIGUBE 11. Diagrammatic reworked ore body 

showing vertical distribution of-galena (L) and 

sphalerite (Z) after erosion and solution of 

upper deposits.
234 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

the horizon of the sheet ground is largely if not altogether below the 

zone of secondary deposition, the ratio of galena to sphalerite in the 

deposits at that horizon should be greater than in the deposits higher 

up in the column, except in strata near the surface, where the zinc 

has been in large part leached away.

The diagram assumes that about half of the total lead in the reworked ore body lies above line 4, which is approximately 50 feet from 

the present surface. Therefore, according to the diagram this 50 per 

cent of the total lead has been derived from 50 feet of formation plus 

approximately 40 feet of eroded formation below the shale. Buckley 

and Buehler 1 say that at least three-fourths of the lead mined in 

the Granby district has been derived from within 60 feet of the 

surface, and they give 74,000 tons of galena ore as the production 

of Newton County prior to 1894, and 11,000 tons of galena as the 

production of the Granby district from 1894 to 1904, inclusive. 

However, if we take the lead production of the whole of Newton 

County since 1893, the lead production before 1894 is not so preponderant. According to figures which the writer has compiled 

from Winslow's reports and from the reports of the Missouri Bureau 

of Mines and Mine Inspection, the lead content of ores mined in 

Newton County up to and including 1893 was approximately 54,100 

tons and the lead content of ores mined from 1894 to 1913, inclusive, 

was 33,888 tons. In other words, about 60 per cent of the total 

production of lead to date was mined before 1894. Winslow's 2 

report, published in 1894, gives the depths at that time of various 

mines in the Granby district as-about 50 or 60 feet. Therefore 60 

per cent of the total lead production to date came from within 50 or 

60 feet of the surface. If we bear in mind that the lead production 

year by year will go toward reducing the preponderance of lead 

mined before 1894, we can see that the figures quoted above to show 

the lead production of Newton County are in complete harmony 

with the proportions of the diagrammatic reworked ore body. Furthermore, it must be apparent that the validity of the artesiancirculation theory does not, as maintained by Buckley and Buehler, 

depend on the assumption .that as three-fourths of the total lead so 

far mined has come from the upper 50 or 60 feet of the Mississippian 

limestone, the formation of the total deposit of lead ore must have 

involved the erosion of about 200 feet of similar beds that overlay 

the existing beds. This assumption is not at all necessary, for, 

owing to the expansion of the ore bodies in the "open ground" at 

the base of the Pennsylvanian shale, the differential transfer of the 

zinc which has occurred must have been amply sufficient to furnish 

the preponderance of lead found at the upper level.

1 Buckley, E. E., and Buehler, H. A., The geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

vol. 4, 2d ser., p. 109 [1906]. 

» Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 602-606,1894.
NONCORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 235

VEETICAL ORDER OF GALENA AND SPHALERITE IN CAVITIES IN THE

SHEET GROUND.

In the typical sheet ground of the Oronogo-Duenweg belt the ore 

occurs in sheets between ledges of chert, and these sheets represent 

original strata of limestone that have been replaced by siliceous 

jasperoid in which the sulphides of lead and zinc are disseminated. 

There may be 8 to 12 or more of the ore sheets separated by the 

barren chert ledges, the whole making up an ore face 8 to 12 feet 

high. Owing to irregularities in the chert 

ledges many cavities 

were left between the 

upper surface of the 

jasperoid and the overlying chert. Most of 

these cavities have 

been partly or wholly 

filled with ore. The 

crystals of galena and 

sphalerite have an 

etched appearance, but 

it is generally impossible to determine 

whether this appearance is the result of 

solution or is simply 

the form assumed by 

the crystals. Where 

there is evidence of 

later generations of the 

sulphides the amount 

of sulphides deposited 

is inconsiderable. 

Hence to all appearances the ores are the product of original or primary deposition. 

In a cavity containing both galena and sphalerite the galena is in 

the upper part and the sphalerite in the lower part. Figure 12 

shows in a general way the conditions that exist in the cayities of 

the sheet ground. The crosshatched layers are jasperoid containing 

disseminated sphalerite and galena. The strata between are chert, 

in which the jointing shown is purely conventional and does not signify that there is really any jointing within the limits of the sketch. 

In the cavities the galena clings to the roof and the sphalerite fills 

the lower portion of the space.

FIGURE 12. Sketch illustrating the occurrence of "pockets" or 

cavities in the sheet ground and the relation of galena and sphalerite in the cavities.
236 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

Figure 13 is from a sketch, drawn to scale, of a cavity in the 

sheet ground at the Underwriters' Land Co.'s "Yellow Dog" mine. 

This cavity (see fig. 13) is more or less exceptional in that the roof 

is flat instead of being concave upward. A mass of galena, conforming to the shape of the pocket, clings to the roof. Jasperoid 

with disseminated sphalerite fills the lower portion of the pocket 

and its disposition, it being thinner on the bottom and thicker at 

the sides, shows that it can not have solidified from a mud, as some 

have supposed, for the mud would undoubtedly have been thickest 

over the lowest place in the bottom. The Jasperoid has apparently 

replaced a sheet of limestone. In the bottom of the cavity, resting 

upon the Jasperoid, is a thin sheet of sphalerite crystals; over this 

is a half-inch sheet of sphalerite with a little Jasperoid; and the

remainder of the pocket 

is filled with sphalerite. 

This arrangement of 

galena and sphalerite in 

the cavities has been 

interpreted as a manifestation of the vertical 

order of sulphide deposition and hence as evidence that the ore solutions were descending. 

Several facts, however, 

militate against such an 

interpretation:

1. If the solutions 

9 . ? . 4 . $ INCHES descended into empty

FIOUKE 13. Section of a cavity in sheet ground at the Underwriters' cavities the Sulphides 

1 Land Co.'s Yellow Dog mine, Webb City, Mo. 1111 i

should be more or less

stalactitic in form," and should consist of galena in the upper part 

and sphalerite in the lower, or of galena in the central core with 

sphalerite surrounding it. But, whether stalactitic in form or not, we 

should certainly expect the sphalerite to be attached to the galena. 

As a matter of fact the galena clinging to the roof of the cavity 

occurs in large, well-developed cubes and the sphalerite on the bottom of the cavity is of the usual habit of that found in cavities, 

there being generally a horizontal opening between the galena and 

the sphalerite. It is plain that the first galena formed in the cavities was deposited on the roofs of the cavities and that the first 

sphalerite formed was deposited on their bottoms.

2. If the solution carrying the metals descended or ascended into 

such a cavity already filled with the solution, we should expect the 

metals in solution to be diffused through the stagnant solution in
NONCORROBORATrVE EVIDENCE. 237

the cavity. Under such conditions there is no apparent reason to 

be drawn from the differential solubilities of the sulphides why the 

lead sulphide should seek the roof of the cavity and the zinc sulphide 

should seek the bottom of the cavity.

3. The galena and sphalerite in many of these deposits are surmounted, or even incrusted, with marcasite. If the sulphides have 

been deposited in vortical order from descending solutions all the 

marcasite in the cavity should be found in the lower part, associated 

with the sphalerite.

4. As there are eight to twelve or more sheets of ore in the ore face 

of the sheet ground, a number of cavities may lie nearly in a vertical 

line, and in all the cavities the galena has been deposited above the 

sphalerite, a fact that is difficult to explain if the ores were deposited 

from descending solutions in the usual vertical order.

5. As the chert strata are unbroken and practically impervious 

over considerable areas beneath which jasperoid has replaced limestone, it is reasonable to suppose that the solutions have here moved 

laterally for considerable distances. If this supposition is true (and 

facts at hand seem to substantiate it), then the occurrence of galena 

above sphalerite in cavities in these areas, instead of being evidence 

of descending solutions, is a phenomenon itself requiring explanation.

It has already been pointed out that the ratio of lead to zinc in 

the sheet ground is about twice what it is in the open ground above, 

a ratio altogether unlike what we should expect to find if the sulphides 

were deposited in the usual vertical order from descending solutions.

VERTICAL ORDER OF GALENA AND SPHALERITE IN CAVITIES IN THE

OPEN GROUND.

In the open, broken ground deposits many flat slabs of chert or 

limestone are apparently surrounded by gangue material carrying 

disseminated ore. The gangue may consist altogether of jasperoid 

containing disseminated ore, or it may consist of calcite, dolomite, or 

secondary limestone, or of all three together, carrying disseminated 

ore. It is evident that such slabs, exclusive of the supporting bases, 

have been surrounded by the ore solution. Even if the solution were 

descending it would necessarily have to flow around the slab to reach 

its under surface. Yet at a great many places the vertical habit of 

occurrence of galena and sphalerite in cavities has asserted itself under 

such slabs, the galena clinging to the under surface of the slab and 

the sphalerite occurring some distance below, the two being separated 

by gangue material. Figure 14 represents an example from the 

Argosy mine at Spring City. Figure 15 represents an interesting 

illustration of the same habit in the Halloween mine, at Spring City. 

The peculiar structure here shown is found also in some replacements 

by dolomite, and is probably inherited from the original limestone.
238 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

Figure 16, representing the manner of occurrence of the ores in 

the Ruby Trust mine, at Granby, Mo., is copied from Buckley and 

Buehler. 1

5 INCHES

FIQUEE 14. Galena over sphalerite in cavity in the Argosy mine, Spring City, Mo. 

ORE BODIES IN BRECCIA-FILLED CAVITIES.

Smith 2 believes that the observed vertical order of the sulphides 

represents normal deposition from ascending solutions, and cites in 

proof the distribution of the sulphides in the Hegoda mine, of Joplin. 

The ore body in this mine was of elliptical outline, measuring 90 by 

140 feet, and reached a depth of 70 feet. The ore was first mined

FIGURE 15. Galena over sphalerite in the Halloween mine, Spring City, Mo.

from the top and ore was taken out progressively downward to the 

bottom of the deposit. The record of the output of the mine thus 

represents in fair measure the vertical order of occurrence of the 

sulphides from the top downward. At first galena was in excess, 

then galena and sphalerite were about equal, then sphalerite was

1 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., Geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

2d ser., vol. 4, p. 60 [1906].

2 Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 17,1907.
NONCORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 239

much in excess, then galena was in excess, and finally, at the close 

of operations, galena and sphalerite were nearly equal but the ore 

carried considerable pyrite. This circular ore body was in chert 

accompanied by more or less dolomite, and was overlain by a patch 

of Pennsylvanian shale and of the same shape and size hi horizontal 

cross section as the ore body. Oxidation had scarcely more than 

begun, as indicated by softened dolomite, tallow clay, and mud at 

the top of the ore body, but there were no signs that any of the 

sulphides had been dissolved and carried lower. Smith thinks there 

is little doubt that the ore was the result .of primary concentration 

by ascending waters, and therefore concludes that the vertical relations of the sulphides shown by the 

ore body were dependent on conditions governing the 

deposition of the 

ores from ascending 

solutions. He intimates that the explanation of the 

vertical relations of 

the sulphides in ore 

bodies may be akin 

to the explanation 

of their relations in 

cavities in the sheet 

ground, relations 

such as have already 

been desc'ribed, 

which he suggests 

may be due to the 

preference exhibited by galena and sphalerite, as well as by calcite 

and dolomite, for certain of the bounding walls of the cavities in 

which they occur.

The ore bodies in the open ground occur in coarse breccias in which 

there must be the greatest degree of freedom of circulation. Such 

an ore body is, in effect, a deposit in a breccia-filled cavity, in which 

the conditions controlling ore deposition must be essentially similar 

to those holding in small cavities.

VERTICAL ORDER OF ORE BODIES BENEATH THE PENNSYLVANIAN

SHALE.

At Miami, Okla., the surface covering of Pennsylvanian shale has 

prevented surface water from reaching the ore bodies and hence there 

has been no oxidation and solution of the deposits and no formation

White flint

m. :$£'£ : ':

Clay Black sand 

)i23 Feet

Galena

FIGURE 16. Manner of occurrence of the ores in the Ruby Trust mine, 

Granby, Mo., after Buckley and Buehler. "The galena is attached to 

the roof, and the calamine forms a sheet parallel to the cap rock."
240 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

of oxidized ores or secondary sulphides. The Pennsylvanian shale 

must also have prevented the descent of surface solutions during the 

deposition of the ores. Nevertheless, the galena tends strongly to 

occur in the upper parts of the ore bodies and to take the upper surface of small cavities, whereas the sphalerite tends to take the lower 

parts. This arrangement can not possibly be explained as a manifestation of the vertical order of sulphide deposition by downwardmoving solutions, because no solutions moved downward in this area. 

The arrangement of the sulphides in this region, therefore, must be 

normal to or imposed upon the deposition from ascending solutions.

LATERAL ORDER OF SULPHIDES IN SHEET GROUND NEAR THE 

11 CORNFIELD BAR."

Those who see in the ore deposits of the Joplin region a vertical order 

of sulphide deposition representing the relative solubilities of the sulphides have in mind, unconsciously perhaps, the deposition of the sulphides by descending solutions in a confined fissure or vein in which 

there is not sufficient precipitant to bring down all the metals. If 

there is an excess of precipitant in such a fissure all the sulphides will 

naturally come down together. There is nothing strictly comparable 

to a vein or fissure in the Joplin region, yet very generally in the sheet 

ground and at many places in the open ground, especially where the 

ores occupy an underground water channel, the flow of the solutions, 

which was there lateral instead of vertical, was to a considerable extent confined. In such places galena might appear in greater force 

near the source of supply that is, the master opening sphalerite 

coming in stronger as the distance from the master opening increases. 

In most such places the excess of precipitant in the solutions might, 

by throwing down all the sulphides, obliterate any trace of a lateral 

succession in the deposition of the sulphides, depending on the direction of flow. Nevertheless a tendency toward such a succession 

has been observed. Several years ago the writer described l a structural feature in the sheet ground which he called the "Cornfield bar," 

a long narrow belt of open, bowldery, shale ground which reached 

from the surface downward through the ore-bearing sheet ground that 

stretched away on either side. Manifestly this opening, with either 

ascending or descending solutions, was the master opening and was 

the chief path taken by the solutions. Ascending under pressure 

or descending under gravity or by diffusion the solutions would 

naturally spread out in the sheet ground. It was a' matter of common 

observation among the operators of the sheet-ground mines adjoining 

the "bar" that the ratio of galena to sphalerite was greater near the 

bar than it was farther away. Evidently the solutions moving out

i Siebenthal, C. E., Structural features of the Joplin district: Econ. Geology, vol. 1, pp. 119-128,1905.
NONCORROBORATTVE EVIDENCE. 241

into the sheet ground exhibited a tendency to deposit the sulphides 

in the reverse order of their solubility. Yet it was in this very area, 

while studying the "Cornfield bar," that the writer first had opportunity to note the universal superposition of galena on sphalerite in 

pockets hi the sheet ground. If the lateral order just described was 

due to lateral currents, then the vertical order in the pockets was due 

to something entirely disconnected from the direction of flow of the 

solutions.

DIFFUSION A GREATER FACTOR THAN DIRECTION OF FLOW.

As the ore solutions in the openings in the sheet ground and in the 

cavities of the open ground must have moved very slowly, or have been 

practically, stagnant, diffusion must have been almost everywhere 

sufficient to overcome any tendency toward deposition of the sulphides in a vertical order dependent on the flow of the solution. 

Only such physical forces as come into play in a free cavity filled with 

a mixed solution can have operated. Buckley and Buehler have 

commented on the effect of diffusion as follows: *

Diffusion becomes of the utmost importance in slowly moving waters, as below the 

level of ground water. It is thought that the location of the major portion of the 

secondary galena in the upper part of the openings, where it is associated with the 

calamine, is largely due to this factor.

The present writer is at a loss to understand how diffusion accomplishes the concentration of the galena in the upper part of the openings and why the effectiveness of diffusion should be limited, to solutions depositing secondary galena. It. would seem that any slowmoving or stagnant ore-bearing solution should be subject to diffusion, 

and if there be some inherent property of lead requiring it to seek the 

upper bounding surface of the cavity for a locus of deposition that 

property should be as effective with lead in primary solutions as in 

secondary solutions.

ATTEMPT TO REPRODUCE THE VERTICAL ORDER EXPERIMENTALLY IN 

A QUIESCENT SOLUTION.

In an attempt to reproduce in the Survey chemical laboratory the 

conditions of such segregation, Chase Palmer put a mixture of lead 

and zinc solutions in a glass cylinder, in the center of which a bar 

of clean iron was suspended vertically. A feathery, dark precipitate 

formed on the iron bar and arranged itself in two nodes, the middle 

of the bar being nearly free. The precipitate was very light and fell 

away from the iron bar when it was removed from the solution, so that 

no quantitative determinations could be made. W. George Waring, 

of Webb City, Mo., repeated the experiment at my request, using a

1 Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., Geology of the Granby area: Missouri Bur. Geology and Mines, 

2d ser., vol. 4, pp. 98-99 [1906].

84551° Bull. 606 15 16
242 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

bar of aluminum and dividing the solution midway of the bar with a 

membranous septum. The precipitate, which formed mostly during 

the first few hours, was analyzed with these results:

Analyses of precipitates of lead and zinc formed on a bar of aluminum.

[W. George Waring, analyst.]

On upper part of bar: Milligrams. 

Lead..................................................... 310. 8

Zinc....................................................... 11.9

Sulphur................................................... 4.8

On lower part of bar:

Lead..................................................... 302. 3

Zinc....................................................... 14.0

Sulphur................................................... 4. 5

The precipitates thus consist almost wholly of metallic lead and 

are but a form of the familiar "lead tree." Although the precipitates 

on the upper and the lower parts of the bar do not differ materially, 

the slight difference shown indicates the deposition of more lead above 

and more zinc below. If precipitation could be made somewhat 

slower, with more nearly equal precipitation of zinc and lead, especially if they were thrown down as sulphides, possibly the vertical 

differentiation obtained experimentally might more closely approach 

that found in nature.

