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The chabazite series comprises five mineral species:
Chabazite-Ca: Ca2[Al4Si8O24].
13H2O
Chabazite-K: (K2NaCa0.5)[Al4Si8
O24].11H2O
Chabazite-Mg: (Mg0.7K0.5
Na0.1)[Al3Si9O24].10H2O
Chabazite-Na: (Na3K)[Al4Si8O24].11H2
O
Chabazite-Sr: (Sr,Ca)2[Al4Si8O24].
11H2O
These are all tectosilicates (framework silicates), zeolite group
Specific gravity: 2.05 to 2.2 measured, 2.035 calculated
Hardness: 4½
Streak: White
Colour: Colourless, white, yellow, orange, brown
Solubility: Moderately soluble in hydrochloric acid
Environments:
Chabazite is found in cavities in
basalt associated with stilbite,
mesolite, mordenite,
heulandite and apophyllite; it is
also found in pegmatites.
It is a low temperature mineral. Geothermal wells have been drilled through a thick series of
basalt flows in
western Iceland, where it was found that
chabazite crystallised at temperatures from 55oC to 75oC at depths between 50m and 400m
(ZW).
Localities
At Willy Wally Gully, New South Wales, Australia, chabazite typically occurs alone in vesicles in
basalt, but occasionally it
is associated with apatite,
lévyne-Ca/offretite,
phillipsite, aragonite and/or
calcite. It is only rarely associated with more than one other
zeolite in the same vesicle.
(AJM 16.2.81).
At Abbotsford and Bundoora, inner Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, chabazite-(Na) occurs in cavities
in basalt associated with gonnardite -
natrolite, with ferroan calcite, and with
phillipsite
(AJM 20.1.38-41).
At Rollinsons Quarry, Victoria, Australia, late forming chabazite-(Ca) was found in some cavities in
basalt associated
with augite and anorthoclase
(AJM 16.2.99).
At the Marron Volcanics of the Olalla Area South-Central British Columbia, Canada, pale orange to pink chabazite
rhombohedra to 4 mm across are found with stilbite,
laumontite and calcite in the vertical veins
cutting the vesicular trachyte in the upper area at Yellow Lake, and pink
chabazite crystals associated with heulandite and
mesolite are found at a site along the Green Mountain Road to the Apex ski area
(R&M 96.520-521).
At Daye county, Hubei, China, chabazite pseudomorphs after
gypsum have been found
(KL p266).
In Moravia, Czech Republic, chabazite occurs in cavities with axinite,
epidote, natrolite,
heulandite and stilbite
(DHZ 4 p399).
At Palabora, South Africa, chabazite-(Ca) is found associated with analcime,
fluorapophyllite and heulandite
(R&M 92.5.436).
At Force Garth Quarry, Forest and Frith, County Durham, England, UK, chabazite occurred as crusts of ill-formed rhombohedra up to
0.5 mm on joint surfaces on blocks of unaltered dolerite
(JRS 21.8).
At Cambokeels Mine, Westgate, Stanhope, County Durham, England, UK, interpenetrant rhombohedra of chabazite up to 3 mm across were
found as rare associates of analcime and apophyllite.
A few specimens composed of crusts of crystalline chabazite on dolerite, unaccompanied
by any other mineral, were found in the mine spoil heaps
(JRS 21.8).
In Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, chabazite occurs in basaltic cavities with phillipsite,
magnetite and calcite
(DHZ 4 p399).
At a road cut prehnite occurrence on the Russell-Hermon Road, St Lawrence County,
New York, chabazite-(Ca) occurs rarely, associated with quartz and
calcite
(R&M 87.6.541).
At the Luck Fairfax plant, Fairfax county, Virginia, USA, chabazite has been found as microcrystals
associated with stilbite, as yellowish translucent crystals to 2.5 mm in
reddish-grey hornfels and as pseudocubic
crystals to 3 mm in vugs in dolerite
(R&M 98.2.125).
At the Chantilly Quarry, Chantilly, Loudoun county, Virginia, USA, chabazite has been found as white
crystals to about 8 mm on prehnite
(R&M 98.2.125).
At the Luck Bull Run plant, Conklin, Loudoun county, Virginia, USA, chabazite has been found as white or
colourless pseudocubic crystals to 2.5 mm on edge on light green prehnite
(R&M 98.2.126).
At the Vulcan Materials Company Crushed Stone Quarry, Manassas, Prince William county, Virginia, USA,
chabazite has been found as pale yellow crystals to about 5 mm lining cavities in
hornfels
(R&M 98.2.125).
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