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Karamea Bend (Big Bend), Karamea, Buller District, West Coast Region, New Zealandi
Regional Level Types
Karamea Bend (Big Bend)- not defined -
KarameaTown
Buller DistrictDistrict
West Coast RegionRegion
New ZealandCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
41° 14' 21'' South , 172° 29' 56'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
-41.23930,172.49897
GeoHash:
G#: rbdtmk9gt
GRN:
S28E94
Köppen climate type:
Cfb : Temperate oceanic climate
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Karamea440 (2011)32.0km
Tapawera432 (2011)32.0km
Takaka1,223 (2011)50.1km
Mindat Locality ID:
15412
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:15412:8
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Also known as Big Bend.

Quartz sulphide veins in contact with microgranodiorite and micromonzonite stocks. The veins contain minor disseminated sulphide mineralisation being pyrite, molybdenite, and magnetite, with rare Pb-Zn and Bi minerals, in a quartz, orthoclase, muscovite, sericite and rare carbonate gangue. The veins are surrounded by a phyllic type albite-muscovite zone.

The veins form a stock work, containing quartz-orthoclase-pyrite-molybdenite, with sulphide mineralisation also disseminated adjacent to the quartz veins, and as smears in late stage joints. The veins also contain sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tennantite, galena, pyrrhotite, and bismuth minerals, peripheral to the centre molybdenite-pyrite mineralisation.

The mineralisation is associated with small stocks of porphyritic microgranodiorites, micromonzonites, and microdiorite, intruding Ordovician metasediments, and the upper Carboniferous Karamea Granites.

The deposit was initially discovered from a large colour anomaly on the side of the Karamea River, caused by the oxidation of the sulphides in the steep valley wall. There are six anomalous zones over an area 3 kilometres by 0.5 kilometres, across the Questa and Sunday Creeks.


Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


12 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Aikinite
Formula: PbCuBiS3
ⓘ Albite
Formula: Na(AlSi3O8)
ⓘ 'Biotite'
Formula: K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
ⓘ Chalcopyrite
Formula: CuFeS2
ⓘ 'Chlorite Group'
ⓘ Cubanite
Formula: CuFe2S3
ⓘ Galena
Formula: PbS
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Molybdenite
Formula: MoS2
ⓘ Muscovite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Muscovite var. Sericite
Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘ Orthoclase
Formula: K(AlSi3O8)
ⓘ Pyrrhotite
Formula: Fe1-xS
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Sphalerite
Formula: ZnS
ⓘ 'Tennantite Subgroup'
Formula: Cu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘSphalerite2.CB.05aZnS
ⓘChalcopyrite2.CB.10aCuFeS2
ⓘCubanite2.CB.55aCuFe2S3
ⓘPyrrhotite2.CC.10Fe1-xS
ⓘGalena2.CD.10PbS
ⓘMolybdenite2.EA.30MoS2
ⓘ'Tennantite Subgroup'2.GB.05Cu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S
ⓘAikinite2.HB.05aPbCuBiS3
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘMuscovite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘvar. Sericite9.EC.15KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
ⓘOrthoclase9.FA.30K(AlSi3O8)
ⓘAlbite9.FA.35Na(AlSi3O8)
Unclassified
ⓘ'Biotite'-K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
ⓘ'Chlorite Group'-

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Hⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Hⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
OOxygen
Oⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Oⓘ OrthoclaseK(AlSi3O8)
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
FFluorine
Fⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
NaSodium
Naⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Alⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Alⓘ OrthoclaseK(AlSi3O8)
Alⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
SiSilicon
Siⓘ AlbiteNa(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Siⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Siⓘ OrthoclaseK(AlSi3O8)
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
SSulfur
Sⓘ AikinitePbCuBiS3
Sⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Sⓘ CubaniteCuFe2S3
Sⓘ GalenaPbS
Sⓘ MolybdeniteMoS2
Sⓘ PyrrhotiteFe1-xS
Sⓘ SphaleriteZnS
Sⓘ Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C22+)As4S12S
KPotassium
Kⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Kⓘ MuscoviteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
Kⓘ OrthoclaseK(AlSi3O8)
Kⓘ Muscovite var. SericiteKAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
FeIron
Feⓘ BiotiteK(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2
Feⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Feⓘ CubaniteCuFe2S3
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Feⓘ PyrrhotiteFe1-xS
CuCopper
Cuⓘ AikinitePbCuBiS3
Cuⓘ ChalcopyriteCuFeS2
Cuⓘ CubaniteCuFe2S3
Cuⓘ Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C22+)As4S12S
ZnZinc
Znⓘ SphaleriteZnS
AsArsenic
Asⓘ Tennantite SubgroupCu6(Cu4C22+)As4S12S
MoMolybdenum
Moⓘ MolybdeniteMoS2
PbLead
Pbⓘ AikinitePbCuBiS3
Pbⓘ GalenaPbS
BiBismuth
Biⓘ AikinitePbCuBiS3

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

Australian PlateTectonic Plate
New Zealand

This page contains all mineral locality references listed on mindat.org. This does not claim to be a complete list. If you know of more minerals from this site, please register so you can add to our database. This locality information is for reference purposes only. You should never attempt to visit any sites listed in mindat.org without first ensuring that you have the permission of the land and/or mineral rights holders for access and that you are aware of all safety precautions necessary.

References

Rabone, S.D.C. (1977) Molybdenum-base metal-bismuth mineralisation at Eliot Creek, Karamea Bend, and Taipo Spur, North-west Nelson, New Zealand. (Unpublished PhD thesis), University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Pirajno, F. (1985) Porphyry Mo and greisen W metallogeny related to the Karamea Batholith, South Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 28:1, 187-191.
Railton, G. T., Watters, W. A. (1990) Minerals of New Zealand. New Zealand Geological Survey Bulletin 104. New Zealand Geological Survey
Christie, Tony, Brathwaite, Bob (1995) Molybdenum. Mineral Commodity Report 9. Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences Ltd
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