Document 0q8rp9QoxwoXNDOd8doQn0xVV

FILE NAME: Railroads (RR) DATE: 1976 Aug 20 DOC#: RR077 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: BurWest Letter RE Guided Tour of the Zolonite Mine U B urU Iest BURLINGTON NORTHERN INC.-- WYOMING MINERAL CORP. Uranium Joint Venture %(pLpE^ Post Office Box 30357 BILLINGS, M ONTANA 59107 Ph. (406) 259-4521 Ext. 261 August 2 0 , 1976 Lear Kay: Fred and. 1 had a very d e lig h t f u l and in fo r r a t iv e t i r e du ring your guided to u r o f the Z o n o lite K in e . Thank you v e r y much f o r ta k in g the t ir .e to show us the neology and allow us to c o l l e c t spec iro n s . I was p a r t ic u la r ly in te re s te d in v e r r .ic u lit e , having worked f o r 1`a n v il l e e x 'lo r in g f o r asbestos and knowing -o r e than r o s t g e o lo g is ts industry *1 m in e ra ls. "hen 1 returned to the r o t e l and washed sore o f specimens 1 c o lle c t e d , I could see very c le a r ly what you r e a n t by t.-.e te .rce rctu re a lt e r a tio n so lu tio n s t h a t produced v e r r .ic u lit e . Johns- about tne low The t ..in g th a t c le a r ly in d ic a te d tne low temperature o f form ation was the way tn e very la r g e c r y s ta ls o f pyroxene ( e n s t a t it e t ) were p a r t i a ll y a lte r e d to Lou t r e m o lit e - t a lc rock or pseudonorphs a f t e r e n s t a t i t e . Tne e n s t a t i t e c r y s t a ls behaved i n a HSHfaiam way th a t was h ig h ly s im ila r to way e n s t a t it e c r y s t a ls a l t e r ) when they are in p e r iiiiit e t h a t a lt e r s to s e r p e n tin e . The a lte r a tio n is a l i t t l e d iffe r e n t because ha o f the d iffe r e n t chemistry o f the a l t e r a t i o n f l u i d s th a t are probably r e s id u a l f ram jift jd iffe r e n t magmas. In any c a s e , I always enjoy seeing the u ltr a r o c k s " b a s i c o r a lk a lin e , because o f the la r g e c ry s ta ls th a t are o ften associated with trier, because of th e ir economic p o te n tia l, and because o f th e ir ha v a s t v a ria tio n in com position. The b u lk of th e specimens I c o lle c te d w i l l go to b i l l i n g s where BurW est's ju n io r g e o lo g is t s can take t.-.eir c h o ic e . One jvsgec ir o n , showing the la r g e c le a v a g e s u rfa c e s o f mmmtwi+mrti e n s t a t it e (le ss .than 90 degrees.; w ill probably go to my p a r tn e r Jo e Fancuso' s c o lle c t io n o f la r g e c r y s ta ls t h a t he keeps i n h is o f f i c e to show freshm en, mi sophomore, ju n io r , and sen io r g e o lo g iy stu d e n ts how c r y s t a l s can be n e g a s c o p io a lly id e n t ifie d . I t is no t o ft e n th a t pyroxene c r y s t a ls t h i s la r g e afce a v a ila b le . A ^ a in , t-iarJk you very much f o r t ie fin e t o u r , . 235 Hedden-Empire Bldg. I062LSB002521 206 North 29th Street KonaId n . oeavoy L S B 62 00496 Billings, Montana 59101