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STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

4,S, GEOLOGICAL

Description, cco^osition, and tenor of \mconsolldated sediments in

aonazite-bearing tributaries to the Enoree, Tyger, and Pacolet Rivers-'?*iZ*f ~W-'?*''-? .^y^^':r :?^^-.^..-^*-v'/L-'^-^ T-4 ^' "' 1̂ ~.

in the vestern Pledaont of South Carolina

Norman P. Cuppels

OPEN FILE BEPORT

MATERIAL IS PRELIMINARY AND HAS NOT BEEN EDITED OR REVIEWED FOR CONFORMITY WITH .U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STANDARDS OR NOMENCLATURE.

' 1962

This report concerns work done on behalf of the Division of Rav

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Contents

Introduction ............ ..... . .

Location of the sanplea . ...... yV '--. ;; '_- - , "'

s- Description of the tables . . . . . . ... I . . . .

Block, station number, and depth of sample belov

surface of flood plain . w.;^ v^Wv .i i ^ .^.

Sample numbers .- .-1V ^"« T: *c - ,' - " '''" ' '-'. " >,'-'?'-

Material sangpled^. .^ t...^. . . .^. ̂ .-.j-. . ;V . .

10- Screening characteristics *. ; v. «r <? '+ > ̂ --^

Minerals in concentrate .>." .; Z . .'. ;ri?

References cited . . . ...... ...,. .

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Illustrations ̂-long list

Figure 1. Index to areas used for placer appraisal between

: the Savannah and Catawba Rivers, South Carolina

and North Carol Inn. .............."** ' '". .±... ' - fit £ . v,.-,.-; v- T . « .. '» .' *'-' ', ex ̂ >.-P --~~ .»t'"V : *.- »." ' ;.. ' - '- r. - -- ' . ;*>' -" *' -. '- ' - .: - .. '. - ' .- ' > ;.M.. ;..*-.. . I 1 »_' ( v '" ,*

2. Map shoving drainage and distribution of sauries,

SaYannah River-Catavba Biver district, South

Carolina and North Carolina

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Tables <

(numbers follov in sequence from report by D. V. Caldwell, 1962.)

, , . ., ^ ....... Pafie

Table 16. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Durbin Creek

and other tributaries to the Enoree River, Laurens,

Spartanburg, and Greenville Counties, S. C. .j> . . 3

17. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Gilder Creek

and other tributaries to the Enoree River,

Spartanburg County, Greenville County, and

Laurens County, S.C. ........ .y._ *-. r . 3y

18. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Mountain

Creek and other tributaries to the Enoree River,

Greenville County, S- C.,'. .v », ^ . ... .^ .- . ^3

19. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Beaverdam

Creek and other tributaries to Falrforest Creek,

Spartanburg County, S. C.^f ... .., *>. ^^»? .y.;^

20. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Ferguson

Creek and other tributaries to the South Tyger

River, Spartanburg County, Si C. ... .......

21. Descriptions of sediments sampled near the Junction

Horth Tyger River and Middle Tyger River,

Spartanburg County, S. C* ...........

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Table 22. Descriptions of sediments sampled along parts of the

Horth Tyger River, Middle Tyger River, and South

Tyger River, Spartanburg County and Greenville

County, S. C. . . . ... ...........

23. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Lavson Fork, ' .V. ',,v $

Creek, Spartanburg County, S. C. . . . . V_.:.x-.:

2k. Descriptions of sediments sampled along Buck Creek

and other tributaries to the Pacolet River,

Spartanburg County and Cherokee County, S. C. <.

25. Descriptions of sediments sampled near the junction

Horth Pacolet River and South Pacolet River,

Spartanburg County, S. C. . . ...;....-.-.-~->-

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Descriptlon, composition, and tenor of unconsolidated sediments in

monazite-bearing tributaries to the Enoree, Tyger, and Pacolet Rivers

in the western Piedmont of South Carolina

--.. - . "'.," "' ;- -'/ : * < '& ' - by ' I^'SU

Herman P. Cuppels

- - ', ,A . .... Introduction

The accompanying 10 tables vere prepared during 1953-5^ to assist

in the appraisal of fluvlatile nonazite placers in the basins of the

Enoree, Tyger, and Pacolet Rivers, South Carolina. Principal results

have been sunanarized (Overstreet, Theobald, and Whitlow, 1959> ? 709-

T&). Details of exploratory drilling of a nonazite placer in this ' -K-^'' v' "~. V. '»'->?--.''

area vere released In 1955 (Hansen and Cuppels, 1955, P* 3-23)* - '

The samples described vere panned by the mriter, assisted by R.

R. Thompson and J. B. Pollard, Jr., between April and Hoveriber 1952..'-Vif'. >.:-! ,- '- .,

Methods used to collect the samples and pan the concentrates have^

been described in detail by P. K. Theobald, Jr. (1957, ? 3-6)-

MATERIAU ISHAS NOT BEEN EDITED OR

BEVIEWED FOR CONFORMITY WITH V.& GEOLOGICAL SURVEY STANDARDS

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The mineralogical analyses recorded in the tables vere made in

1952-53 by M. H. Girhard, H. B. Groom, Jr., R. p.. Marquiss, C. J.

Spengler, Jerome Stone, and B. J. Young in the laboratories of the U.

S. Geological Survey. Methods used to prepare the concentrates,

identify the minerals, and transpose expressions of abundance from

percentage by numerical frequency to percentage by weight,-of*the con-* ' .-' ::' -"- '.- ,- ' -.' -' (

centrate have been summarized by Overstreet, Theobald, Whitlow, and

Stone (1956, p. 692-694). Aspects of new methods of sample splitting^ - / ' . - | -*., .' - -.( j.* ..'--vv.,. f<' . . "> " ' 3- ' ;

evolved during the work were discussed by Richard Kella^her and F. JVp- ,. ?''% .*- '''.

Flanagan (1956, p. 213-221). A nomogram devised to obtain percent

composition by weight from the grain counts of minerals was reviewed

by R. M. Berman (1953, p. 120-123).

The field and laboratory work was sponsored by the Division of

Raw Materials of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.

Location of the samples

Samples from the drainage basin of the Enoree River are described

in 3 tables (tables l6-l8) numbered in sequence after the tables pre­

sented by D. W. CaldwellJ

./Caldwell, D. W., 1962, Description, composition, and tenor of* f ' '*-,,"*'c'i'-- - " ' ^ ~"~ *\ ''"' *"a Vf "? *' :>* ' r** " i -

unconsolidated sediments in monazite-bearing tributaries to the' 4-:»:;C^* vieK-*'.. '.''.- i^.:f v:^ &.£ ' ' "':''fr .-..^' "> Savannah and Saluda Rivers in the western Piedmont of South Carolina:

U. S. Geol. Survey Open-file Rept., 19 p. 2 figs., 15 tables.

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Samples from the drainage basin of the Otyger River are described

in tables 19-22.

Samples from the drainage basin of the Pacolet River are-

described in tables 23-25.

The location of the area to whicr each table refers is shown on

the index to areas used for placer ajgraisal between the Savannah and

Catawba Rivers, South Carolina and North Carolina., (fig. l).

Locations of individual samples sre given by the sample numbers

on figure 2 which shows distribution of samples in the Savannah River-". ;- -v ' i-y^. ' v """ V '- -**

Catawba River District, South Caroliiat and North Carolina (fig. 2)t

At many localities several samples were taken.

Description of tbs tables

The tables give a systematic presentation of field and labora­

tory data about the samples.

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3 « O. $. QOVCHHMKNT PKINTING OVfKt. I ! »*» O - till -I

Block, station number, and depth of sample

belov surface of flood plain

The block and station number identify the location of each

sample. Blocks are identified by letter and stations by number vhich

do not repeat in a given map area.