CONCLUSION.

The vertical order of deposition of galena and sphalerite manifests 

itself beneath impervious slabs, where the solutions must have 

moved horizontally. It shows itself in deposits beneath a covering 

of impervious shale, where there can have been no descending solutions. That the ratio of lead to zinc in the ore mined in a district 

decreases as mining progresses from the upper levels to the lower 

levels is not proof of an original vertical order but is a result of the 

reworking of the ore bodies induced by the differential solubilities of 

the sulphides, together with the deposition lower down of the metals 

leached from the ore bodies. With a sufficient supply of the precipitant there can be no order of deposition, for all sulphides come 

down together. The vertical arrangement of the sulphides, as found 

in the Joplin region, is therefore apparently independent of the 

direction of flow of the solutions.

The writer inclines to hold that the vertical relations exhibited by 

galena and sphalerite when they arrange themselves in a cavity, 

whether a small cavity, as in the sheet ground, or a large cavernous 

opening filled with breccia, as in the open ground, is a molecular 

phenomenon, a manifestation of the inherent molecular activities of 

these two minerals. The two sulphides seem in some way to be able 

mutually to orient or polarize each other in a vertical direction. It 

is quite within the bounds of possibility that radial earth currents 

may be concerned in the phenomenon.
NONCORROBOEAT1VE EVIDENCE. 243 

SYNTHESIS OF IRON AND ZINC SULPHIDES.

The work of E. T. Alien 1 and his associates at the Geophysical 

Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution has thrown much light on the 

relations to each other of the two disulphides of iron pyrite and marcasite and on the like relations of the two sulphides of zinc sphalerite and wurtzite. It has shown that pyrite and sphalerite are the 

stable forms, marcasite and wurtzite inverting to pyrite and sphalerite, respectively, at temperatures of about 450° C.2 and about 

1,020° C. The temperature 450° C. is not definitely fixed, but at a 

temperature as low as 400° C. no change could be observed during 

the time of a laboratory experiment. The change at 450° C. is not 

reversible like that which occurs at a true "inversion point/' but it 

goes in only one direction and becomes slower and slower as the temperature falls until at low temperatures it is infinitesimal or zero. 2 

At different temperatures, constant from four to six weeks, crystallized pyrite, marcasite, sphalerite, and wurtzite were obtained. Crystalline marcasite has been repeatedly made at room temperature and 

pure pyrite has been prepared at 70° C. Sphalerite has not been 

crystallized below 200° C., and wurtzite not below 250° C.2 From 

alkaline solutions only the stable compounds, pyrite and sphalerite, 

were formed; from acid solutions marcasite and wurtzite were 

obtained, and sometimes pyrite and sphalerite. The following rules 

were found to hold: (1) At a given temperature the greater the acid 

concentration the greater the quantity of marcasite or wurtzite 

formed; (2) with a given acid concentration the higher the temperature the greater the quantity of pyrite or sphalerite formed; (3) the 

lower the temperature the lower the acid concentration required to 

yield a given quantity of marcasite or wurtzite. Although the 

authors specifically warn the reader that the interval between the 

temperatures at which the crystallized sulphides were obtained and 

the temperatures of normal ground water is too great to be bridged 

by extrapolation, yet it seems necessary to consider the general 

trend of the results in relation to the problem of ore deposition in 

hand, particularly as the microscopic examination (see pp. 186-187) 

of the sediments from the springs at Sulphur Springs, Ark., showed 

only pyrite depositing from those waters which are faintly alkaline 

or neutral.

The sulphides of the Joplin district here considered are pyrite, 

marcasite, and sphalerite. Wurtzite has been found in small crystals in a single mine. (Seep. 258.) According to the results expressed

1 Alien, E. T., Crenshaw, J. L., and Johnson, J., The mineral sulphides of iron, with crystallographic 

study by E. S. Larsen: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 33, pp. 169-236,1912.

Alien, E. T., and Crenshaw J. L., The sulphides of zinc, cadmium, and mercury; their crystalline forms 

and genetic conditions; microscopic study by H. E. Merwin: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 34, pp. 341-390, 

1912.

a Communication from E. T. Alien, July 17,1913.
244 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

above, marcasite is deposited from acid solutions only, at tempera-, 

tures as low as 25° C., and both" pyrite and marcasite may be deposited 

from such solutions at temperatures between 70° and 300° C. It 

is but natural to see reason in this for believing that the Joplin ores 

must have been deposited from acid solutions at temperatures normal 

for ground water. Yet there are difficulties in the way of sweeping 

conclusions. For instance, there is the association of marcasite and 

calcareous rocks. Alien says: 1

There is one fact concerning the occurrence of marcasite and metacinnabar which 

should be mentioned. Both are sometimes associated with calcite. Whether or 

not they are paragenetic is a doubtful question. (Lindgren.) If the calcite is not 

subsequent to the sulphides one would be led to suspect that the original solution 

must have contained bicarbonates and sulphates. The synthetic work would lead 

us to expect pyrite from such a solution; still the quantity of free acid required for 

pure marcasite is very small at low temperatures and it may be that the reaction 

FeS04+H2S+S=FeS2+H2S04 would produce marcasite when the initial concentration of acid was no greater than it is in calcium bicarbonate solutions.

The common association of marcasite with calcareous rocks has 

been remarked by Julien,2 who, contrasting marcasite with pyrrhotite, says:

This [marcasite] is a steely grayish white mineral, often affected by a greenish 

tinge, crystallizing after an entirely different system, the rhombohedric, and having 

a peculiar tendency to originate in calcareous rocks, e. g., the chalk of England 

and the Carboniferous and Trenton limestones of this country. From a pound of 

the latter rocks from Jefferson County, N. Y., digested in acid, over an ounce of 

marcasite, in drusy crusts of pure and brilliant crystals, was left as a dark sediment.

And further: 3

Marcasite constitutes largely or altogether the pyrites occupying thin seams or 

coatings in the coal beds, lignitic shales, and dolomites of Saxony and Cornwall, the 

chalk, many limestones of America, and, in general, the unaltered sedimentary 

rocks, such as sandstones, graywacke schists, peat, clay, bituminous coals, casts of 

fossils, and also veins of galenite.

The common occurrence of this mineral in calcareous beds, e. g., the chalk of England, the Trenton limestone of New York, the Carboniferous limestones of Wisconsin 

and Illinois, etc., suggests the possibility that the presence of calcium carbonate, 

under certain conditions, may determine the crystallization of iron disulphide as 

marcasite rather than pyrite in a way similar to that of the crystallization of calcium 

carbonate as aragonite rather than calcite in the presence of strontium carbonate 

gypsum, or salts of lead, as shown by Credner.

The interior of many of the large scalenohedral crystals of calcite 

that line Roach's Crystal Cave, in the outskirts of Joplin, Mo., con1 Alien, E. T., and Crenshaw, J. L., The sulphides of zinc, cadmium, and mercury; their crystalline 

forms and genetic conditions; microscopic study by H. E. Merwin: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 34, 

p. 382,1912.

2Julien, A. A., The microscopical structure of the iron pyrites: N. Y. Microscopical Soc. Jour., 

author's separate, p. 3,1886.

8 Julien, A. A., On the variation of decomposition in the iron pyrites, its cause and its relation to 

density: New York Acad. Sci. Annals, vol. 3, pp. 395-396,1886.
NONCOEROBOKATIVE EVIDENCE. 245

tain zones of slender rods or fibers of marcasite, which are arranged 

normal to certain planes that probably represent crystal faces, 

though such planes rarely coincide with any faces on the crystals.1 

A calcareous geode from central Missouri that is lined with small 

calcite scalenohedrons contains rhombic dodecahedrons of pyrite, 

which are penetrated by blades of marcasite, and both the pyrite 

and the marcasite are imposed upon or partly or wholly embedded 

in the calcite crystals. Blades and rods of marcasite penetrate the 

calcite crystals in all directions. There can be no possible doubt 

that the marcasite and the calcite are paragenetic. Furthermore, in 

the Joplin district calcite and dolomite are among the common 

gangue minerals. Dolomite, with sphalerite and galena, is disseminated through jasperoid, showing that their deposition is 

contemporaneous.

, Meteoric waters containing carbonic acid enter the underground 

circulation, and in passing through rocks containing calcium or 

magnesium carbonate a portion of the carbonic acid combines with 

the calcium or magnesium carbonate, taking it into solution as the 

bicarbonate, in this wise:

CaC03 +H2C03 = Ca(HC03 ) 2

If the rocks are sufficiently calcareous to use up all the carbonic 

acid in the water in forming calcium bicarbonate, nearly all this 

will hydrolyze, giving an alkaline reaction to the water, thus:

Ca(HC03 ) 2 + 2H20 = Ca(OH)2 + 2H2C03 

Ca" 2H 

20H' 2HC03

Complete. Very slight.

The ionization of calcium hydroxide is nearly complete, but that 

of carbonic acid is slight, so the concentration of hydroxyl ions is 

greater than the concentration of hydrogen ions and the reaction is 

alkaline.

But if a considerable excess of carbonic acid remains in solution, 

by ionization as above, the hydrogen ions may equal the hydroxyl 

ions in concentration, making the water neutral in reaction; or the 

hydrogen ions may exceed the hydroxyl ions in concentration, and 

then the water becomes acid in reaction,

Both the shallower and the deeper waters of the Joplin region 

carry free carbon dioxide, and as the deeper waters contain less of

1 This interesting occurrence of marcasite rods in calcite crystals has been described at some length by 

H. E. Merwin (Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 38, pp. 355^359,1914). It had also been briefly noted by Arthur 

Winslow (Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 566-597, 1894) and by A. F. Rogers (Kansas Univ. Geol. 

Survey, vol. 8, p. 477,1904).
246 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

the earthy bicarbonate's in solution they are likely to contain a 

larger proportion of free carbon dioxide, though this statement is 

scarcely susceptible of proof by the analyses herein given, for the 

quantity of free carbon dioxide in any water can be determined 

accurately only at the well or spring, and such determinations are 

not usually made. Both the shallow and the deep waters are therefore probably slightly acid in the chemical sense of that term. 

(See pp. 85-88.)

However, the term "acid water," as used in connection with 

mines and ore deposits generally, indicates a water containing free 

radicles of the stronger acids such as sulphuric, hydrochloric, or 

nitric and as the acid mine waters are usually a result of the oxidation of sulphide ore bodies, the predominating acid radicle is 

usually sulphate. As already noted (p. 196), it is acid waters of this 

character that Buckley and Buehler had in mind in discussing the 

origin of the Joplin deposits. The occurrence of ores with calcite 

and dolomitic gangues would seem to negative the conception of 

free strong acids in the solutions from which they were deposited. 

Wurtzite, as is pointed out above, has been obtained only from 

solutions containing free strong acids. Noelting,1 who has made 

perhaps the most extensive study of wurtzite, reached the conclusion that wurtzite is always secondary. If secondary it must have 

been deposited from acid solutions. Wurtzite occurs in the United 

States in quantity at the Gagnon mine at Butte, Mont.,2 and in the 

Horn Silver mine, near Frisco, Utah,3 and it is believed to be secondary at both places and to have been deposited from descending acid 

sulphate solutions. A little wurtzite also occurs at Goldfield, Nev., 

as noted by Ransome,4 and in the Era district, Idaho, as noted by 

Umpleby.5 The occurrence at Goldfield is thought to be due to 

deposition from descending sulphate waters, but the deposit in Idaho 

is intergrown with calcite in such a way that Merwin 6 and Alien 7 

conclude that the wurtzite and calcite have crystallized simultaneously out of solutions that were practically neutral, or at least

i Noelting, Johannes, Ueber das Verhaltniss der sogenannten Schalenblcnde zur regularen Blende und 

zum hexagonalen Wurtzit: Inaug.-Diss., p. 28, Kiel, 1887.

a Pearce, Richard, The association of minerals in the Gagnon mine, Butte City, Mont.: Am. Inst. Min. 

Eng. Trans., vol. 16, pp. 62-64,1888.

8 Butler, B. S., Geology and ore deposits of the San Francisco and adjacent districts. Utah: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Prof. Paper 80, pp. 93-95,149-150,1913.

4 Ransome, F. L., Wurtzite at Goldfield, Nev.: Washington Acad. Sci. Jour., vol. 4, pp. 482-485,1914.

6 Umpleby, J. B., Geology and ore deposits of the Mackey region, Idaho: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 

in preparation.

B Merwin, H. E., The simultaneous crystallization of calcite and certain sulphides of iron, copper, and 

"zinc; a crystallographic study: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 38, p. 357,1914.

7 Alien, E. T., and Crenshaw, J. L., Effect of temperature and acidity in the formation of marcasite 

(FeS2) and wurtzite (ZnS); a contribution to the genesis of unstable forms; microscopic study by H. E. 

Merwin: Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. 38, p. 429,1914.
NONCORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE. 247

that contained no acid stronger than carbonic acid. The small 

crystals of wurtzite reported from the Joplin district (see p. 258) 

may have been deposited from nearly neutral waters containing free 

carbonic acid, such as water of the artesian circulation, but the 

rarity of the mineral and its occurrence, so far as known, only in 

stalactites (see pp. 258-264) has led the writer to conclude that in the 

Joplin district it is secondary in origin, having been deposited from 

descending acid sulphate waters. However, the practical absence of 

wurtzite in the Joplin deposits points to the practical absence of 

waters containing the strong acids and indicates the deposition of 

the ores from solutions no more acid than calcium carbonate solutions. We find demonstrably recent deposition of blende upon iron 

implements in mines and upon the walls of abandoned and submerged mine drifts, but no example of the deposition of wurtzite.

Therefore, so far as the synthetic experiments by Alien and his 

associates throw light on the subject, they indicate that the Joplin 

ores were deposited from solutions of no greater acidity than calcium 

bicarbonate solutions. Under the artesian-circulation theory the 

ore solutions are identical with the water of the bordering deep wells, 

which carry calcium and magnesium bicarbonate in solution as well 

as free carbon dioxide and .hydrogen sulphide.

The sediments from White Sulphur Spring and Black Sulphur 

Spring at Sulphur Springs, Ark., contain zinc, lead, copper, and 

iron, according to the analyses cited in the table on page 164. These 

waters, when examined by Alien, were found to be neutral or 

faintly alkaline. Under the microscope (see pp. 186-187) the sediments showed pyrite crystals but no marcasite, sphalerite, or galena. 

Calcite crystals are forming with pyrite in the White Sulphur Spring 

and quartz crystals are forming with pyrite and impure calcite in the 

Black Sulphur Spring. Waring's analysis of White Sulphur Spring 

(No. 35 in the table) shows 6.1 parts per million of free carbon 

dioxide. The odor of hydrogen sulphide is plainly discernible about 

both springs, and Menke's analysis of "sulphur" water (No. 72 in 

the table), taken probably from the Black Sulphur Spring, showed 

that the water held a small quantity of the gas in solution. Marcasite 

forms contemporaneously with calcite (see pp. 244-245), but here calcite and pyrite are forming, with no marcasite. The ore solutions 

therefore appear to have belonged in the neutral zone in which a slight 

increase in the amount of carbonic acid could change the character 

sufficiently to determine the formation of marcasite but not enough 

to permit the formation of wurtzite.
248 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

QUANTITATIVE TESTS OF THE ARTESIAN-CIRCULATION

THEORY.

SUFFICIENCY OF SOURCE.

The average thickness of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks of 

the Ozark region as originally deposited must have been not far 

from 1,500 feet. In this series of rocks there are four or more sandstone formations, having a total thickness of about 350 feet. Robertson's analyses, already cited (p. 78), show the zinc content of the 

dolomitic limestones in the series, but the sandstones were not tested 

for their metal content. They may therefore be omitted from any 

estimate of the total zinc content of the Cambrian and Ordovician 

rocks, so that the thickness of dolomitic limestones to be considered 

is 1,150 feet. A square mile of sediments 1,150 feet thick would 

have a volume of 32,060,160,000 cubic feet. The area of the Ozark 

dome lying within the margin of the Pennsylvanian rocks, and therefore subject to the artesian circulation, is about 40,000 square miles. 

Buckley and Buehler 1 give the weight per cubic foot of seven samples 

of dolomitic limestones of this series, taken from several quarries in 

Missouri. The average weight for the seven samples is 156.1 pounds 

per cubic foot. Robertson's analyses show that the Cambrian and 

Ordovician limestones contain an average of 0.0425 pel1 cent of zinc. 

By taking the total volume per square mile in cubic feet, the total 

area in square miles, the weight per cubic foot, and the average zinc 

content as factors we find that these limestones contain 42,539,000,000 

tons of zinc.

The total zinc content of ore produced in the Ozark region to 1912, 

inclusive, as near as can be figured is about 3,250,000 tons. We 

may allow as much more for future mining. The loss of zinc in mining 

and concentrating in the Ozark region is about 50 per cent, so that 

the total original zinc content of ore bodies mined and to be mined 

in the region was 13,000,000 tons. The quantity of zinc in deposits 

that will never be discovered and in deposits too lean to work is hard 

to estimate, but we may put it at 26,000,000 tons, equal to twice 

that in deposits which have been mined and in deposits which will be 

mined, making a total of 39,000,000 tons of zinc, which we may 

accept as a reasonable estimate of the zinc that has been leached from 

the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks, transported down the dome, 

and segregated into workable or unworkable ore bodies.

By comparing this 39,000,000 tons with the 42,539,000,000 tons of 

zinc which, according to Robertson's analyses, the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks originally contained, it is seen that less than one onethousandth of their zinc content has been leached from those rocks.

i Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., The quarrying industry of Missouri: Missouri Bur. Geology and 

Mines, 2d ser., vol. 11, pp. 88, 95, 96, 98, and 102,1904.
TESTS OP ARTESIAN-CIRCULATION THEORY. 249

After due allowance has been made for the fact that, as Robertson's 

samples were collected largely from the central and eastern parts of 

the uplift and were therefore laid down nearer to the original Archean 

nucleus they were possibly richer in the metals than the average 

rock of the region, it is nevertheless plain that the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks were an ample source of the zinc.

SUFFICIENCY OF TIME FOB ORE SEGREGATION.

As the average thickness of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks of 

the Ozark region as originally deposited must have been not far from 

1,500 feet, a square mile of these rocks 1,500 feet thick would contain 

41,817,600,000 cubic feet. Buckley and Buehler 1 give the* porosity 

of seven samples of dolomitic limestone of Cambrian and Ordovician 

age taken from various quarries in Missouri. The average for the 

seven samples is 9.5 per cent. At this average porosity the total 

pore space in a square mile of dolomitic limestone 1,500 feet thick 

would be 3,972,772,000 cubic feet. The pore water filling this space at 

62 £ pounds to the cubic foot would weigh somewhat more than 

124,000,000 tons.

Chase Palmer determined the zinc content of the water of a 

deep well at Claremore, Okla., as 0.75 of a part per million, and of 

the water of the waterworks well at Pittsburg, Kans., as 0.44 of a 

part per million; and E. H. S. Bailey determined the zinc content 

of the Pittsburg water as 0.6 of a part per million. The average of 

these three determinations is 0.6 of a part per million. W. George 

Waring has determined the zinc content of the water from the 

Whitaker Park well at Pryor Creek, Okla., as 1.5 parts per million. 

It is possible that these waters are richer in zinc than the average, but 

on the other hand it is very probable that the first water circulating 

through the rocks dissolved and carried away more of the metals 

than were carried by the waters in more recent time. The average 

figure, 0.6 of a part per million, may therefore be regarded as a 

moderate estimate of the average zinc content of the ground water 

hi the Cambrian and Ordovician formations from which the Claremore and Pittsburg wells draw their supply. The pore water in 1 

square mile of these sediments, 1,500 feet thick, would therefore 

contain, in round numbers, 75 tons of zinc. As already noted, the 

area of the Ozark dome within the margin of the Pennsylvanian is 

about 40,000 square miles. This would give a zinc content of 

3,000,000 tons in the pore water of the Cambrian and Ordovician 

formations of the Ozark region. It has already been estimated that 

39,000,000 tons of zinc has been leached from the rocks and transported to the present deposits. If the pore water contains 3,000,000

i Buckley, E. R., and Buehler, H. A., The quarrying industry of Missouri: Missouri Bur. Geology and 

Mines, 2dser., vol. 2, pp. 88, 95, 96, 98, and 102,1904. . .
250 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

tons of zinc, it will need to be changed 13 times to transport 39,000,000 

tons.

The average radius of the Ozark dome inside the Pennsylvanian 

border is about 120 miles. The average radial path of water flowing 

down the sides of the dome will therefore be about 35 miles; but the 

mean effective artesian path will be longer than this, for the belt of 

shallow circulation (largely in Mississippian rocks) near the margin 

of the dome should not be included in estimating the mean, though 

its width should be added to the mean when that is derived. If we 

estimate this belt as about 25 miles in width, we shall have about 60 

miles as the true effective mean artesian path, and this is probably 

not far from right. Now, if the water has to flow down the sides of 

the dome and be replaced 13 times, the total time necessary will be 

the time required for water to travel 13 times 60 miles, or 780 miles.

In the absence of experimental data it is difficult to make an 

estimate of the rate of flow through such rocks. The pore spaces in 

dolomitic limestone are probably in large part discontinuous, so 

that the rate of flow would be slow. But it is not at all necessary 

or even reasonable to assume that the radial flow down the dome is 

through the dolomite itself. A large part of the water undoubtedly 

flows through joints, through arenaceous or otherwise porous strata, 

and along the bedding planes. This assumption, however, does not 

imply that such flow will not be effective in dissolving the metals 

from the dolomite and transporting them to the mineral areas. To 

the writer it seems more likely that the searching put and solution of 

the disseminated metals in the limestones is the work of ground 

water that saturates the limestones and works its way downward or 

upward (downward in the earlier and upward in the later stages of 

its artesian journey) through the dolomitic strata from one bedding 

plane or porous layer to another. Such passage would be relatively 

short and would deliver the metals to the more swiftly moving 

solutions in trunk channels by which they would be transported to 

the areas of mineralization. The rate of flow to be estimated, then, 

is that in the trunk channels and aquifers of the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks of the dome.

The main aquifer of the Cambrian and Ordovician of the Ozark 

area is the St. Peter sandstone, or "Pacific" sandstone, as it has been 

known in Missouri. This sandstone varies in size of grain from fine 

to coarse. No measurements of the porosity or grain of this sandstone from Missouri are known, but Buckley* gives the porosity of St. 

Peter sandstone from Argyle, Wis., as 19.06 per cent and gives a 

microphotograph of a thin section from which the average diameter 

of the grains can be calculated at about 0.27 millimeter. The average

1 Buckley, E. R., On the building and ornamental stones of Wisconsin: Wisconsin Geol. and Nat. Hist. 

Survey Bull. 4, p. 252, and pi. 66, fig. 2,1898.
TESTS OP ARTESIAN-CIRCULATION THEORY. 251

slope of the Ozark dome from the center toward the southwest is 

figured at 6.6 feet per mile. By substituting these data in Slichter's 

formula * for calculating the flow through soils, we get a probable 

rate of flow through the St. Peter sandstone of 6.8 feet a year. To 

insure an estimate that will not be excessive, 5 feet a year will be 

taken, and no estimate will be made of the flow through joints and 

along bedding planes. In order to change the ground water 13 

times, the number of times necessary to transport the total quantity 

. of zinc contained in the ore bodies 780 miles, as computed above, 

it would require somewhat more than 800,000 years.

This estimate is based on the assumption that the area pifected 

by the circulation was always as large as it now is. As a matter of 

fact, however, the area was at first small, and has gradually grown 

to its present size. The average radial distance the water has flowed 

during the period of its circulation is therefore but one-half the average distance it would have flowed had the area been constantly of 

the present size. For this reason it will be necessary to double the 

estimate reached above, and this will give us the minimum period for 

the transportation of the ores. As 1,600,000 years is but a short period 

compared with the lapse of time since the post-Carboniferous elevation 

which gave the Ozark uplift the outline of its modern structure and 

established the artesian circulation and began the segregation of the 

ores, it would seem that this test shows that there has been ample 

tune for the segregation of the ores in the manner postulated by 

the artesian-circulation theory.

DILUTION OF CONNATE WATER.

Let us now consider the effects of the dilution of the alkali metals 

and the chlorine of the connate water, or original sea water inclosed 

in the sediments when they were laid down. If the original pore 

water had the composition of sea water, then by the time an equal 

quantity of fresh water had entered the artesian circulation the mineral content of the original pore water would have been diluted to a 

certain extent, say one-half.

The problem is rather complicated and, for the sake of illustration, 

we may take first the case of simple dilution. If we add an equivalent volume of fresh water to the sea water and pour off half, we 

have diluted the saline constituents of the remaining portion to onehalf. If we again add an equivalent volume of fresh water and pour 

off half we have diluted the original saline constituents to one-fourth; 

in other words, the dilution increases in geometric ratio. With 13 

dilutions, that is, 13 changes of water, the number which we have 

seen would be necessary to segregate the ores of the uplift, we shall

1 Slichter, C. S., Theoretical investigation of the motion of ground waters: U. S. Geol. Survey Nineteenth Ann. Kept., pt. 2, p. 322,1899.
252 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN REGION.

have diluted the original salines to -^fa of their original strength. 

But the effect of adding ground water to a saturated formation in its 

receiving area as fast as that formation gives up ground water in 

its discharging area is more complicated. If into one end of a U 

tube filled with a quantity of saline solution an equivalent quantity 

of water is poured, saline solution of practically full strength will be 

discharged at the other end and the remaining solution in the tube 

will be diluted much more than one-half. The larger the cross section 

of the tube in proportion to the volume added and the less the velocity of flow, the more chance for mixing the solution and for diffusion 

and therefore the less the resulting dilution, which, however, can not 

be less than one-half. In small twisting passages, such as pore spaces, 

the flow is extremely slow, there is great opportunity for diffusion, 

and, moreover, the salts in solution are adsorbed by the walls of the passages; so that in fact the dilution of the saline elements in the renewal of ground water may approach the minimum (one-half) indicated above. This possibility is further strengthened by the following consideration. The water that replaces the connate water will 

not be pure but, as it was originally meteoric and had flowed through 

dolomitic limestones, it will carry a relatively high content of the 

alkaline earths and sulphates and a low content of alkali metals and 

chlorine. Connate sea water diluted by such a water will therefore 

not be depleted of its alkali metals and chlorine to the same degree 

as if it were diluted by pure water and it will gain in its content 

of alkaline earths and sulphates. The principal constituents of sea 

water, according to Dittmar, 1 are given in the first column of the following table; the second column shows the saline constituents of sea 

water divided by 8192, representing the dilution by 13 changes of 

water; the third column gives for comparison the average saline constitution of 13 deep-well waters in the vicinity of Joplin, Mo., all the 

well waters for which good analyses are available.

Saline constituents of sea water and of water of deep wells near Joplin, Mo. 

[Parts per million.]

Constituent.

Alkali metals (Na, 

Alkaline-earth met 

Chlorine (Cl)......

Sulphate (SOO...

K, etc.).. ..........................'.

Sea water.

11,104 

1,736 

19,390 

2,696

Sea water 

divided 

by 8192.

1.4 

.2 

2.4 

.3

Average of 

13 deep 

wells in 

Joplin 

district.

12.0 

60.5 

7.2 

14.4

Excess of 

column 3 

over 

column 2.

9X 

290X 

3X 

44 X

Assuming that the figures in column 3 represent the salinity of a sea 

water which has been diluted 13 times, we find, by comparing these

i Murray, John, and Hjort, Johan, The depths of the ocean, p. 176, London, 1912.
ENRICHMENT. 253

with the figures in column 2, that while each of the metallic bases and 

acids is present in greater quantity than the simple dilution would 

call for, the excesses are just what would be expected when the character of the diluting solution is taken into account. The greatest excess is naturally to be expected in the alkaline earths and the next 

largest in sulphate, for reasons already given. Since the diluting 

solution,. as already remarked, was necessarily not altogether free 

from the alkali metals or chloride, it follows that excesses in those 

substances also are possible. Nevertheless, when it is borne in mind 

that the constituents of the sea water have been divided by 8192, it 

seems to the writer that if the average alkali content of the deep-well 

waters of the Joplin region is only 9 times the hypothetical alkali 

content and the average chlorine content is only 3 times the hypothetical chlorine content, these facts indicate strongly that the actual 

dilution of the connate saline pore water was of the order here 

indicated.

There are several possibilities to be considered in this connection. 

The connate water may have represented a sea of different salinity 

from the present ocean. The Cambrian and Ordovician strata may 

have contained saliferous deposits which furnished salt to the artesian 

circulating water and thus helped to conserve its salinity. Lastly, no 

account has been taken of the dilution that came about during late 

Mississippian and early Pennsylvanian time, when the Mississippian 

limestone land was exposed to erosion and carved into a karst topography over much of the uplift. As has been already pointed out under 

the heading "Stratigraphy." /p. 26), the Mississippian rocks probably 

completely covered the Ozark dome at that time and hence may have 

effectually protected the underlying Cambrian and Ordovician rocks 

from the ingress of surface waters.

With these things in mind, it seems to the writer that the calculated number of changes of ground water necessary to transport the 

zinc agrees so closely with the apparent dilution of the connate sea 

water that it constitutes presumptive evidence of the identity of the 

processes and is a fair quantitative test of the artesian theory.

ENRICHMENT.

EXTENT OF ENRICHMENT IN THE JOPLIN DISTRICT.

Much difference of opinion has existed as to the extent of enrichment, more particularly of downward sulphide enrichment, in the 

Joplin region. Jenney recognized secondary deposits of blende, 

galena, chalcopyrite, greenockite, marcasite, and pyrite produced 

by alteration of the primary sulphides in the zone of oxidation and 

reduced to sulphides by organic matter lower down, but he evidently regarded them as of minor importance. Winslow derived
254 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

the deposits from the overlying and adjacent rocks by lateral secretion and downward flow, but recognized no addition of sulphides 

derived from the oxidation of the upper parts of the ore bodies themselves. Bain, on account of the vertical arrangement of the ores, 

thought that the greater number of the ore bodies were formed by 

downward sulphide enrichment, though he admitted that deposits 

formed by ascending solutions might show the same vertical arrangement. Buckley and Buehler, for the same reason, held that the 

sulphide ore bodies were formed by downward-moving solutions 

and that there has been little, if any, enrichment of the sulphides. 

Haworth concluded that oft-repeated enrichment from surface erosion 

of the ore bodies has been the main agency in the accumulation of 

the ore bodies. W. S. T. Smith minimized the importance of downward sulphide enrichment and concluded that the vertical order observed was due to ascending solutions. All agree upon the difficulty 

of distinguishing the secondary sulphides from the primary sulphides. 

There are no pseudomorphs of galena after sphalerite or of galena 

and sphalerite after marcasite or pyrite. The only evidence that 

there has been replacement of any sulphide by another sulphide is 

seen in the films of greenockite, galena, and covellite to be described 

later. Most of the writers mentioned above have contended that 

the ore metals were carried mainly as the sulphate and were precipitated as the sulphide by organic matter or hydrogen sulphide. 

If both ascending and descending solutions were of the same character, 

met the same precipitants, and deposited the sulphides in the same 

cavities without replacement, there is apparently no way to distinguish the later from the earlier generations of the sulphides. It 

has been suggested that the occasional small ruby-red crystals of 

sphalerite are secondary, but of this there is no good proof. The 

color is due partly to the size of the crystal, for in the same hand 

specimen the thinner translucent edges of the larger crystals of sphalerite of regular appearance may be just as ruby-red as the smaller 

crystals.

The crusts of sulphide ores deposited on old spikes, rails, and bits 

of iron in abandoned and submerged mine drifts, as illustrated by 

Bain,1 may at first thought seem to have been formed by secondary 

sulphide deposition from descending solutions, but they are not 

certainly so, for when an old drift in the Joplin region fills with water 

and the underground water table is raised some distance above the 

drift, one can not say what portion of the water in the drift is derived 

from the artesian circulating water. Moreover, the fact that these 

deposits are formed on iron has no significance, except to show that 

the sulphides are recent. Any ore metal reduced from solution

i Bain, H. F., Preliminary report on the lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Twenty-second Ann. Kept., pt. 2, pp. 158-159,1901.
ENRICHMENT. 255

through the influence of metallic iron would be precipitated in the 

metallic state, as is shown by the "lead tree" precipitate described 

on another page. . Most of the crystals of galena and sphalerite on 

the spikes are separated from the metallic iron by a layer of iron 

oxide. In some of the objects so incrusted it is difficult to determine 

whether the ore minerals are not accidental aggregates cemented 

by iron oxide, but in the two examples illustrated by Bain (the 

originals of which are at hand) there can be no doubt that the ore 

minerals crystallized in place, as the crystals are small and of perfect form, not cleavage fragments, such as would occur in any accidental aggregate. The sulphides were not deposited in acid sulphate 

waters, however, for on one of the specimens there are several small 

scalenohedral crystals of calcite, which evidently crystallized in place. 

Moreover, the cement of the aggregated crystals in both specimens 

is largely calcium carbonate and effervesces freely with dilute acid.

RESIDUAL ENRICHMENT.

Enrichment through residual concentration has doubtless occurred 

at many places. Such concentration has generally involved galena, 

which is not .so soluble as sphalerite, but at some places cerusite, 

smithsonite, and calamine also have been concentrated through the 

solution and removal of limestone gangue, leaving the ore minerals 

embedded in yellow clay and chert bowlders. Most of the very 

rich shallow deposits- that were worked in the early days of mining in 

the district were doubtless formed by such residual concentration.

OXIDE ENRICHMENT.

Bain used the term "oxide enrichment" to include that addition to 

the ore bodies which results from the precipitation as carbonates or 

silicates of the metals taken into solution in the upper oxidizing zone. 

Such precipitation would usually be a result of reaction with the wall 

rock or with substances held in solution in the ground water. Alteration of the ore minerals in place would not, of course, result in enrichment. The formation of smithsonite by replacement of limestone and 

of calamine by replacement of jasperoid has been fully described by 

Smith.1 However, both calamine and smithsonite at times have been 

deposited directly from solution without reaction with any solid substance, as is shown by the globular crystal aggregates of those minerals, which at places surmount the sulphide minerals. No doubt 

both oxide enrichment and residual enrichment have contributed to 

the formation of the rich shallow "silicate" deposits.

i Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Jopliii district folio (No. 148), 

p. 19,1907.
256 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

SULPHIDE ENRICHMENT. 

PKOCESSES INVOLVED.

. Downward sulphide enrichment includes the removal in solution of 

ore minerals from the upper part of an ore body and their precipitation as sulphides in the lower part of the same ore body. The process 

of sulphide enrichment has been very fully discussed by Emmpns.i 

Thought of as taking place in a single ore body within definite walls, 

the concept is simple; thought of as taking place in the complex ore 

bodies of the open, broken, confused ground of the Joplin region, however, the concept becomes complicated. The present ore bodies of 

the Joplin region undoubtedly incorporate some metals which, in their 

journey down the dome, have taken part in the composition and 

decomposition of ore bodies many times. Owing to the direction, of 

the underground circulation of the dome, those constituents of an ore 

body that are taken into solution in the zone of oxidation will be 

carried downward and very likely also to some extent laterally, so 

that they may be added to another part of the same ore body, or to 

some other ore body, or they may be disseminated through rocks at 

a distance from any ore body. It therefore follows that only a portion, possibly a small portion, of the metals taken into solution from 

any ore body will be redeposited in that same ore body. This is true 

of oxide enrichment, but seems especially true of downward sulphide 

enrichment, because the dissolved metal must almost invariably 

descend into the deeper circulation to reach an'available precipitant. 

