Pillow lava locality, Meriden, New Haven County, Connecticut, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Pillow lava locality | - not defined - |
| Meriden | Town |
| New Haven County | County |
| Connecticut | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
41° 33' 10'' North , 72° 48' 57'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Meriden | 59,988 (2017) | 1.8km |
| Cheshire Village | 5,786 (2017) | 8.9km |
| Cheshire | 29,443 (2017) | 9.2km |
| Kensington | 8,459 (2017) | 10.0km |
| Wallingford | 17,712 (2017) | 10.7km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Lapidary and Mineral Society of Central Connecticut | Meriden, Connecticut | 2km |
| Bristol Gem & Mineral Club | Bristol, Connecticut | 17km |
| New Haven Mineral Club | New Haven, Connecticut | 29km |
A typical trap rock mineral occurrence now exposed behind the Meriden Target store. But much material was found during site quarrying and development in 1998-2002.
Mineralization occurs between lava pillows in the Lower Jurassic Talcott Basalt. This is a popular place for geology students to visit. Inquire inside to collect in back of the store but the dumps off to the side are on public property and are reportedly OK to collect on.
The name given to the locality is not unique as most places where the Talcott Basalt is exposed in the area it shows pillows. Before the Westfield Mall just east of this locality did an expansion, there were pillow exposures there, and similar minerals were found. There is also a nice pillow exposure in a roadcut in the High Hill Road area south of East Main Street, Meriden. The state route 4 roadcuts up in Farmington are also a famous Talcott Basalt pillow exposure area.
The map coordinates are for the Target store.
Note: Tschernich's 1992 Zeolites of the World does not refer to this locality becaue the site development post-dates his publication, and Tschernich cites a much earlier reference by Urlich (1975).
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
10 valid minerals. 3 erroneous literature entries.
* - Minerals that have never been found, but their existence is inferred in some way (e.g. from pseudomorphs)
Detailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Formula: Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O Description: Originally posted based on reference (Ulrich, 1975 cited by Tschernich, 1992) that is not referring to this location. |
| ⓘ Anhydrite Formula: CaSO4 Habit: tabular Description: As tabular voids in later mineralization, nearly all anhydrite in Connecticut trap rock dissolved away later in the mineralization paragensis in vesicles. References: |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 Habit: scalenohedral and rhombohedral Colour: white Fluorescence: pale bluish-white overgrowths on orange-red under MW UV, paler under SW UV Description: crystals to about 1.5 cm |
| ⓘ Chalcocite ? Formula: Cu2S Colour: black References: |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 Habit: granular Colour: brassy with iridescence Description: mm grains References: |
| ⓘ ' |
| ⓘ Chrysocolla Formula: Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 References: |
| ✪ Datolite Formula: CaB(SiO4)(OH) Habit: complex chisel-tipped crystals, granular Colour: white to lime green Fluorescence: patchy bright green under SW UV Description: Pockets with abundant crystals to around 1 cm were common during site development. References: |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O Habit: anhedral Colour: colorless to white Description: transparent cleavable masses in the core of vugs that tend to fall out and be found loose. |
| ⓘ Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 Habit: blebs and disk-shaped rosettes Colour: maroon Description: As specular to red blebs and partial rosettes to 1 mm. References: |
| ⓘ Formula: CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| ⓘ Prehnite Formula: Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 Habit: botryoidal crystal aggregates to individual rectangular crystals Colour: shades of green Description: Abundant during site development, as layers or spherical aggregates to about 1 cm with datolite. |
| ⓘ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Habit: short prismatic to cumberland habit Colour: colorless, milky, smoky Description: Mostly drusy to about 1 cm crystals, abundant during site development. Associated with calcite. References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst Formula: SiO2 Habit: hexagonal, not usually well formed Colour: purple, pinkish-purple References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony Formula: SiO2 Colour: Maroon Description: In a vesicle with quartz and calcite. References: |
| ⓘ 'Stilbite Subgroup' Formula: M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Chalcocite ? | 2.BA.05 | Cu2S |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
| ⓘ | Quartz var. Amethyst | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | var. Chalcedony | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Anhydrite ? | 7.AD.30 | CaSO4 |
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| ⓘ | Datolite | 9.AJ.20 | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| ⓘ | Prehnite | 9.DP.20 | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Chrysocolla | 9.ED.20 | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| ⓘ | Analcime ? | 9.GB.05 | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| ⓘ | Laumontite ? | 9.GB.10 | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Chlorite Group' ? | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Stilbite Subgroup' | - | M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| H | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| H | ⓘ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| H | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| H | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| H | ⓘ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| H | ⓘ Stilbite Subgroup | M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O |
| B | Boron | |
| B | ⓘ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| O | ⓘ Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| O | ⓘ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| O | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| O | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| O | ⓘ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| O | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | ⓘ Stilbite Subgroup | M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Al | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Al | ⓘ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| Al | ⓘ Stilbite Subgroup | M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Amethyst | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Analcime | Na(AlSi2O6) · H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
| Si | ⓘ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| Si | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Si | ⓘ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| Si | ⓘ Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | ⓘ Stilbite Subgroup | M6-7[Al8-9Si27-28O72] · nH2O |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| S | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Anhydrite | CaSO4 |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Ca | ⓘ Datolite | CaB(SiO4)(OH) |
| Ca | ⓘ Gypsum | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Laumontite | CaAl2Si4O12 · 4H2O |
| Ca | ⓘ Prehnite | Ca2Al2Si3O10(OH)2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Fe | ⓘ Hematite | Fe2O3 |
| Cu | Copper | |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
| Cu | ⓘ Chalcocite | Cu2S |
| Cu | ⓘ Chrysocolla | Cu2-xAlx(H2-xSi2O5)(OH)4 · nH2O, x < 1 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Ganderia DomainDomain
- GranderiaPassive Margin
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Pillow lava locality, Meriden, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA