Post by Admin on Apr 9, 2021 2:59:19 GMT -7
I first heard about this agate band from Don Christensen - forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/post/661812/thread
He called it Lunch Break Agate because ti was close enough to dig from where he worked in St. George Utah.
Then I read about it in an early report on Silver Reef!
Proctor described "Fire Clay Hill"
Fire Clay Hill bentonitic shales
The best exposures of the Fire Clay Hill bentonitic shales of the lower Chinle are on the East Reef 1000 feet north of the Duffin Mine where the shales conformably overly the arkosic sandstone and are gray to purplish. A distinctive fluffy soil indicative of bentonite, with gentle to steep scarps, characterizes the weathered outcrop of these gray to purplish beds.
The thickness changes a little from the East Reef to the West Reefs, but the average is 10-13 feet. Towards the base, calcareous concretions and geodes as much as six inches in diameter occur sporadically, and in places are associated with concretions of iron-oxide and distinctive copper-bearing concretions up to five inches in diameter.
Assays of the copper concretions show considerable copper, some silver, and a fair showing of gold as given below:
EDIT 2018/12/10-1:45pm: So far I have been unable to find the location of Fire Clay Hill, The Duttin Mine (later re-named to the Requa) In one place it is stated to be on the Emily Jane, another states it is on the Requa claim.
@redrockrods wrote about "Lunch Break Agate."
forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/59343/lunch-break-agate
yup. this stuff is part of the same formation that created rainbow wood in AZ, but here in so. Utah it formed seam agate deposits in the chinle instead.
Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/59343/lunch-break-agate#ixzz5ZCvtW3Gm
1
Fire Clay Hill bentonitic shales
The best exposures of the Fire Clay Hill bentonitic shales of the lower Chinle are on the East Reef 1000 feet north of the Duffin Mine where the shales conformably overly the arkosic sandstone and are gray to purplish. A distinctive fluffy soil indicative of bentonite, with gentle to steep scarps, characterizes the weathered outcrop of these gray to purplish beds.
The thickness changes a little from the East Reef to the West Reefs, but the average is 10-13 feet. Towards the base, calcareous concretions and geodes as much as six inches in diameter occur sporadically, and in places are associated with concretions of iron-oxide and distinctive copper-bearing concretions up to five inches in diameter.
Assays of the copper concretions show considerable copper, some silver, and a fair showing of gold as given below:
EDIT 2018/12/10-1:45pm: So far I have been unable to find the location of Fire Clay Hill, The Duttin Mine (later re-named to the Requa) In one place it is stated to be on the Emily Jane, another states it is on the Requa claim.
@redrockrods wrote about "Lunch Break Agate."
forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/59343/lunch-break-agate
yup. this stuff is part of the same formation that created rainbow wood in AZ, but here in so. Utah it formed seam agate deposits in the chinle instead.
Read more: forum.rocktumblinghobby.com/thread/59343/lunch-break-agate#ixzz5ZCvtW3Gm
1
Where is the Fire Clay Hill?
Ah, there it is . . .But Where is there? I had to twist Google Earth around to be sure.
Now I get it.
And the agate is just under that layer.
Another look.
Waiting for time to tell the rest of the story.
(the band stretches from Utah clear to New Mexico)
