montmorillonite

TSNB248
Mineral
Country rocks (feldspathic sandstone)Rock-forming (detrital) (?)Rock-forming (diagenetic)Rock-forming (diagenetic) (?)

Mineral Species

montmorillonite

Type Locality

No

Composition

(Na,Ca)0.3(Al,Mg)2Si4O10(OH)2·nH2O

Crystal System

Monoclinic

Status at Tsumeb

Believed valid

Abundance

Somewhat rare

Distribution

Country rocks (feldspathic sandstone)

Paragenesis

Rock-forming (detrital (?), diagenetic (?) ); supergene

Entry Number

Species; TSNB248

General Notes

Montmorillonite is an inconspicuous and somewhat rare component of the feldspathic sandstone, derived from the Tschudi Formation (Lombaard et al. 1986). Keller (1984) notes that montmorillonite (also kaolinite and phlogopite) occur very rarely as secondary minerals in the supergene environment.