SCIENTIFIC COMM UNICA TIONS 111

ACKAIOWLEDGI• EAITS

The writers wish to acknowledge ass{stance

and interestfrom H. L. Can-
non, Vg. R. Griffits, C. E. Thompson,L. E. Patten, and E. F. Cooleyof the
GeochemicalExploration Sect{on of the U.S. GeologicalSurvey. To
S. Shushanof the Biology Departmentof the Un{vers{tyof Colorado,we
extendour thanksfor speciesidentification.
COLORADO
SCHOOLOF MINES,
GOLDEN,COLORADO,
Sept. 5, 1961
REFERENCES

1. Bloom, H., and Walton, H. F., 1960, Geochemical Prospecting, Encyclopedia Chemical Tech-
nology, 2nd Supp., p. 414-435.
2. Cannon, H. L., 1957, Description of indicator plants and methods of botanical prospecting
for Uranium deposits on the Colorado Plateau: U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 1030-M,
p. 399-516
3. --, 1960, Botanical prospecting for ore deposits: Science, v. 132, no. 3427, p. 591-598.
4. Fink, B., 1935, The Lichen Flora of the United States: University of Michigan Press, Ann
Arbor, Michigan, 426 p., 47 pl.
5. Hawkes, H. E., 1957, Principles of geochemical prospecting: U.S. Geological Survey Bull.
1000-F, 355 p.
6. Lamb, M., 1959, Lichens: Scientific American, v. 201, no. 4, p. 144-156.

ST.4BILITY RELATIONS .4ND P.4R.4GENESIS OF COPPER

OXIDES .4ND CHLORIDES .4T THE .4LGOM.4H MINE,
ONTON.4GON COUNTY, MICHIG.4N

S. A. WILLIAMS

The recentdiscoveryof the very rare mineralparamelaconite,

as well as
paratacamiteand nantokiteat the Algomah mine (3) has led the writer to
attemptto explain the paragenesisof the secondarycopperminerals.
If all of the copper minerals found at the Algomah mine are
listed in sequencethe paragenesisis as follows: (oldest to youngest)
native copper-cuprite-dioptase-paramelaconite- planchdite-atacamite-para-
tacamite-nantokite-tenorite-malachite-chrysocolla. Native copperandcuprite
are both rare and both are commonlyenclosedby later paramelaconite which
may pseudomorphose cuprite. Tenorite, which directly replacesparamelaco-
nite is in placescut by veinletsof later paramelaconite,
which, in turn, shows
incipientalterationto a secondgenerationof tenorite. The atacamite,which
occursas large bladedcrystals,commonlyis replacedby twinned aggregates
of paratacamitecrystals. Nantokite occursas microcrystalline material that
embaysthe paratacamite;nantokitewas not observedas a direct replacement
product of atacamite.
Figure 1 showsthe stabilityrelationsof the copperoxidesand chlorides
as functionsof the partial pressuresof Os and Clv In order to plot these
relationships the free energyof paramelaconite had to be determined. Since
112 SCIENTIFIC COMM UNICA TIONS

STABILITY RELATICNS OF COPPER OXIDES

AND CHLORIDESAS FUNCTIONSOF PO2 AND
PCI2 AT 25øC AND ONEATM. PRESSURE

-20.

Native
-60-. Copper

Cu FIELDS OF METASTABILITY
INDICATED BY BRACKETS
AND DASHED LINES

-6o -26 o' +ao

løgPc
I
Fxc. 1.

paramelaconite
is a rare mineralit wasassumed that it is a metastable
phase
at standardconditions. This assumptionwould requirethat the free energy
be somewhatless than -30.995 kcal. The free energy was then estimated
accordingto the expression
AF -- AH -- TAS. The heat contentis -40.08
kcaland the entropywas estimatedfollowingthe methodof Latimer (2) as
-11.96 kcal. This gives a value for the free energy of paramelaconite
of
-28.12 kcal, which is about that to be expectedif paramelaconite
is meta-
stable at standard conditions.
Referringto Figure 1, paramelaconite can form only if cupritepersists
metastablyabovethe valuelogPo2--37.9. If this conditionis attained
thenthe stabilityfieldsof the chlorides
are expanded,a goodexplanation of
their relative abundanceat the Algomah mine.
The stabilityfieldof paratacamite
wasnot plottedbut sinceit is much
rarer than atacamiteits free energymustbe slightlyless. Then, if plotted,
its stabilityfieldwouldlie alongthe atacamite-nantokite
boundary
and it
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 113

would be an expectedintermediatestepin the reactionatacamite--•nantokite,

just as was exhibitedby the parageneticsequence.
MICHIGAN COLLEGE 01' MINING ANDTECHNOLOGY,
HOUGHTON,MICHIGAN,
Dec. 14, 1961

REFERENCES

1. Garrels, R. M., 1960, Mineral Equilibria at Low Temperature and Pressure: Harpers,
New York.
2. Latimer, W. M., 1938, Oxidation Potentials: Prentice-Hall Inc., New York.
3. Williams, S. A., (in press), Paramelaeonite and associated minerals from the Algomah
Mine, Ontonagon County, Michigan: Am. Mineralogist.