Movement downward to this extent will likely be accompanied by 

considerable lateral movement, carrying the metals farther away from 

the immediate ore body from which they were derived. For these 

reasons it is believed that downward sulphide enrichment has been 

of very minor importance in the Joplin region.

There are several forms of sulphide deposits in the Joplin region 

which with fair safety can be said to be sulphide enrichments; among 

these are greenockite films, galena films, covellite films, wurtzite crystals, and stalactitic blende.

GKEENOCKITE FILMS.

The blende from the Joplin district carries a small percentage of 

cadmium, as the writer 2 has elsewhere noted. Nine composite analyses of about 45,000 samples, mostly carload lots shipped between 1900 

and 1913, show the average cadmium content of Joplin blende to be 

a little more than 0.3 per cent, equal to -^ of the zinc content. 

Of course this cadmium may not all be isomorphously mixed with the 

blende, but may in part represent the secondary greenockite described 

below as due to downward sulphide enrichment.

i Emmons, W. H., The enrichment of sulphide ores: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 529,1913.

«Siebenthal, C. E., Cadmium: U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1908, pt. 1, pp. 795-796,1909.
ENRICHMENT. 257

Jenney * noted that greenockite is a secondary mineral in the deeper 

levels, derived by alteration of cadmiferous blende in the zone of oxidation and precipitated below by the reducing action of organic matter. Smith,2 following Waring, also cited the occurrence of powdery 

films of greenockite upon sphalerite or other minerals as an example 

of downward sulphide enrichment. Smith says:

Greenockite is not uncommon near the lower limit of the zone of weathering, where 

it occurs as a product of secondary enrichment. It is most abundant on the surface 

of sphalerite crystals or on fracture surfaces within them, but is also'found on galena, 

calcite, chert, and calamine. As a coating it forms very thin dull films, easily rubbed 

off with the finger and with a color ranging from grass-green through yellowish green 

to citron-yellow.

Some of the coatings, however, adhere firmly, and when they are 

removed leave the surface of the blende much tarnished, possibly 

etched, indicating replacement of the blende. Apparently the cadmium sulphide is formed sometimes by replacement and at other 

times by precipitation through reducing agents already in solution, 

as, for instance, when deposited as easily removable powders, or when 

deposited on calcite and other minerals not sulphides. Rogers 3 

points out that some of the yellow films contain no cadmium and that 

the yellow coating on some calcite crystals is zinc sulphide instead of 

greenockite, concluding that "it is not sufficient to call every yellow 

coating greenockite."

However, greenockite does occur, and most of it must be secondary, 

since where it occurs there has always been oxidation and solution of 

the upper part of the deposit; but in the Miami district, where the 

surface formation, Cherokee shale, has prevented the oxidation of the 

upper part of the ore bodies, there is no greenockite.

Even if zinc to the amount of 186 times the cadmium in the greenockite films had been carried down and secondarily deposited, the 

total quantity would be of minor economic importance.

GALENA FILMS.

According to W. S. T. Smith, galena is occasionally found in dull, 

very dark gray or blackish films on the surface of sphalerite, or in 

lustrous films, with the characteristic color of galena, coating cleavage 

surfaces of sphalerite and penetrating some distance into its interior. 

These films tested chemically give good reactions for lead sulphide. 

They are always found close to the lower margin of the zone of oxidation, having been formed in the process of sulphide enrichment.

1 Jenney, W. P., The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., 

vol. 22, p. 199,1894.

2 Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 19,1907.

8 Rogers, A. P., Minerals of the Galena-Joplin district: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pp. 160- 

461,1904.

84551° Bull. 606 15 17
258 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OP THE JOPLIN EEGION.

COVELLITE FILMS.

Rogers 1 describes similar films of covellite as follows:

Sphalerite from the Big Coon mine on West Seventh Street in Galena is often coated 

with a bluish-black substance which penetrates the cleavage surfaces for a considerable distance, or, perhaps, as often, is entirely replaced by it in the form of a soft 

material of submetallic luster of the same color. This mineral has been identified as 

covellite. We therefore have covellite pseudomorphous after sphalerite. It seems 

probable that a metathetic reaction has taken place between the zinc sulphide and 

copper sulphate,-thus: ZnS+CuS04=CuS-f ZnS04 . Such a reaction does take place 

when sphalerite is heated in a closed tube containing a solution of copper sulphate to 

a temperature of 200° C., as experiments by the author show. Given sufficient time 

and favorable conditions, may not this reaction have taken place without the high 

temperature? Associated with the covellite and exterior to it is malachite, which 

is probably a further product of the decomposition of the covellite.

Galena from Cooper Hollow, Galena, is often partially replaced by cerusite, the 

unaltered galena remaining as a corroded fragment in the cavity. In these cavities 

covellite is found as an earthy, bluish-black material. Perhaps here the reaction 

PbS+CuS04=CuS+PbS04 has taken place.

 An average of two analyses of the pseudomorphs from the Big Coon mine by Mr. 

Edgar B. Haves gave the results in column 1. Calculating the Fe as .FeS, Zn as ZnS, 

representing the unchanged sphalerite, and deducting this and the SiO2 and recalculating to 100 per cent, we have the figures in column 2, while the theoretical [composition] for covellite is given in column 3.

Composition of covellite.

SiOg.......... ............................................................

Cu.. .....................................................................

Fe.. ......................................................................

Zn. .......... ............................................................ s. .........................................................................

1

4.47

18.80

1.17

.43. 68

31.37

99.49

2

67.10

32.90

100.00

3

66 40

qo fin

100.00

WURTZITE CRYSTALS AND STALACTITIC SPHALERITE.

Wurtzite is known from one locality in the Joplin region. Rogers,2 

who was the first to describe wurtzite from the district, gives the 

locality as an abandoned mine at the north end of the Missouri Lead 

& Zinc Co.'s land east of Joplin. The mineral is described as occurring as small hemimorphic hexagonal pyramids, with dull luster, 

averaging about 2 millimeters in length and 1 millimeter in thickness. 

These crystals are generally attached at the apex, the other end being 

terminated by a basal plane. The wurtzite crystals are either implanted on the sphalerite or occur in openings or cavities in it. The 

massive zinc sulphide upon which the wurtzite crystals are implanted

1 Rogers, A. F., Minerals of the Galena-Joplin district: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, pp. 459-460, 

1904.

2 Rogers, A. F., Annotated list of minerals occurring in the Joplin lead and zinc district: Kansas Univ. 

Quart., vol. 9, p. 163, 1900; Minerals of the Galena-Joplin district: Kansas Univ. Geol. Survey, vol. 8, 

pp. 461-462, 1904.
ENRICHMENT. 259

has a botryoidal, mammillary, or stalactitic form. Rogers believes 

that this massive zinc sulphide is also wurtzite, because of the close 

association of the wurtzite crystals with it, because of the similarity 

of color, streak, and powder, and, lastly, because some particles of the 

powder of the massive mineral seem to be doubly refracting. The 

massive zinc sulphide shows peculiar reticulate intergrowths of. 

galena.

Smith 1 has described such intergrowths as follows:

Intricate skeleton intergrowths in stalactitic form of fine-grained galena and finegrained radial sphalerite are common at the Combination mine, east of Joplin, forming 

what is called "combination ore," impossible to mill satisfactorily. * * * Galena 

constitutes the central part of the stalactitic forms, branching out in skeleton growths 

intermixed with fine-grained radial sphalerite which forms the outer and main part 

of most of the stalactites. More or less marcasite sometimes coats the outside of these 

galena-sphalerite stalactites, and stalactites were also noted formed chiefly of marcasite 

with a small central core of granular galena.

Chamberlin 2 has described and illustrated similar reticulated 

galena from Wisconsin as follows:

These reticulated forms also occur in the center of stalactitic aggregations of galena 

and blende, the reticulated cavities taking the place of the central cylindrical opening, common to stalactites. * * *

There is a form, likewise styled reticulated galena, that seems to owe its origin in 

part to the primal mode of its crystallization. It appears to have grown up along an 

extended octahedral axis by accretions to the adjacent faces, the result being an 

elongated prism capped by a pyramid. After this elongated crystal had attained 

certain very moderate dimensions, and apparently while it was yet growing, there 

sprang out thickly along its length a series of lateral crystals that grew in a similar 

manner, but at right angles. These are imbedded in blende and seem to have grown 

simultaneously with it, and to have been modified by their struggles with the competitive mineral, resulting in mutual encroachments, which produced, in the galenite 

crystals, successive contractions and enlargements of an irregular and unsyinmetrical 

sort. Subsequently the interior seems to have been, in part, redissolved after the 

manner above indicated, mainly along the central axes, but also on the margins and 

in irregular ways. The total result is that, being imbedded in blende and dependent on its irregular fracture for exposure, most specimens present a very complicated 

aspect. Its theoretical interest lies mainly in the fact that it is one of the evidences 

of the strictly contemporaneous deposition of lead and zinc ores.

The Combination mine referred to by Smith is on the land of the 

Missouri Lead & Zinc Co. and is doubtless the mine from which came 

the specimens described by Rogers. The writer obtained some 

material of the same sort from Ward's Natural Science Establishment, 

Rochester, N. Y. The only locality given is Joplin, but there can be 

little doubt that this material likewise came from the Combination 

mine.

1 Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 12, 1907.

2 Chamberlin, T. C., The ore deposits of southwestern Wisconsin: Geology of Wisconsin, vol. 4, pp. 385- 

386,1882.
260 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN KEGION.

This material has stalactitic, botryoidal, and massive forms of 

sphalerite, each of which shows the skeletal intergrowths of galena 

and sphalerite. The largest specimen of the stalactitic type appears 

to have grown pendant from a projecting clump of marcasite, and on 

the massive form there is an incrustation of marcasite an inch in 

thickness.

In the denser parts of the specimen of the massive type the sphalerite is dull brown in color and the fracture has a fine-grained appearance. With a hand lens the intergrowths of galena can be seen, 

either in reticulated areas or single wavy fibers. In thin section, the 

galena fibers are occasionally branching, and in some places thicken 

up into masses. The fibers generally lie roughly parallel to the 

fissures in the sphalerite, but appear to be independent of the 

fissures and show no evidence of having been introduced along them. 

There does not seem to be any wurtzite-in this part of the specimen. In the more open, spongy parts of the specimen there are 

numerous small pyramidal crystals of wurtzite, such as Rogers has 

described. Thin sections show the radial intergrowth of sphalerite 

and galena and areas of well-marked wurtzite. It is probable that 

the areas of wurtzite lie adjacent to the spongy cavities, but that can 

hardly be determined from the section, which went to pieces in the 

preparation.

The stalactitic specimens show stalactites from 2 to 6 or 8 millimeters in diameter, usually with a capillary tube in the center. Where 

the stalactites coalesce, they give rise to a massive stalactitic type. 

The stalactitic type very often develops into the botryoidal type. 

The radial intergrowths of galena and sphalerite are common, but 

some stalactites have little or no galena. No wurtzite was seen in the 

thin section of the stalactites, but it can be seen, macroscopically, in 

the crevices where adjoining stalactites come together. Smith, as 

noted above, says that some of the stalactites have a central core 

composed of galena. None of the typical round rodlike stalactites 

in the material at hand have a galena core, but there are two beautiful 

specimens of elongated forms of galena which are almost completely 

covered with a botryoidal incrustation of the radial sphalerite, which 

in turn is surmounted by perfect wurtzite pyramids as described by 

Rogers. Each specimen is likewise partly covered with marcasite, 

which is later than the sphalerite 'and apparently of the same age as 

the wurtzite, since wurtzite is found upon marcasite and marcasite 

upon wurtzite. The galena center in one specimen has the shape in 

cross section of a pointed Greek cross, and seems to be composed of 

four parallel elongated and flattened octahedral forms joined along 

a side edge. From each of the free edges, forming the pointed arms 

in cross section, there grows out a row of octahedral crystals of galena, 

much after the fashion described above by Chamberlin. In another
261

specimen the galena center is a single strip representing an elongated 

and flattened cube 70 millimeters in length, 10 or 12 millimeters in 

width, and 3 millimeters in thickness.

Whether or not the stalactitic blende beneath wurtzite crystals is 

itself wurtzite, as thought by Rogers, it must nevertheless have been 

deposited from descending solutions and in an empty cavity, since 

under no other conditions can a stalactite be formed. Chamberlin 1 

and Nason 2 both cite stalactites of pyrite, marcasite, galena, and 

sphalerite as proof of descending solutions and as deposited in cavities. If deposited by descending solutions the material of the stalactites must have been derived from the oxidation of the upper part of 

the ore body, and is therefore secondary and is a product of downward 

sulphide enrichment of more importance than those "already noted. 

So far as known to the writer, this is the only occurrence of the ores 

in stalactitic form in the district. The peculiar intergrowth of galena 

and blende is, with the exception noted below, likewise peculiar to the 

Combination mine, as is also the occurrence of wurtzite crystals. As 

the wurtzite is younger than the secondary blende it is also probably 

secondary. In fact, Noelting 3 reached the conclusion, after extensive 

study of the occurrence of wurtzite from many localities, that it is 

invariably secondary. As was noted on page 246, the wurtzite in the 

Gagnon mine at Butte, Mont., in the Horn Silver mine, near Frisco, 

Utah, and at Tonopah, Nev., is believed to be secondary, deposited 

from descending acid sulphate solutions. The wurtzite in the Era district, Idaho, was deposited simultaneously with calcite, probably from 

solutions practically neutral, and is apparently of primary origin. 

This material and that from Joplin is all the wurtzite from America 

that has been thus far described. As already noted, the wurtzite.at 

Joplin seems to be contemporaneous with the marcasite, with which 

it is intimately associated. This contemporaneity was to be expected, 

according to the results of the experiments made by Alien and associates, who, as outlined on page 243, obtained both marcasite and 

wurtzite from solutions acidified with strong acids. It would seem, 

then, that for some reason there was at this place a precipitation of 

zinc sulphide as wurtzite and of iron disulphide as marcasite from a 

descending solution containing free sulphuric acid. Elsewhere in the 

district, apparently, such descending solutions were for some reason 

unable to deposit wurtzite. In the experiments noted Alien was 

unable to produce wurtzite below 250° C. (480° F.). It is true that 

the oxidation of pyrite has been known to raise the temperature in 

mine drifts as high as 120° F., but it can hardly be supposed that the

1 Chamberlin, T. C., The ore deposits of southwestern Wisconsin: Geology of Wisconsin, vol. 4, pp. 

389-390,1882.

2 Nason, F. L., Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 22, p. 642,1894.

8 Noelting, Johannes, Ueber das Verhaltniss der sogenannten Schalenblende zur reguliiren Blende und 

zum hexagonalen Wurtzit, Inaug. Diss., p. 29, Kiel, 1887.
262 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

descending solutions in the combination ore body were at higher 

temperatures than those in adjacent ore bodies, or at anything like 

the high temperature indicated for the artificial formation of wurtzite.

The explanation of this deposit probably lies in the nature of the 

normal ground water of the district, which is naturally a potable 

water, dominated by carbonates of the alkaline earths, for Haworth 

says 1 that "the well and spring waters before the mines were opened 

were first class, probably not surpassed in pleasantness of taste by 

any in the United States." The underground water table before 

mining began lay near the surface, and the country rock was largely 

limestone. Descending acid solutions, generated by the oxidizing 

sulphides, were probably almost always neutralized at once before the 

zinc in solution came into contact with a reducing agent.

W. George Waring has called the attention of the writer to a white 

deposit on coal and carbonaceous shale in the Old Shaft at the 

Oronogo Circle mine, at Oronogo, Mo., which seems to be the product 

of a reaction of the sort described. An analysis of the material shows 

the following constituents:

Analysis of white deposit on coal and carbonaceous shale, Oronogo, Mo. 

[W. George Waring, analyst.]

ZnC03 .............................................................. 84.08

ZnS04 ......................................................... 12.74

H20 (by difference)............................................ 3.18

100. 00

This deposit was apparently made by a solution containing zinc 

sulphate derived from the decomposition of zinc blende, the sulphate 

having been mostly changed to the carbonate, probably by reaction 

with calcium bicarbonate in the ground water. It will be noted that 

the deposit has been formed on carbonaceous material in an advantageous position for the reduction of zinc compounds, if carbonaceous 

matter in the form of coal can accomplish such reduction.

Water dripping from the roof of the sheet ground near the Wallace 

shaft of the Boston Get There tract, at Prosperity, Mo., forms, on the 

floor of the drift, a deposit which consists of zinc carbonate with 

traces of iron and a little lime. Qualitative analysis of the water, 

made in the chemical laboratory of the United States Geological Survey, shows that it contains calcium, sulphate, and carbonate in quantity; silica, 20 milligrams per liter, and zinc possibly 20 milligrams per 

liter, with a trace of lead. Probably here also a solution which, like 

the one noted above, originally containing zinc sulphate derived from 

the oxidation of sphalerite, has reacted with a calcium bicarbonate 

water.

i Haworth, Erasmus, A contribution to the geology of the lead and zinc mining district of Cherokee 

County, Kans., p. 34,1884.
ENRICHMENT. 263

Reactions such, as these would undoubtedly be general in the zone 

of oxidation and in the upper portion of the ground water and would 

account for the lack of sulphide enrichment.

Pogepny- 1 points out that sulphides are not formed in nature in the 

presence of air and therefore can not have been formed in the superficial zone or zone of oxidation, but must have been formed in depth. 

It is well known, of course, that sulphide and oxygen are chemically 

incompatible. Most secondary sulphides are deposited below water 

level. Although the upper part of the ground water may contain considerable available oxygen in the shape of dissolved air, or as free 

acids, Emmons 2 has shown that the quantity of free sulphuric acid, 

which is the significant acid in sulphide enrichment, rapidly decreases 

from the surface of the water downward, owing to the presence of 

neutralizing compounds in solution, in the gangue, or in the wall rock. 

Spencer 3 has shown that at Ely, Nev., the quantity of oxygen which 

rain water can hold in solution is not sufficient to have accomplished 

the oxidation which preceded the removal of the sulphides from the 

oxidized capping; hence he concludes that a large part of the oxygen 

came from the air that circulated in the capping. It is therefore conceivable that the descending currents of water and air may be so 

depleted of oxygen in the lower part of the superficial zone above the 

water level that precipitation of the sulphides can occur. Some such 

supposition as this is apparently necessary to account for the formation of the galena, sphalerite, and marcasite stalactites which have 

been reported from the upper Mississippi Valley region as well as 

from the Joplin region. Such a condition, however, seems to have 

been of very local occurrence in the Joplin region, and the sum total 

of enrichment by such sulphide deposition is inconsiderable.

Mr. R. S. Fitch called my attention to a pocket of ore on the 230- 

foot level in the Oronogo Circle mine, in which the sphalerite is of two 

generations. The first generation is of the ordinary variety with the 

usual cleavage and crystalline forms. This generation is bordered by 

crystals of chalcopyrite and beyond the chalcopyrite is an incrustation, 

a quarter of an inch thick, of dark blende, which has a wavy, somewhat radial cleavage. The incrustation, by filling in and around the 

crystals of the earlier generation, gives the whole a botryoidal shape. 

In thin section the incrusting portion is seen to be composed of an 

intimate undergrowth of galena and sphalerite of the same general 

character as that in the stalactitic ore from the Combination mine. 

In some places the intergrowth takes the form of parallel laths of 

galena and sphalerite; at other places there are smaller patches in 

which the lines of intergrowth run nearly at right angles to the lines

1 PoSepny, Franz, Ueber die Entstehung der.Blel-und Zinklagerstatten in aufloslichen Gesteinen: Bergund Huttenmannisches Jahrb., vol. 42, pp. 129-130,1894.

2 Emmons, W. H., The enrichment of sulphide ores: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 529, pp. 89, 90,1913. 

s Spencer, A. C., Chalcocite enrichment: Econ. Geology, vol. 8, pp. 630-632,1913.
264 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN EEGION.

in adjoining patches, giving a lattice-like effect somewhat like microcline twinning. Rarely a fiber of the sphalerite will appear to be 

doubly refracting, but this fact can hardly be taken to establish the 

presence of wurtzite; for, as Noelting 1 points out, sphalerite sometimes 

displays optical anomalies, though usually in thicker plates. As noted 

above, the specimen came from the 230-foot level. The lower limit 

of the oxidized zone in this mine lies at a depth of 75 or 80 feet. 

Between the oxidized zone and the 230-foot level ordinary sphalerite 

is found. It does not seem possible that the intergrowth of galena 

and blende here described, though resembling the secondary intergrowths from the Combination mine and though surmounting chalcopyrite and demonstrated to be a late generation, can be secondary; 

that is, derived from the zone of oxidation and deposited by descending waters, for the intervening 150 feet shows no evidences of secondary deposits. It is therefore concluded that this intorgrown ore is 

primary but of a late generation.

CONCLUSION.

The writer is in complete accord with the following statements of 

Smith: 2

Aside from the small and unimportant amounts of sulphides unmistakably due to 

second concentration which have just been described, the recognition of sulphides 

deposited by descending waters is generally a difficult matter, both because they 

have been formed in the same way as the ores of first concentration in the same place 

and by the same reducing agents and because they occur merely as accretions to 

the older deposits. The difficulty is increased by the fact that, as pointed out by Van 

Hise and Bain, the ores of first concentration have continued to form ever since their 

deposition began and are probably still forming, so that additions to the deposits are 

being made by both ascending and descending waters. For this reason little can be 

determined by paragenesis, since different generations of ores might be equally well 

referred to either the ascending or the descending solutions. Furthermore, the later 

deposits are probably in many cases, if not usually, formed from a mingling of the two 

systems of waters, and where this is true, discrimination of the results is, of course, 

impossible. * * *

In all instances noted by the writer where sulphide enrichment had apparently 

taken place, the amount of this enrichment, so far as it could be determined, was 

small as compared with the volume of the ores of first concentration, and generally 

of email economic importance. This is believed to be generally true for the district 

as a whole, although there may be a few ore bodies in which the ores of second concentration form an important part of the deposit near the lower limit of oxidation.

It can not be questioned that ore bodies within the zone of oxidation in the Joplin district are subject to oxidation and solution and 

are removed by those processes, a portion of the metals in solution 

being reprecipitated as sulphides. The present writer concludes that

i Noelting, Johannes, Ueber das Verhaltaiss der sogenannten Schalenblende zur regularen Blende und 

zum hexagonalen Wurtzit, Inaug.-Diss., p. 7, Kiel, 1887.

* Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district, folio (No. 148), 

p. 19.1907.
IMPOVERISHMENT. 265

very little of the ore redeposited as sulphides can be recognized as 

having been transferred from the upper to the lower part of the same 

ore body, and that most of the material removed from an ore body 

during oxidation and redeposited as sulphides is transported and is 

added to other ore bodies, where it can not be distinguished from the 

minerals of primary deposition; and, accordingly, that recognizable 

downward sulphide enrichment in the Joplin district is negligible in

quantity.

IMPOVERISHMENT.

That portion of an ore body in the zone of oxidation above water 

level is subject to .decomposition and solution. In vein deposits, 

owing to the tendency of the vein walls to confine the flow, the 

material removed is most likely to be carried directly downward 

and, under suitable conditions, to be added to the lower part of the 

same ore body, resulting in enrichment. In other forms of deposits, 

however, the material may be transported laterally to a distance, in 

which event the original ore body is said to have suffered impoverishment. In the Joplin district the shallower "bunchy" or "broken 

ground" deposits, owing to the open character of the rocks, were 

peculiarly subject to this form of impoverishment during the 

weathering of the ore bodies.

Not only from the action of such descending waters did the ore 

bodies suffer impoverishment, but there are indications that ascending waters likewise caused impoverishment. In the sheet-ground 

deposits, which lie below the water table, galena and sphalerite are 

at many places etched, the sphalerite having a pitted to feathery 

surface and the galena having the octahedral faces truncating the 

cube deeply etched or corroded. The etching leaves the minerals 

bright and fresh looking and seems not to be due to oxidation. Specimens of galena from the Oronogo Mutual mine at Oronogo, Mo., 

which show this etching particularly well, came from the sheet ground 

at a depth of 170 feet below the level of Center Cre0k and 5 feet below 

any previous working. The galena had therefore always been below 

the permanent water level and below the water level established by 

pumping in that section. The specimens were furnished by W. George 

Waring, who states that the mine water is slightly alkaline.

In the mines at Miami, in both the shallow levels and the deep 

levels, some of the galena and sphalerite is etched and corroded. 

No oxidation whatever has taken place in these deposits, which have 

been protected from surface waters by a covering of Pennsylvanian 

shale and in which the water level stood at the surface until mining 

began. It seems certain that the etching of these minerals was due 

to the waters of the ascending artesian circulation, because there is 

good evidence (see pp. 203-205, 225-228) that the present mine 

waters are a part of the artesian circulation, and there is nothing to
266 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN

indicate that the ore bodies have ever been in the zone of oxidation 

since their segregation.

It is impossible to say absolutely that none of the removed material has been redeposited within the ore body, resulting in enrichment, 

but from the fact that the etching occurs in both the shallow and 

deep levels it is believed that there was little if any redeposition and 

that on the whole the action was that of impoverishment.

PRACTICAL BEARING OF THEORIES OF ORIGIN ON 

EXPLOITATION OF THE DEPOSITS.

IMPORTANCE OF THE SUBJECT.

The question of the genesis of the Joplin zinc and lead deposits is 

not merely of academic interest. On the contrary, it has a most 

practical bearing on prospecting and development work in the region 

and particularly on the broad selection of areas for prospecting. 

Practical application of deductions from the theories of descending 

solutions, laterally moving solutions, and ascending solutions will here 

be made to the actual or probable occurrence or nonoccurrence of 

ores in certain areas and under certain conditions. This will involve 

some repetition and restatement of facts scattered through the foregoing pages. It will be pointed out wherein it seems to the writer 

that some of the theories fail to explain certain conditions and how 

action on fair deductions from certain theories might lead to material 

losses in prospecting.

Ascending meteoric solutions heated by the intrusion of igneous 

bodies into sedimentary rocks must necessarily have derived the 

metals from the sedimentary rocks and have transported them by the 

artesian circulation. The effect of the heat would be to render the 

water more active. As it has already been shown that the artesian 

waters at normal temperatures are fully capable of taking the disseminated sulphides into solution, it is perhaps not necessary, in the 

absence of known intrusions in the mining region, to consider further 

the possibility of the influence of such intrusives on the artesian circulation. For identical reasons it is also probably not necessary to 

consider the alternative suggestion that magmatic waters dissolved 

metals from the sedimentary rocks and segregated them where they 

are now found.

OCCURRENCE OF ORE BENEATH MARGINAL PENNSYLVANIAN

SHALE.

Smith * suggested the possibility of a belt of zinc and lead deposits 

in the area of Pennsylvanian rocks west of the known ore-bearing 

areas. This suggestion has been justified by the discovery of exteni Smith, W. S. T., and Siebenthal, C. E., U. S. Geol. Survey Geol. Atlas, Joplin district folio (No. 148), 

p. 10,1907.
3EAEING OP THEORIES ON EXPLOITATION OF DEPOSITS. 267

sive ore bodies under the Pennsylvanian shale in the Miami district 

of Oklahoma and by their proved extension northward into Kansas 

under thicknesses of Pennsylvanian shale ranging from 50 or 60 to 

300 feet. Under the artesian-circulation theory such deposits might 

naturally be expected in this position, the determining conditions 

being, first, suitable openings to receive the ores, and second, location 

not so far back beneath the shale as to be beyond the reach of the 

artesian circulation. The writer has on pages 34 and 205, suggested 

that the hydrostatic pressure of the outflowing artesian- circulation 

forces a portion of the water forward beneath the inner margin of 

the Pennsylvanian shale, which results in a slow return flow toward 

the center of the uplift in the open ground just beneath the shale 

adjacent to its inner margin. This slow return flow in the open 

breccia ground favors the escape of carbon dioxide, and consequently 

the precipitation of the metals as sulphide by the hydrogen sulphide, 

and the writer believes that this part of the artesian circulation has 

been especially effective in the formation of the ores. It is plain that 

neither descending solutions nor laterally moving solutions could 

accomplish the segregation of ores .in this position. Under these 

theories it would be considered useless to search for ore in such locations; whereas under the theory of ascending solutions this would be 

a prospective mining territory.

OCCURRENCE OF ORE ABOVE THE CHATTANOOGA SHALE.

No workable ore bodies have been found in the area extending 

from the vicinity of Granby, Mo., southeast to Fayetteville, Ark., 

and westward from this area to the border of the Pennsylvanian rocks 

in Oklahoma, which is known to be underlain by apparently persistent Chattanooga shale, as shown on Plate III. Under the theory of 

ascending solutions no ore was to be expected in this territory, as 

the ore-bearing artesian waters were prevented from ascending to 

the surface by the impervious shale. On the other hand, if the 

Boone furnished the metals, as postulated by the lateral secretion 

theory held by Schmidt and Winslow, or if the Pennsylvanian furnished the metals by descending solutions, as postulated by Buckley 

and Buehler, there is no apparent reason why the ores should not 

have been deposited throughout this region, for the Boone is the 

surface formation throughout this area, and the Pennsylvanian rocks 

formerly covered the whole region. Under the theories of descending 

or of laterally moving solutions this area would be prospective mining 

territory. Under the theory of ascending solutions ore would be 

looked for only in faults which permitted the ascent of solutions 

from below the shale. The Seneca fault is the only one known in 

this area, and ore deposits were found along its course from the 

northern margin of the Chattanooga shale to the point where the
268 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIF REGION.

thickness of the shale was greater than the throw of the fault, and 

thus sealed it. If the ores were deposited by ascending solutions, 

therefore, it would probably be a waste of money to prospect in this 

area above the shale, except where there were evidences of faulting 

or some other reasons for believing that the shale beneath was not 

persistent.

OCCURRENCE OF ORE AT THE LEVEL OF THE CHATTANOOGA

SHALE.

As pointed out in the body of this report, a systematic campaign of 

drilling was undertaken by the Granby Mining & Smelting Co. to 

develop a deep run of ore in the Granby district. The results of this 

drilling established the presence of a fairly persistent ore horizon at 

the level of the Chattanooga shale at a depth of about 300 feet, as 

shown on Plate IX. Buckley and Buehler pointed out in their 

report on the Granby area, which antedated the drilling, that if the 

ores have been deposited by ascending solutions they should occur 

plentifully at the horizon of the Chattanooga shale, where the solutions first came in contact with reducing material. The results of 

the drilling fully justify then: reasoning. It remains to consider 

whether solutions moving directly downward from the surface could 

have formed these deposits. To whatever theory of ore deposition 

we may adhere, the fact of an artesian circulation in the Ozark 

uplift can not be denied. As shown on pages 33 to 37, the currents 

in the territory adjoining the retreating edge of the Pennsylvanian 

shale were ascending, especially at the places where the shale was 

first penetrated by erosion. The ore-bearing solutions can hardly 

be supposed to have diffused downward to the depth of the Chattanooga shale against these ascending currents. Directly descending 

solutions could hardly have reached such depths to deposit these 

ores unless the general underground water table had been lowered 

nearly to this level by the retreat, down the slope, of the inner edge 

of the Pennsylvanian. But experience in the Joplin region has 

shown that the water table in all new camps stood nearly at the 

surface of the ground or at least not lower than the surface drainage, 

and everything indicates that it stood so during the period of ore 

deposition.

OCCURRENCE OF ORE IN KINDERHOOK ROCKS.

In certain districts of the Joplin region the drill shows indications 

of ore rather widely distributed in the Kinderhook rocks in the 

lower part of the Boone formation. It has been recently proposed 

to prospect these rocks beneath a small structural basin shown on 

the structural map in the Joplin district geologic folio, on the supposition that descending waters would tend to be confined by the
BEARING OF THEORIES ON EXPLOITATION OF DEPOSITS. 269

inclined limbs of the syncline and would deposit ores in the Kinderhook rocks in the lower part of the basin. For the reason already 

stated, it is not likely that descending solutions could have penetrated or diffused to such depths against the ascending currents, 

which must have existed, either to have deposited original ore bodies 

or to have enriched other deposits. On the other hand, there is no 

reason why the deposits might not have been formed in this location 

by ascending solutions if suitable openings existed and if physical 

conditions were right for their precipitation.

OCCURRENCE OF DEEP DEPOSITS OF ORE.

Lead and zinc ore has been mined at Aurora, Mo., in the eastern 

part' of the Joplin district, at 320 feet in depth and is now being 

mined at that depth at Miami, Okla., in the extreme western part of 

the district. Indications of ore as strong as those usually regarded 

as justifying exploitation have frequently been found at greater 

depths than these in drilling in the district. Under the assumption 

of ascending solutions there is a chance that workable bodies of ore 

may be found at considerably greater depths than any heretofore 

worked. Under the theories of descending or laterally moving solutions it seems highly improbable that there are workable ore bodies 

at such depths.

POSSIBILITY OF IGNEOUS ORIGIN OF THE ORES.

In the foregoing discussion of the bearing of the theories of origin 

on practical field operations no distinction has been made between 

ascending artesian meteoric waters and ascending magmatic solutions. This report has been addressed to marshaling the evidence in 

favor of. the origin of the ores from meteoric waters, and so, too, 

have almost all the reports dealing with the ores of the region, but 

the magmatic theory has not been without supporters. As already 

noted, an igneous origin for the ore deposits of the Ozark region was 

adopted by Jenney,1 and has been advocated by Nason,2 Wheeler,3 

Spurr,4 Thomas, 5 'and Pirsson, 6 although of these only Jenney has 

made detailed studies of the deposits.

Thomas suggested that the uplifting of the dome was possibly connected with the intrusion of igneous masses which may have supplied metal-bearing solutions. Pirsson thinks that the ore deposits

1 Jenny, W. P., Lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley: Am. Inst. Min. Eng. Trans., vol. 22, 

pp. 219-223, 1834.

3 Nason, F. L., The disseminated lead ores of southeast Missouri: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 73, pp. 478- 

480,1902.

8 Wheeler, H. A., Notes on the source of the southeast Missouri lead: Eng. and Min. Jour., vol. 77, pp. 

517-518, 1904.

« Spurr, J. E., A theory of ore deposition: Min. and Sci. Press, vol. 96, pp. 662-663, 1008.

6 Thomas, Kirby, The Rand banket: Min. and Sci. Press, vol. 108, p. 226, 1914.

6 Pirsson, L. V., Origin of certain ore deposits: Econ. Geology, vol. 10, pp. 180-186, 1915.
270 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

may be related to intrusions, not yet uncovered by erosion, possibly 

of the general type of the mid-Cretaceous peridotite dikes and eleolite 

syenite intrusives of Arkansas or of the peridotite and lamprophyre 

dikes of western Kentucky and southern Illinois. Besides these 

intrusions in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Illinois there is the granite 

dike at Spavinaw, Okla., described by Drake 1 and the pegmatitic 

intrusion in Camden County, Mo., described by Winslow 2 and others, 

as well as the basic dikes in Ste. Genevieve County, Mo., which 

Buckley 3 says appear to have been intruded into the lower part 

of the Bonneterre formation. No ore deposits are associated even 

remotely with any of these intrusions, except those of southern Illinois and western Kentucky. The age of none of these intrusions is 

known except that of the peridotite dikes of Arkansas, which Miser 4 

has shown to be mid-Cretaceous. Most of the intrusions are 

younger than the Carboniferous at least, and there is no evidence 

that they do not all date from the middle of Cretaceous time, which 

may fairly be presumed.

Nothing in the composition of the ores suggests that they were 

formed by hot waters. If formed by magmatic waters they must 

have traveled far enough from the parent igneous mass to have 

become cooled to normal ground-water temperatures. If formed by 

intrusions before the artesian circulation was initiated and while yet 

the Pennsylvanian shale covered the dome, the magmatic waters 

must have escaped upward through fractures in the sedimentary 

rocks, in which case we should expect the ore bodies to show some 

relation to the fractures. Though the ore bodies are closely related 

to solution channels, nothing comparable to fissure veins is to be 

noted. It seems unlikely, therefore, that the deposits can have been 

formed in this way. If formed by intrusions after the artesian circulation was established, the cooled magmatic waters probably 

mingled with the artesian waters. The location of any ore deposits 

from such mingled solutions would be determined by the artesian 

circulation, and there probably would be nothing in the form, composition, or location of the ores to distinguish those due to the magmatic water from those due to the meteoric water. Pirsson alludes 

to the fact of occurrence of the ores as evidence of igneous activity 

on the grounds that ore deposits are in general of igneous origin, 

but it is to be doubted whether this is available as evidence, since 

these deposits belong to a type the origin of which the world over 

has been constantly in dispute between the magmatists and the

1 Drake, N. F., A geological reconnaissance of the coal fields of Indian Territory: Am. Philos. Soc. Proc., 

vol. 36, pp. 338-342,1897:

2 Winslow, Arthur, Lead and zinc deposits: Missouri Geol. Survey, vol. 7, pp. 432-434,1894.

3 Buckley, E. R., Lead and zinc deposits of the Ozark region: Types of ore deposits, p. 105,1911. 

< Miser, H. D., New areas of diamond-bearing peridotite in Arkansas; U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 540, 

pp. 541-545, 1914.
SUMMARY. 271

advocates of meteoric waters, the latter having perhaps the preponderance of numbers.

The artesian-circulation theory starts with a proved ample source, 

connects that source with the iron, the lead, and the zinc deposits of 

the uplift through processes which can be observed in operation in 

the region, and offers in evidence the deposits themselves, which in 

location, form, composition, and gangue are in complete harmony 

with the theory.

The magmatic hypothesis can be put forward only as a possibility, 

as it starts with no proved source, it appeals to no process which can 

be recognized in operation in the region, and offers no single characteristic of the ore deposits which would be diagnostic of origin 

under the suggested process in contrast with the processes of the 

artesian circulation.

SUMMARY.

The theory that the Joplin ores were segregated from disseminated 

zinc and lead minerals in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks of the 

Ozark uplift by artesian-circulating alkaline-saline sulphureted waters 

rests upon these facts, among others:

1. Since the Ozark dome was formed the circulation of the underground water in it has necessarily been artesian, the water flowing 

down the sides of the dome in the Cambrian, Ordovician, and overlying rocks and rising at the inner edge of the Pennsylvanian shale.

2. This circulating water is alkaline-saline, is dominated chemically by salts of the alkali metals, and holds in solution hydrogen 

sulphide and carbon dioxide facts shown by analyses of the artesian 

waters rising from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks on the slope 

of the dome, but especially by analyses of waters of wells reaching 

that horizon in the bordering Pennsylvanian area.

3. Waters of this character are competent to dissolve and transport the metals, as is shown by chemical experiment. Similar 

waters in other regions, notably in Kentucky, bring the metals to 

the surface, where, on the escape of the carbon dioxide, the dissolved 

metals are precipitated as sulphides by the hydrogen sulphide.

4. The waters of the Ozark artesian circulation rising from the 

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks are now dissolving the metals and 

bringing them to the surface, as is shown by analyses of such waters 

given herein and most conclusively by the presence of zinc and lead 

sulphides in the sediments deposited from such waters in reservoirs 

of waterworks and in other reservoirs.

5. The Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, as shown by analyses 

made by Robertson, contain zinc and lead in disseminated form and 

are a sufficient source of the metals.

6. The ratios of zinc to lead in the Cambrian and Ordovician limestones, in the reservoir sediments, and in the ores as mined are almost
272 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

identical, the metals of the sediments and the ores having been 

derived from the limestones according to the theory presented in this 

paper, whereas the ratios of zinc to lead in the crystalline rocks of the 

St. Francis Mountains and in the Mississippian rocks are decidedly 

different from the ratios in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks as 

well as from each other.

7. The ratios of zinc to lead and to copper in the Cambrian and 

Ordovician rocks and the ratios of zinc to lead, copper, and iron in 

the ores and the sediments are in harmony with those required by 

the relative solubility of the mixed sulphides in contact, as determined by Gottschalk and Buehler, and by the relative ages of the 

deposits.

8. The ores of the different metals are disposed concentrically 

about the crystalline nucleus and about the center of the structural 

uplift, as demanded by Gottschalk and Buehler's results.

9. The Mississippian limestones adjacent to the ore deposits are 

largely dolomitized, whereas similar limestones in a similar position 

(except as to similar artesian circulation) in other districts than the 

Ozark region are not dolomitized. The Cambrian and Ordovician 

rocks are largely dolomites and magnesian limestones, and the waters 

drawn from that horizon are rich in magnesium.

The Mississippian limestones associated with the ore deposits are 

at some places completely silicified to chert or jasperoid, though at 

other places in the Mississippi Valley similar limestones, not associated with ore deposits, are not so silicified. The waters from the 

Cambrian and Ordovician rocks contain notable quantities of silica 

in solution.

If dolomite, jasperoid, and ore were carried up from the Cambrian 

and Ordovician by ascending currents their general association is 

easily understood. If they were brought down from above there is 

no apparent reason why there should not be dolomite or jasperoid in 

the limestones in other parts of the Mississippi Valley that were 

once overlain by Pennsylvanian rocks.

10. Where the unbroken continuity of the Chattanooga shale precludes the ascent of such solutions from the Cambrian and Ordovician 

rocks below, there are no deposits of ore, dolomite, or jasperoid in the 

overlying cherty limestones. Where, on the other hand, the shale is 

absent or its continuity is broken, as by the Seneca fault, there are 

deposits of ore, jasperoid, and dolomite. These facts demonstrate 

that the ores were deposited by ascending solutions and that these 

solutions rose from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks.

11. Deep drilling in the Granby district has disclosed a practically 

persistent ore horizon at the level of the Chattanooga shale or immediately beneath it, which is to be expected if the ore solutions came 

from below the shale, but not if they came from above it.
SUMMARY. 273

12. The mining areas lie in a practically continuous belt, (except 

the area underlain by unbroken Chattanooga shale) around the inner 

margin of the Pennsylvanian rocks, an arrangement most easily 

explained by postulating deposition from ascending artesian water 

at the inner edge of the Pennsylvanian rocks.

13. The deep-lying deposits of zinc and lead that have been struck 

in drilling in the Joplin district and elsewhere occur at depths that 

could be reached only by meteoric waters having artesian circulation.

14. The mine waters at Miami, Okla., the only mines beneath the 

unbroken Pennsylvanian shale and hence presumably the only mine 

waters truly representing the ore-depositing solutions, are the only 

sulphureted mine waters in the district, and, in the synoptical table 

here presented (pp. 149, 150) fall alongside the water from the deep 

wells at Miami, Okla., and Clinton, Mo. The water from the Church 

mine showed, on analysis, a trace of zinc.

15. The occurrence of ore at the base of the Pennsylvanian rocks in 

places where, as at Miami, Okla., the rocks are not cut through by 

erosion, implies .deposition by ascending waters.

16. The occurrence of bitumen associated with the ores at the base 

of the Pennsylvanian rocks is incontrovertible evidence that the 

solutions bearing the hydrocarbon that was fractionated by the shale 

were ascending.

17. Lead and zinc deposits of greater or less economic importance 

are associated with all geanticlinal uplifts and some of the marginal 

slopes of the Mississippi Valley that is to say, they occur in regions 

affording artesian circulation of ground water.

18. Lead, zinc, copper, and iron are precipitated from the deepwell waters of the Ozark region on standing, as a result of the escape 

of carbon dioxide. The ore deposits of the Joplin region occur 

typically in breccias. Breccias favor the adsorption of the metallic 

salts and the escape of the gases in ascending solutions, but would not 

have the same effect on descending solutions. Therefore, the occurrence of the ores in breccias in the Joplin region indicates deposition 

by ascending solutions.

19. In the Miami district, where very little surface water enters 

the mines, the quantity of water necessary to be pumped to keep the 

underground water table down to a particular level is remarkably 

constant, being entirely free from seasonal variations. However, as 

mining has grown deeper and more extended, the quantity of water 

to be raised has steadily increased to more than treble its original 

quantity. This water is charged with hydrogen sulphide and otherwise closely resembles the deep-well waters, but it differs greatly 

from surface water. It is therefore probably a deep water which has 

ascended from the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks under artesian 

pressure, and it is probably similar to the solutions that deposited 

84551° Bull. 606 15 18
274 ZINC AND LEAD DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN REGION.

the ores. So also there must be a constant deep-seated increment 

to the mine waters of all the mining districts of the Joplin region, 

though this increment may be almost completely masked by the 

seasonal variations.

20. Calculations based on the large-quantity analyses of the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks of the Ozark dome show that they contain 

more than 1,000 times as much zinc as is estimated to have been contamed in the minable and unminable ore bodies of the dome. The 

zinc content of the pore water in the Cambrian and Ordovician rocks 

of the dome is one-thirteenth that of the estimated ore bodies of the 

dome. The pore water would have to be completely changed 13 times 

to transport the metals of the ore bodies. The original pore water of 

the dome probably had approximately the composition of sea water. 

If sea water is diluted to twice its volume 13 times in succession the 

solution will have only 81192 of its original salinity. On comparing 

the saline content of sea water divided by 8192 with the average 

saline content of the water of a number of wells about Joplin it is 

found that the well waters contain nine times as much of the alkali 

metals and three times as much chlorine. The excesses in alkaline 

earths and sulphate are much greater, but they are obviously contributed by the surface waters added to the artesian circulation. 

The close agreement of the alkalies and the chlorine with the theoretical dilution indicates that the ground water has changed just 

about the number of tunes necessary to transport the metals of the 

ore deposits.
INDEX.

A.

Acid waters, occurrence of................. 245-247

Acidity of solutions, means of determining... 85-88 

Acidity of water, relation of temporary hardness to......... .................... 87

Acknowledgments for aid.................... 21-22

Adams, G. I., on the origin of zinc and lead

ores of northern Arkansas........ 40-41

Adsorption, influence of, in the deposition of

salts from solution............. 223-225

Afton municipal wells, sediment from, analysis of......................... 164-166

water from, analysis of................... 138

Alba well, water from, analysis of............ 129

Alkalinity of natural waters, Chase Palmer

on............................... 83-84

Alkalinity of solutions, means of determining. ............................. 85-88

Alleghany Spring, water from, analysis of.... 118

Alien, E. T., acknowledgment to............ 22

and Crenshaw, J. L., on the precipitation of zinc sulphide by sodium 

thiosulphate..................... 62

and Johnson, John, on the reduction

of ferrous and ferric sulphates.. 63 

on the relations between the disulphides of iron and between 

the sulphides of zinc......... 243-247

Alum springs, nature of..................... 44

Analyses of waters, sources of............... 88-92

Antimony, occurrence of, in deposits of

galena........................... 216

Antonienquelle, water from, analysis of..... 112

Arbuckle Mountain uplift, structure and ore

deposits of....................... 218

Archean rocks of Missouri, metal content of.. 78,

80-81 

Argosy mine, galena over sphalerite in a

cavity in. ..................... 237,238

Arienheller Sprudel, water from, analysis of. 108 

Artesian circulation. See Circulation, artesian. 

Ash Grove well, water from, analysis of...... 130

Auerbach, Pleissner and, on the solubility of

lead carbonate................... 56

B.

B. & C. mine, water from, analysis of........ 132

Bacteria, action of, in reducing sulphates.... 63

Bailey, E. H. S., acknowledgment to........ 22

on the transfer of metallic sulphates by

streams.......................... 68-69

Bain, H. F., on the formation of jasperoid... 181 

on the origin of Joplin ores............... 41

on the origin of lead and zinc deposits in 

the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar 

district.......................... 213

on the sources of mine water............225,226

Page. 

Bamford mine, ore deposits in............... 221

Barium salts, solubility of, in presence of

carbon dioxide................... 55

Batesville formation, occurrence of, in the

Ozark uplift..................... 28

. Be'champ, A., on the formation of calcium

hydrosulphide................... 49

Becker, G. F., on the solubility of metallic

sulphides........................ 48

Bedford Alum Spring, water from, analysis

of................................ 119

Belcher well, sediment from, analysis of... 164-165 

water from, analysis of................... 126

Belle Isle, metallic sulphides on........... 208-211

Bernice well, water from, analysis of......... 140

Berryville, anticline near.................... 30

Bicarbonates, precipitation of metals from... 69-70 

transfer of metals as............ 52-60,66,68-69

Bischof, Gustav, on the precipitation of zinc

sulphate by hydrogen sulphide.. 43 

on the reduction of sulphates by organic

matter........................... 64

Bitumen, indications from the presence of... 16 

Bitumen, occurrence of, at the base of the

Pennsylvanian shale........... 205-206

Black Hawk well, water from, analysis of.... 144

Black Sulphur Spring, sediment from, analysis of.......................... 164,166

sediment from, microscopic examination

of................................ 186

sulphates in......................... 247

water from, analysis of................... 134

Blackwell, W. E., acknowledgment to....... 23

Blanket breccia, use of term................. 38

Blue mud, pelagic, content of lead and zinc

in............................... 73-76

Bonneterre, Mo., incrustation from, analysis

of................................ 177

Bonneterre limestone, distribution of ore deposits in....................... 201-202

occurrence of, in southeastern Missouri... 24 

Boone formation, occurrence of, in the Ozark

uplift............................ 26-28

ore horizons in........................... 39

Boston Mountains, folds and faults near..... 30-31

location and altitude of.................. 23

Boulder city water, analysis of............... 143

Branner, J. C., on the origin of zinc and lead

ores of northern Arkansas....... 40-41

on the structure of the Ouachita uplift... 217 

Breccia-filled cavities, vertical order of me:

tallic sulphides in.............. 238-239

Breccias, conditions affecting ore deposition

in......................... 223-225,230

Bromides of lead and zinc, solubility of...... 46

Brown well, water from, analysis of......... 139

Brunswick well, water from, analysis of..... 125

Buck, W. 0., acknowledgment to........... 23

275
276 INDEX.

Buckley, E. R., on the distribution of lead 

deposits in southeastern , Missouri.......................... 201,202

and Buehler, H. A., on the influence of 

diffusion on the deposition of 

sulphides........................ 241

on the origin of Joplin ores........... 40

on the relation of the Joplin ore deposits to the Chattanooga shale. 193-194 

on the solubility of iron salts in presence of hydrogen sulphide and 

carbon dioxide.................. 54

on the sources of mine water....... 225-226

on the vertical distribution of the

sulphides...................... 229-230

Buehler, H. A., acknowledgment to......... 22

Buckley, E. E., and, on the influence of 

diffusion on the deposition of 

sulphides........................ 241

on the origin of Joplin ores........... 40

on the relation of the Joplin ore deposits to the Chattanooga shale. 193-194 

on the solubility of iron salts in presence of hydrogen sulphide and 

carbon dioxide................... 54

on the sources of mine water....... 225-226

on the vertical distribution of the

sulphides...................... 229-230

Gottschalk, V. H., and, on the'order of

oxidation of the sulphides....... 44-46

Buttermilk springs, nature of................ 44

C.

Caddo oil well, water from, analysis of....... 116

Cadmium sulphide, occurrence of.......... 256-257

Cambrian dolomites of Missouri, metal content of........................ 78,80-81

Cambrian rocks, distribution of, in the Ozark

region........................... 24

thickness of, in the Ozark region....... 248-249

Canada, lead and zinc deposits in............ 223

Carbonaceous sediments, source of lead and

zinc in.......................... 70

Carbonates, formation of.................... 52-53

reduction of, by organic matter.......... 65-66

solution of, in presence of hydrogen sulphide........................... 54-56

transfer of metals as..................... 52-60

Carbon dioxide, ability of, to retain salts of

metals in solution............... 54-56

increase of, in ground waters with depth. 61 

Carles, M. P., on the ability of carbon dioxide

to retain salts of metals in solution 55-56 

Carlsbad Sprudel, water from, analysis of.... 113

Carolaquelle, water from, analysis of......... 114

Carterville formation. See Chester group. 

