Alkaline Rocks and Carbonatites of the World

Setup during HiTech AlkCarb: an online database of alkaline rock and carbonatite occurrences

Rayfield River

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Occurrence number: 
031-00-026
Country: 
Canada
Region: 
British Columbia
Location: 
Longitude: -121.1, Latitude: 51.28
Carbonatite: 
No

Alkaline rocks are found in a number of small outcrops along the Rayfield River, but are completely surrounded by younger Miocene- Pliocene plateau olivine basalts. The outcrops appear to represent part of a pluton zoned from marginal monzonite through amphibole syenite to a central leucocratic syenite. Microcline perthite is the dominant feldspar throughout with a little interstitial sodic plagioclase in the leucosyenite. Amphibole, much altered to biotite, is the principal mafic phase, with a little pyroxene, muscovite, garnet, apatite and sphene. All the rocks have a trachytic texture. Small leucocratic syenite and nepheline syenite pegmatite dykes are numerous.

Economic: 
Sulphide mineralization is widespread and large areas grading 0.1 to 0.05% Cu have been defined.
References: 

PRETO, V.A.G. 1970. BD, VB, WIN (Dansey-Rayfield River). In Geology, exploration and mining in British Columbia. British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources: 218-21.

Map: 
Fig. 1_17 Rayfield River (after Preto,1970, Fig. 23).
Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith