albite

TSNB7
Mineral
Country rocks (dolostone stratigraphy)Country rocks (dolostone stratigraphy) (?)Country rocks (feldspathic sandstone)Sulphide oresHypogeneRock-forming (detrital)Rock-forming (diagenetic) (?)

Mineral Species

albite

Type Locality

No

Composition

NaAlSi3O8

Crystal System

Triclinic

Status at Tsumeb

Confirmed

Abundance

Common

Distribution

Sulphide ores; country rocks (feldspathic sandstone; dolostone stratigraphy)

Paragenesis

Rock-forming (detrital, diagenetic); hypogene

Entry Number

Species; TSNB7

General Notes

Detrital albite is widespread, though inconspicuous, in the feldspathic sandstone bodies hosted by the Tsumeb pipe structure (Lombaard et al. 1986).


Crystals of albite of diagenetic origin occur between 12 and 18 levels in horizons believed to be of evaporitic origin within the dolostone country rock (Hughes 1987).


Lombaard et al. (1986) include albite as a very early mineral in their proposed hypogene paragenetic sequence, implying the occurrence of albite as a primary gangue mineral.