Caspar-Heinrich-Quelle, water from, analysis

Of............................... 115

Cave Spring, water from, analysis of......... 136

Cavities, positions of galena and sphalerite in,

in open and sheet ground...... 235-239

Chalcopyrite, solubility of, as compared with

other sulphides.................. 44-46

Chamberlin, T. C., on the relative positions of 

lead and copper deposits of Wisconsin. .......................... 178

reticulated galena described by.......... 259

Chapman & Lennan mine, water from,

analysis of.................... 138,140

Chattanooga shale, absence of ore deposits

above.............. 15,196-197,267-268

absence of dolomite and jasperoid above.. 15,

196-197

an. effective barrier to the ascent of orebearing solutions................ 41

deposition of............................ 31

heavy ore deposits at the northern margin of...................... 16,198-199

occurrence of, in the Ozark uplift......... 25-26

ore deposits at the level of....... 39,193-196,268

Cherokee shale, deposition of................ 32

occurrence of............................. 28-29

Cherokee well, water from, analysis of....... 135

Chester group of the Boone formation, occurrence of......................... 27-28

ore horizon in........................... 39

Chico Spring, water from, analysis of........ 136

Chlorides of lead and zinc, solubility of...... 46

Church, A. H., experiments by, on the siliceous replacement of limestone. 180-181 

Church, L. C., acknowledgment to.......... 23

Church mine, water from, analysis of........ 137

Cincinnati uplift, structure of................ 212

Circle deposits, formation of................ 207-208

Circulation, artesian, action of, at Miami,

Okla.......................... 203-205

artesian, changes in the direction of...... 35-37

conditions governing................ 33-34

establishment of.................... 12,159

formation of deep disseminated lead

deposits by.................... 201-202

importance of theories of............ 33

ore deposits formed by, under Pennsylvanianshale................ 266-267

successive stages of.................. 34-37

sweetening of water by.............. 156

transfer of metals by .............. 160-161

See also Waters. 

 Claremore, Okla., wells, water and sediment

from, analyses of.............. 164,166

.Clark, J. D.,experiment by, on the reduction

of sulphates by carbon.......... 63

Tolman, C. F., and, on the dispersion of

colloidal copper sulphide........ 50-51

; Clark, Mrs. Marion L., acknowledgment to.. 22 

Clarke, F. W., on the thickness of deep-sea 

I sediments....................... 73-74

and Steiger, George, on lead and zinc in

igneous rocks.................... 67

'Classification of zinc-bearing and related

waters........................ 147-148

. Clennell, J. E., on the reduction of gold cyanide by charcoal................ 64

Clerc, F. L., on the origin of Joplin ores...... 40

Clinton [Mo.] Light & Water Co.'s well, sediment from, analysis of......... 164-165

Clinton [Mo.] well No. 1, water from, analysis

of............................... 125

No. 2, water from, analysis of............ 124

No. 3 (Britts), water from, analysis of.... 125

Cold Sulphur Spring, water from, analysis of. 142 

Colloidal dispersion of sulphides.............. 50-51

Colloidal particles of sulphides in ground

water, improbability of.......... 167
Page. 

Columbus, Kans., municipal well, water and

sediment from, analyses of. 135,164-165 

Conductivities of natural sulphides, series of.. 44 

Confused ground. See Open ground. 

Coppahauak Spring, water from, analysis of.. 117 

Copper, presence of, in crystalline rocks.... 157-158

ratio of, to zinc in rocks, reservoir sediments, and ores............!.. 169-172

Cornfield bar, sheet ground near, lateral

order of sulphides in........... 240-241

Cornfield well, water from, analysis of........ 126

Covellite, films of, formed by sulphide enrichment........................ 258

Cox, G. H., on copper deposits in southwestern Wisconsin................... 178

Cox Spring, water from, analysis of.......... 128

Crane, G. W., on the deposition of ores of

iron........................... 174-175

Cransac Spring, water from, analysis of...... 115

Crawford County, quaquaversal structure in. 30 

Crenshaw, J. L., and Alien, E. T., on the precipitation of zinc sulphide by sodium thiosulphate.............. 62

Alien, E. T., and Johnson, John, on the 

reduction of ferrous and ferric 

sulphates....................... 63

and Johnson, J., on the relations between the disulphides of iron and 

between the sulphides of zinc.. 243-247 

Cuthbertson, Benjamin, acknowledgment to. 22

D.

Day, David T., on bitumen from Miami,

Okla............................ 206

Decaturville dome, quaquaversal structure of 30 

Deposition of metals from sea water in clays

and calcareous muds............. 69-70

in dolomitic muds....................... 70-71

Deposition of salts, influence of adsorption

in............................. 223-225

Deposition of sulphides, most favored by open

ground.......................... 230

Devonian rocks, distribution of............... 25-26

Diffusion, influence of, on the deposition of

sulphides........................ 241

Dilution of connate water................... 19-20

Dolomite, absence of, in Mississippian rocks 

beneath the Pennsylvania^ in 

other regions.................. 191-192

absence of, in the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district..................... 216

above Chattanooga shale.......... 196-197

association of, with ores....:............ 15

formation of, by artesian waters........ 187-192

in the Aspen district, Colo......... 184-185

occurrence and formation of........... 183-184

occurrence of, along Seneca fault....... 197-198

Dolomitic muds, deposition of lead and zinc in 70-71 

Doughty Black Spring, water from, analysis

of............................... 141

Doughty Drinking Spring, water from, analysis of........................... 142

Du Eocher, water from, analysis of.......... 107

E.

Electric potentials, solution of metals governed by........................ 14-15

Elevations, distribution of metals complicated by...................... 175-176

Elisabethquelle, water from, analysis of..... Ill

Elisabethbrunnen, water from, analysis of... 110 

Enrichment, probable extent of........ 20,253-255

oxide, results of......................... 255

sulphide, processes involved in.......... 256

through residual concentration, results of. 255 

Estill well, water from, analysis of.".......... 121

Etching, examples and causes of........... 265-266

of sulphides under crusts of less soluble

sulphides........................ 45

Eulenhofer Qnelle, water from, analysis of... 115

Fairland well, water from, analysis of....... 140

Fayettoville formation, occurrence of........ 28

Federal Loan mine, water from, analysis of.. 145 

Felix well, water from, analysis of........... 122

Ferrous and ferric sulphates, reduction of.... 63

Field work, record of........................ 21

Finlayson, A.M., on lead and zinc in rocks of

Great Britain................... 67-68

Flow, rate of, through Cambrian and Ordovician rocks................... 250-251

Fluorite, occurrence of, in the Kentuckylllinois fluorspar district............. 213,214

Fontinalissprudel, water from, analysis of... 114 

Fort Scott well, water from, analysis of...... 135

Fox, E. W., on the comparative conductivity

of metalliferous veins............ 45-46

Freeman Foundry well, water from, analyses

of............................. 128,131

Friedensville, Pa., formation of zinc and iron

deposits at.................... 220-221

Fulton [Mo.] State Hospital well, scale from,

analysis of..................... 164-165

water from, analysis of.................. 128

Fulton [Mo.] waterworks, sediment from,

analysis of..................... 164-165

G, 

Ga'gnon mine, water from, analysis of........ 146

Galena, films of, formed by sulphide enrichment ............................ 257

former presence of, traces showing..... 231-232

occurrence of, in Louisiana salt mounds 208-211 

predominance of, over sphalerite near the

surface.......................... 17-18

solubility of, as compared with other

sulphides.................. 44-46,47-50

in solutions imitating the deep waters.......................... 57,59-60

transfer of, downward ................ 233-234

See also Lead.

Gangue minerals, relations of the metals to. 178-179 

Genesis of the Joplin ores, theories of........ 39-42

Geyser mine (500 feet), water from, analysis

Of............................... 144

Geyser mine (2,000 feet), water from, analysis

Of............................... 141
278 INDEX.

Gibson, John, analysis of manganese nodule

by.............................. 72

Globigerina ooze, thickness and rate of deposition of......................... 75-76

Gold cyanide, reduction of, by charcoal...... 64-65

Gooch, J. P., acknowledgment to............ 22

Gottschalk, V. H'., and Buehler, H. A., on 

the order of oxidation of the sulphides.......................... 44-46

Granby district, deep drilling in........... 194-195

production of zinc and lead in..... 195-196,234

Grand Falls chert member of the Boone formation, occurrence of............ 27

ore horizon in........................... 39

Gray spar, occurrence of..................... 183

Green Mountain mine, water from, analysis

of............................... 146

Greenockite, films of, due to sulphide enrichment.......................... 256-257

Greger, D. K., acknowledgment to.......... 23

Grosser Sprudel, water from, analysis of..... 107

Grossherzogin-Karolinenquelle, water from,

analysis of....................... 112

Guber Spring, water from, analysis of....... 115

H.

Halloween mine, galena over sphalerite in.. 237,238 

Hardness, temporary, relation of, to acidity of

water.. 1........................ 87

Harrington well, water from, analysis of..... 129

Harris, G. D., on the formation of salt masses

from rising artesian waters..... 209-210

Hatschek, E., and Simon, A. L., on the formation of bands in quartz veins.. 182 

Hawkins, F. H., acknowledgment to........ 23

Haworth, Erasmus, on the genesis of ores at

Pleasanton, Kans............. 206-207

on the grouping of mining camps in the

Ozark region.................... 200

on the origin of Joplin ores.............. 40

on the sources of mine water............. 226

Headden, W. P., acknowledgment to........ 22

Heap, R. R., on the pumping of mine water

in the Miami district.......... 227-228

Heath, George L., acknowledgment to....... 22

Hegoda mine, arrangement of the sulphides

in............................. 238-239

Hollensprudel, water from, analysis of....... 114

Hopkinsville well, water from, analysis of... 121 

Hoppe-Seyler, experiment by, on the reduction of a sulphate by methane... 63 

Horse Creek anticline, position of............ 31

Hunt, T. Sterry, on the deposition of metals

in dolomitic limestone........... 71

Hydrogen sulphide, precipitation of sulphides by........................ 61-62

presence of, in mine waters at Miami,

Okla.......................... 203-205

I.

Igneous rocks, lead and zinc content of...... 66-68

solution and transfer of metals in........ 68-69

Impoverishment, indications of............ 265-266

Indicators of acidity and alkalinity, behavior

of............................... 85-88

Iodides of lead and zinc, solubility of........ 46

lonization in ore solutions................... 42-13

Page. 

Iowa, limestones in, metal content of........ 79

Iron, disulphides of, relations between..... 243-247

ores of, occurrence of, at Pilot Knob and

Iron Mountain.................. 24

relative position of.................. 175

oxide ores of, deposited as sulphides..... 38

presence of, in crystalline rocks of the

Ozark region.................... 158

ratio of, to zinc, in rocks, reservoir sediments, and ores............... 169-172

sulphides of, synthesis of.............. 243-247

Iron Mountain, iron ore found at............ 24

Irvine, Robert, and, Murray, John, on the 

deposition of iron in deep-sea sediments ........................... 77

Murray, John, and, on the reduction of

sulphates by organic matter..... 63

J.

Jasperoid, absence of, in Mississippian rocks 

beneath the Pennsylvanian in 

other regions................... 191-192

absence of, above Chattanooga shale... 196-197 

association of, with ores............ 15,178-179

formation of, by artesian waters....... 187-192

in the Aspen district, Colo........ 184-185

r61e of colloidal silica in............ 181-183

occurrence of, along Seneca fault....... 197-198

in the Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar

district.......................... 216

origin of............................... 179-180

Jefferson City limestone, ore deposits in...... 39

Jenney, W. P., on the distribution of ore depositsintheO zark region....... 200

on the origin of Joplin ores............... 40

Johnson, John, Alien, E. T., Crenshaw, J. L., 

and, on the reduction of ferrous 

and ferric sulphates.............. 63

on the relations between the disulphides 

of iron and between the sulphides

of zinc......................... 243-247

Johnson well, water from, analysis of........ 118

Joplin anticline, location of ................*.. 30

Julien, A. A., on the association of marcasite

with calcareous rocks............ 244

K.

Kahlenberg, Louis, and Lincoln, A. T., on

colloidal silica in natural waters. 181

Kainzen (St. Antons) Quelle, water from,

analysis of....................... 108

Karst topography, development of, in the

Ozark uplift..................... 28,32

Kay, S. A., Walker, James, and, on the determination of acidity or alkalinity of solutions.................. 86-87

Keiser, E. H., on water from the Radium well

atClaremore, Okla.............. 100

Kentucky-Illinois fluorspar district, structure

and ore deposits of............ 213-217

Kentucky mineral waters, A. M. Peter on the

occurrence of zinc in............. 94-97

Keyes, C. R., on the distribution of ore deposits in the Ozark region....... 200

on the origin of Joplin ores.............. 40-41
INDEX. 279

Page. 

Kinderhook rocks not an effective barrier to

the ascent of ore-bearing solutions 41 

ore deposits in...................... 39,268-209

Kings Mineral Spring, water from, analysis of. 118

L.

Lakeside Spring, water from, analysis of..... 132

Lamotte sandstone, occurrence of, in southeastern Missouri................. 24

Lateral order of sulphides in sheet ground.. 240-241 

Leaching of galena and sphalerite, results of. 233-234 

Lead, carbonate of, solubility of, in presence

of carbon dioxide................ 56-57

deposits of, distribution of, in the Mississippi Valley..................... 38

vertical distribution of, in the Joplin

region........................... 38-39

haloid compounds of, solubility of....... 46-47

occurrence of, at great depths.......... 202-203

presence of, in crystalline rocks of the

Ozark region.................." 157-158

production of, in the Granby district.... 234

sulphide of, solubility of, in brines....... 46-47

See also Galena and Metals. 

Leitmeier, H., on the solubility of lead carbonate in presence of carbon dioxide.............................. 56-57

Leonhard, Alexander, Schmidt, Adolf, arid,

on the origin of Joplin ores...... 39-40

Lesley, J. P., on the genesis of zinc deposits in

the Saucon Valley......... 220,221-222

Levings, J. H., on the occurrence of gelatinous

silica.......................... 181-182

Light, C. J., acknowledgment to............. 23

Limestones, deposition of lead and zinc in... 70 

of Iowa, metal content of................ 79

Lincoln, A. T., Kahlenberg, Louis, and, on

colloidal silica in natural waters. 181 

Lindenquelle, water from, analysis of........ 107

Lindgren, Waldemar, on the transportation

of lead as chloride............... 46-47

on water from the Federal Loan mine... 101 

Llano uplift, structure and ore deposits of... 218 

Louisville spring, water from, analysis of.... 123

Lullusquelle, water irom, analysis of........ 113

M.

Magmatic source of ore deposits, possibility

of............................. 269-271

Manganese nodule, analysis of............... 72

Marcasite, association of, with calcareous

rocks.......................... 244-247

crystallized, formation of, from artificial

solutions........................ 243

solubility of, as compared with other sulphides........................... 44-46

Marsh, J. T., acknowledgment to............ 23

Martinusquelle, water from, analysis of...... 110

Merwin, H. E., acknowledgment to......... 22

microscopic examination of deposits of

sulphur springs................ 186-187

Metals, precipitation of, order of... 158-159,160-161 

segregation of............................ 13

solution of, governed by electric potentials 14-15 

order of........................... 158,160

Page. 

Metals, transfer of........................ 160-161

See also Lead and Zinc. 

Miami. [Okla.] district, arrangement of ore 

bodies beneath Pennsylvanian 

shalein....................... 239-240

etching of minerals in................. 265-266

sources of mine water in............... 226-227

zinc and lead deposits in, character and

genesis of....................... 203-205

Miami ice plant, water from, analysis of..... 139

Mida Spring, water from, analysis .of......... 117

Miller, B. L-, on the formation of zinc and 

iron deposits in the Saucon Valley............................ 220-221

Mine waters, constant inflow of......... 16,225-228

10 in southeastern Missouri, average analysis of........................... 131

Mining districts, distribution of, with reference to.the Pennsylvanian shale 200-202 

Minnequa Spring, water from, analysis of.... 116

Mississippianrocks, deposition and erosion of. 31-32 

distribution of........................... 26-28

in Missouri, metal content of......... 79,80-81

Missouri, rocks of, analyses of................ 77-79

Missouri, southeastern, distribution of lead

depositsin.................... 201-202

Missouri Lead & Zinc Co.'s well, water from,

analyses of...................... 127

Missouri Zinc Fields, water from, analysis of. 133 

Mizpah mine, water from, analysis of........ 145

Murray, John, and Irvine, Robert, on the 

deposition of iron in deep-sea 

sediments....................... 77

and Irvine, Robert, on the reduction of

sulphates by organic matter..... 63

and Renard, A. F., on the composition of

deep-sea sediments.............. 74

on the rate of deposition of deep-sea

sediments....................... 75

on the source of metals in deep-sea

sediments....................... 76

N.

Nashville uplift, structure of.............. 212-213

Nason, F. L., on. the occurrence of disseminated lead deposits.............. 202

Ndris-les-Bains, water from, analysis of...... 113

Neutrality of solutions, means of determining. 85-88 

Nevada well, water from, analysis of........ 124

New York, lead and zinc deposits in, genesis

of............................. 222-223

Niederbronn, water from, analysis of........ 109

Nowata well, water from, analysis of........ 137

O.

Open ground, deposition most favored by... 230 

ore deposits in, stratigraphic position of.. 39 

positions of galena and sphalerite in cavities in......................... 237-239

Ordovician dolomites of Missouri, metal content of........................ 78,80-81

Ordovician rocks, distribution of............ 24-25

thickness of........................... 248-249
280 INDEX.

Page. 

Ore deposits, deep, occurrence of............ 269

formation of............................. 13

favored by reverse flow of ground water. 34 

heavy, at the northern margin of the

Chattanooga shale............. 198-199

 igneous origin of, possibility of........ 269-271

occurrence of, around the Ozark uplift. 200-202 

theories of the origin of.................. 39-12

vertical distribution of.................. 38-39

Ore solutions, ionization in.................. 42-43

nature of................................ 42-43

slight acidity or alkalinity of............ 18-19

Organic matter, precipitation of sulphides by. 62-66 

Origin of ore deposits, theories of, practical importance of...................... 266

Original features of the report............... 21

Oronogo, Mo., white deposit on coal at...... 262

Oronogo Circle mine, two generations of

sphalerite in.................. 263-264

Oronogo-Duenweg belt, arrangement of ore

deposits in.................... 235-237

Oronogo Mutual mine, etching of minerals in. 265 

Oronogo well, water from, analysis of........ 127

Ostwald, W., on the properties of solutions.. 81-82 

Ouachita uplift, structure and ore deposits of. 217 

Outline of the report........................ 11-20

Oxidation of sulphides, order of............. 44-46

Oxygen, source of, for removal of sulphides.. 263 

Ozark region, areal geology of................ 24-29

historical geology of........... 11-12,31-32,157

lead and zinc districts of................. 38

volume of sulphide-bearing rocks in... 248-249 

Ozark uplift, arrangement of pervious and impervious strata in............... 33-34

character of ground water in........... 159-160

geography of............................ 23

location and altitude of.................. 11

rise and erosion of...................... 32,159

 shifting of culminating point of.......... 175

structure of.............................. 29-31

transfer of metals in............... .... 160-161

waters of interior and border wells of,

compared...................... 155-157

.P.

Paleozoic time, events of.................... 157

Palmer, Chase, acknowledgment to.......... 22

experiment by, on the precipitation of

lead and zinc from solution...... 241

on alkalinity of natural waters.......... 83-84

on the geochemical interpretation of water

analyses......................... 82-84

on the solubility of zinc carbonate in 

presence of hydrogen sulphide 

and carbon dioxide............. 54

Pennsylvania, zinc and lead deposits in... 220-222 

Pennsylvanian rocks, occurrence of.......... 28-29

Pennsylvanian shale, distribution of mining

districts with reference to...... 200-202

metal content of......................... 79-80

ore deposits beneath........... 203-205,266-267

vertical order of................... 239-240

Peter, A. M., acknowledgment to........... 22

on the solubility of metal salts in presence 

of hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide .................... 54

Page. 

Peter, A. M., on the occurrence of zinc in

Kentucky mineral waters........ 94-97

Peter, Eobert, on the solubility of carbonates

in presence of hydrogen sulphide

and carbon dioxide.............. 54

Petroleum, fractioning of, when forced

through shale................ .'. .' 206

Pilot Knob, iron ores found at............... 24

Pink spar, occurrence of..................... 183

Pittsburg, Kans., municipal wells, sediment

from, analysis of............... 164-165

reservoir, water from, analysis of........ 135

well, water from, analysis of............ 136

Well No. 3, water from, analysis of...... 136

zinc hi water and reservoir sediment at.. 173 

Place relations of the ore deposits.......... 173-177

Pleasanton circle, genesis of ore deposit in.. 206-208 

Pleissner and Auerbach on the solubility of

lead carbonate................... 56

Pockets. See Cavities.

Poncha Spring, water from, analysis of...... 141

Porosity of fine-clay sediments, experiments

on............................... 72-73

ofrocksof the Ozark region.............. 249

Posepny, Franz, on the origin of the ores of

metals........................... 174

Positions, relative, of the ore deposits..... 173-177

Pre-Cambrian rocks, distribution of......... 24

Precipitation of metals, order of... 158-159,160-161 

Prosperity, Mo., deposit of zinc salts at.... 262

Providence well, water from, analysis of.... 129

Pryor Creek well, water and sediment from,

analyses of.................... 164,166

Purdue, A. H., on lead and zinc deposits in

eastern Tennessee............. 218,219

Pyrite, crystallization of, from artificial solutions............................ 243

solubility of, as compared with other

sulphides..............'-..- 44-46,47-50

Quaternary deposits, distribution of......... 29

Quaquaversal structure, occurrence of....... 30

R.

Radium well, water from, analysis of........ 139

Ransome, F. L., preface by................. 9-10

Ratios, average, of metals in rocks, reservoir

.. sediments, and ores ........... 169-172

Red clay, pelagic, content of lead and zinc in. 73-76 

Redell well, water from, analysis of.......... 130

Renard, A. F., Murray, John, and, en the 

composition of deep-sea sediments ........................... 74

on the rate of deposition of deep-sea sediments ........................... 75

on the source of metals hi deep-sea sediments. ......................... 76

Renfro well, water from, analysis of......... 120

Reservoir sediments. See Sediments, reservoir. 

Rhenser Sprudel, water from, analysis of.... 108

Roach's Crystal Cave, occurrence of calcite

withmarcasitein.............. 244-245

Roanoke Red Sulphur Springs, water from,

analysis of....................... 117
INDEX. 281

Robertson, J. D., analyses of rocks of Missouri by......................... 77-79

Rockbridge Alum Spring No. 2, water from,

analysis of....................... 119

Rogers, A. F., on the formation of covellite... 258

Royal Gorge Cold Spring, water from, analysis

of............................... 143

Royal Magnesian Spring, water from, analysis

of............................... 123

Ruby Trust mine, galena over sphalerite in. 238,239

Run of ore, use of term...................... 38

Sadieville well, water from, analysis of...... 120

St. Francis Mountains, quaquaversal structure near........................ 30

St. Joe limestone member of the Bcone formation, occurrence of............... 27

St. Peter sandstone, occurrence of, in southeastern Missouri................. 24-25

Salinity of natural waters, Chase Palmer on 83-84 

Salt mounds, metallic sulphides in........ 208-211

Salztrinkquelle, water from, analysis of...... 110

Sanders well, water from, analysis of........ 120

Sayre well, water from, analysis of........... 123

Schlichter, C. S., principles of circulation developed by...................... 33-34

Schmidt, Adolf, and Leonhard, Alexander,

on the origin of Joplin ores...... 39-40

Schonbornsprudel, water from, analysis of... 109 

School well, water from, analysis of.......... 122

Schweitzer, Paul, on the reduction of calcium

sulphate by organic matter...... 64

Sea water, analysis of........................ 112

metals yielded to sediments by.... 69-71,76-77

Secondary deposition, use of term........... 233

Sediments, deep-sea, content of lead and zinc

in...............;.-............- 73-76

deep-sea, source of metals in............. 76-77

deep-sea and delta, analyses of........... 72,74

reservoir, analyses of.............. 162-166

average ratios of metals in ...... 14,169-172

sulphides of metals in....... 13-14,102-173

zinc i n, rate of deposition of......... 173

Seelheim, F., experiments by, on the porosity .

of fine-clay sediments............ 72-73

Segregation of the ore deposits.......... 13,157-101

Seneca fault, ore deposits, dolomite, and jaspcroid along................... 197-198

position of............................... 31

Shale, organic matter in, influence of, in precipitating sulphides............. 64-66

See also Chattanooga, Cherokee, and

Pennsylvanian shales. 

Sharp well, water from, analysis of.......... 121

Sheet ground, deposition favored by.'........ 230

lateral order of sulphides in............ 240-241

ore deposits in, stratigraphic position of.. 39 

positions of galena and sphalerite in pockets in......._.................. 235-237

use of term.............................. 38

Shepard, E. M., on the origin of Joplin ores.. 40 

Shoal Creek Spring, water from, analysis of.. 133 

Short Creek oolite member of the Boone formation, occurrence of........... 26-27

Page. 

Silica, colloidal, role of, in the formation of

jasperoid...................... 181-183

Silurian- rocks absent from the western Ozarlc

region........................... 25

Silver, R. D., acknowledgmen t to........... 23

Silver well, sediment from, analysis of..... 164-105

(above 1,100 feet), water from, analysis of 124 

(below 1,100 feet), water from, analysis of. 126 

Simon, A. L., Hatschek, E., and, on the formation of bands in quartz veins.. 182 

Skey, William, on the comparative conductivity of sulphide minerals...... 45-46

Smith, W. S. T., on banding in jasperoid.... 183

on greenockito as a product of sulphide

enrichment...................... 257

on intergrovvths of galena and sphalerite.. 259 

on the character and origin of dolomite.. 184 

on the distribution of ore deposits in the

Ozark region.................... 200

on the order of deposition of the metallic

sulphides........................ 172

on the origin of jasperoid.............. 179-180

on the origin of Joplin ores...... ^....... 41

on the recognition and estimation of sulphide enrichment............... 264

on the vertical order of the sulphides in

breccia-filled cavities.......... 238-239

Smyth, C. H., jr., on the formation of ore deposits in the Rossie mines....... 222

Snider, L. C., on the sources of mine waters

in Oklahoma.................... 228

Sodium hydroxide, solubility of metallic sulphides in presence of............ 48-50

Sodium sulphide, solubility of metallic sulphides in presence of............ 48-50

Soft ground. See Open ground.

Solquelle Bonifazius, water from, analysis of. 109

Solubility of metals, comparative.......... 158,160

of sulphides, order of.................... 44-46

two meanings of........................ 59

Solubility product, application of principle of. 54-55

Solutions, acidity of, means of determining.. 85-88

alkalinity of, means of determining...... 85-88

ore, practical neutrality of.............. 18-19

properties of, derived from the properties

of their ions..................... 81-82

reaction of, to indicators................. 85-88

Sphalerite, crystallization of, from artificial

solutions........................ 243

former presence of, traces showing..... 231-232

occurrence of, in Louisiana salt mounds 208-211 

solubility of, as compared with other sulphides. .................... 44-46,47-50

in solutions imitating the deep waters... 57-60 

stalactitic, formation of................ 258-261

transfer of, downward................ 233-234

two generations.of, in the Oronoga Circle

mine.......................... 263-264

See also Zinc. 

Sphalerite well, water from, analysis of...... 132

Spurr, J. E., on the formation of dolomite 

and jasperoid in the Aspen district, Colo..................... 184-185

Stabler, Herman, acknowledgment to......'. 22

Stalactites of sphalerite, formation of...... 258-261

of sphalerite and galena, structure of... 258-261
282 INDEX.

Steamboat Springs, water from, analysis of.. 145 

Steiger, George, analyses of deep-sea and

delta deposits by................ 72

Clarice, F. W., and, on lead and zinc in

igneous rocks.................... 67

Stieglitz, Julius, on the ability of carbon dioxide to retain salts of metals in 

solution......................... 55

Stokes, H. N., on the decomposition of pyrite

and marcasite by alkaline waters. 62 

Strong, Charles, acknowledgment to......... 23

Sullivan, E. C., acknowledgment to......... 22

experiments by, on the solubility of lead

and zinc carbonates............. 53

Sulphates, attempts to reduce, by organic

matter.......................... 62-63

distances that they may be carried...... 43-44

formation and transfer of................ 43-46

reduction of, by bacteria................ 63

transfer of, by streams................... 68-69

Sulphides, colloidal suspension and transfer

of............................... 50-51

comparative conductivity of............. 44

comparative solubility of................ 47-50

deposits of, in abandoned mines, nature

of............................. 254-255

order of oxidation of..................... 44^6

precipitation of, by hydrogen sulphide... 61-62 

by thiosulphates.................... 62

primary and secondary, difficulty of distinguishing.. .................... 254

solubility of............................. 44-46

vertical arrangement of................ 229-240

Sulphozincates, transfer of zinc as........... 52

Sulphur Springs, Ark., spring deposits at... 185-187 

Sulphuric acid, formation of, from iron

pyrites.......................... 61

Summary of facts supporting the artesian

theory......................... 271-274

Summary of the report...................... 11-20

Suspended particles of sulphides in ground

water, improbability of........ 166-167

Sweetening of ground waters................ 156

Sydney waterworks, water from, analysis of.. Ill

T.

Tamarack, jr., mine, water from, analysis of.. 146 

Tar from the Miami, Okla., mining district,

analysis of....................... 206

Tennessee, eastern, lead and zinc deposits

in............................. 218-219

Tertiary rocks, distribution of............... 29

Thiosulphates, precipitation of sulphides by.. 62 

Thompson Spring, water from, analysis of... 116 

Thomson, Julius, on the action of sodium sulphide and hydrosulphide on zinc 

salts............................. 49

on the formation of sodium sulphozincate. 52 

Time, sufficiency of, for segregation of

ores......................... 19,249-251

Tolman, C. F., and Clark, J. D., on the dispersion of colloidal copper sulphide... ......................... 50-51

Transfer of galena and sphalerite downward,

results of...................... 233-234

U.

Page.

United States fish hatchery's well, sediment

from, analysis of............... 164-165

Uplifts in the eastern United States, lead and

zinc deposits associated with.... 16-17

V.

Veatch, A. C., on metallic sulphides on Belle

Isle............................ 208-209

Vertical distribution of lead, zinc, and iron

sulphides...................... 229-240

Vertical order of the precipitation of lead and 

zinc from solutions, experiments 

on.............................. 241-242

Vertical order of the sulphides.............. 17-18

Viktoriaquelle, water from, analysis of...... Ill

Vinita municipal wells, water and sediment

from, analyses of.......... 137,164,166

Virginia, lead and zinc deposits in......... 219-220

W.

Wagoner, Luther, on gold and silver in deepsea deposits..................... 77

Wagon Wheel Gap Spring, water from, analysis of. ........................... 142

Walker, James, and Kay, S. A., on the determination of acidity or alkalinity 

of solutions...................... 86-87

Walker well, sediment from, analysis of.... 164-165

Walnut Ridge fold, position of.............. 31

Waring, W. G eorge, acknowledgment to..... 22

experiment by, on the precipitation of

lead and zinc from solution.... 241-242

Warner, W. J., acknowledgment to......... 23

Washburn, E. W., on the behavior of indicators of acidity and alkalinity..... 87-88

Water, connate, dilution of................ 251-253

Waters, analyses of, interpretation of........ 82-85

foreign zinc-bearing, chemical.character

and geochemical properties of... 91, 

107-115

from deep wells, silica, calcium, and magnesium content of............... 189

from Mississippian rocks, silica, calcium,

and magnesium content of....... 189

from Pennsylvanian rocks, silica, calcium,

and magnesium content of....... 188

from springs and wells, silica, calcium,

and magnesium content of....... 190

in Arkansas, zinc-bearing, chemical character and geochemical .properties 

of.............................. 98,134

in Colorado, zinc-bearing, chemical character and geochemical properties 

of......................... 100,141-144

in.Eastern, Central^ and Southern States, 

zinc-bearing, chemical character 

and geochemical properties of.. 91-92, 

116-119

in Kansas, zinc-bearing, chemical character, and geochemical properties 

of....................... 98-99,135-136

in Kentucky, zinc-bearing, chemical 

character and geochemical properties of................. 92-97,120-123
INDEX. 283

Page.

Waters, in Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and 

California, zinc-bearing, chemical 

character and geochemical prop-: 

erties of............... 100-101,145-146

in mines, present source of............. 225-228

in Missouri, zinc-bearing, chemical character and geochemical properties 

of.......................... 98,124-133

in Oklahoma, zinc-bearing, chemical 

character and geochemical properties of................ 99-100,137-140

interior and border well, of the Ozark

uplift compared............... 155-157

natural, Chase Palmer on alkalinity of... 83-84 

surface and artesian, action of, in forming

jasperoid and dolomite........ 187-191

sweetening of............................ 156

zinc-bearing, classification of........... 147-148

synoptical table of................. 148-154

See also Circulation, artesian. 

Watson, T. L., on lead and zinc deposits in

Virginia....................... 219-220

Webb City well, water from, analysis of..... 130

Weems, J. B., analyses of limestones of Iowa

by............................... 79

Weigel, Oskar, on the solubility of metallic

sulphides in water............... 47-48

Wells, C. E., acknowledgment to............ 23

Wells, J. N., acknowledgment to............ 22

Wells, Roger C., acknowledgment to........ 22

experiments by, on the solubility of

sphalerite in certain solutions... 57-60 

on the electrochemical activity of ore

minerals......................... 46

Wells, flowing, distribution of, around the

Ozark uplift..................... 37

interior and border, of the Ozark uplift,

waters of, compared........... 155-157

Whitaker, W. T., acknowledgment to....... 22-23

Whitaker Park well, water from, analysis of.. 138 

White Sulphur Spring, sediment from, analysis of.......................... 164,166

sediment from, character of.............. 24 7

microscopic examination of........ 186-187

water from, analysis of.................. 134

Whitney, J. D., on occurrences of lead and

zinc in New York............... 222

Wilson well, water from, analysis of........ 122

Page.

Wind-blown particles of sulphides in reservoirs, improbability of......... 168-169

Winslow, Arthur, on lead and zinc in rocks

and sea water................... 66-67

on the formation of deep disseminated 

lead deposits by artesian circulation. .......................... 201-202

on the origin of Joplin ores............... 40

Winslow mine, water from, analysis of...... 131

Wisconsin uplift, structure of.............. 211-212

Wurtzite, conditions .governing the deposition of................. 246-247,261-264

crystallized, formation of, from artificial

solutions........................ 243

occurrences of..................... 246,25S-264

Y.

Yampa Spring, water from, analysis of...... 143

Yellow Dog mine, cross section of a pocket in. 236

Z.

Zinc, carbonate of, deposit at Prosperity, Mo. 262 

carbonate and sulphate of, deposit of, on

coal............................. 262

classes of waters that carry.............. 154

distribution of, in the Mississippi valley .. 38 

haloid compounds of, solubility of....... 46-47

occurrence of, at great depths.......... 202-203

in Kentucky mineral waters, A. M.

Peter on...................'...... 94-97

possible supply of....................... 19

presence of, in crystalline rocks........ 157-158

quantity of, in the rocks of the Ozark

region........................' 248-249

sulphate of, reduction of, in streams and

in the sea........................ 69-70

various ways of reducing............ 43

sulphides of, solubility ofj in brines..... 46-47

relations between.................. 243-247

synthesis of........................ 243-247

vertical distribution of, in the Joplin

region........................... 38-39

See also Carbonates; Metals; Sphalerite; Sulphates; Sulphides; Sulphozincates; Waters, zinc-bearing; 

and Zincates. 

Zincates, reduction of, by organic matter.... 60

transfer of zinc as........................ 51-52

o