"Depth of sample belov the surface of flood plain (feet)" is the

measure of the vertical position of a sample belov the top of the

flood plaln.H For riffle samples it is the measure of the vertical

height of the banks of the present channel of the stream.

Sample numbers

Sample numbers follov the system: (1) the calendar year in vhich

the sample vas collected is shown by the left-hand digits, (2) the

collector is Indicated by the pair of letters, (5) the samples progress

in numerical sequence througiout the year, and (It) the right-hand. ' }>- .-

digits shov the position of a sample In the sequence collected in a

given year by an individual. Thus, sample number 52-CS-5^ vasp

collected in 1952 by Hi P^ Cuppels, and it is the 3^6th sample taken

by Mm that year.

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Material sampled

The column headed "Material Bandied" contains entries which give

a summary of the position and grade size of the sediment sampled.- ' *.' :>>' '-. " < ?V---- ' -A*-.'!;.

Position Is designated as "riffle," "bank," or "terrace" .: >, -... .x v- y"'v»i'-.

accordingly as the sample -was taken from the bed of the present

channel of the stream, from a bank of the present channel, or from '<i--< *, terrace deposits of an older fluvial deposition than the "bank" nnfl

"riffle" sediments. ,,

Grade size of the unconsolidated sedimentary; material sampled vas' ' ' ' 1 V'.1 «,' : -' -.'',--».

classed as gravel, sand, silt, or clay according to field criteria. '

Clay and silt vere identified by, the feel and cohesiveness of the . - :'.-..*<.. ;.&* -;y *-;? *,y^'c^V >. :*;.'!.

sedimentary material. Alluvium vas described as clay if, it vas

unctuous orv its matrix vas both unctuous and the dominant component/

and If it vas sufficiently tenaceousjto roll into rods between one's

hands. Fine-grained sediments that vere incapable of being rolled

into rods vere called silt. Various uncoheslve, gritty, fine-to

coarse-grained sediments were called, sand or gravel depending upon

the part of the material from the original volume (0.3)1 cu. ft.) that

passed througi the sieve and vas' caught in a pan after washing and

screening the sample througi a 1/8-inch sieve. In. two-component

mixtures of sand and gravel the sediment vas called sand if O.l8 cubic

foot or more material passed through the sieve, and it vas called

gravel if less passed through. Three- or four-component mixtures vere

classed as gravel or sand accordingly as the dominant constituent vas»* ' ' ''.' "' '.' , V

retained on the sieve or caugit in a pan belov the sieve. ,v w v r..

*U. S. GOVERNMENT OrriCE I 19»9 O - SII1TI

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Screening characteristics

The "Screening characteristics" of a sample are,field description

of .the sediment. Sizes of particles are divided into plus 1/i inch,

minus 1/H> inch to plus 1/8 inch, and minus 1/8 inch according to the

size of aperature of sieve on which the particle was retained, or

througi which it passed, when the sample was screened to prepare it

for panning.

The Wolume ratio" given in the table under "Screening^. ' . ki-.:'J.?

characteristics" is an expression to show the part of the original

sajmxle in each size class. It is based on an original volume of O.J^

cubic foot, and Is the measured volume in hundredths of a cubic foot >

of the component expressed as a whole number.

Material listed as "Minus 1/8 inch" is divided into "Sand" and

"Silt and clay." For sand the volume ratio was measured, but the silt

and clay is sediment that suspends in water and cannot be measured

by the system used in the field. Hence, an estimate of the silt andV-. v*r j" *. # *'> :--j*.>;-~-&'-&j&->'-\<f-''':*-->-.» -.,, ,,^ ,j_- f ? _ ^ -jv - ;-. .. '<**.<

clay is given under "Abundance" In the same unit used for volume.

The few originally larger or smaller samples than the standard have

been recalculated to equal the standard volume.

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Estimates of the percentages of the different detrital components

coarser than 1/8 inch vere made to determine variations in the gross

character and degree of weathering of the bedrock in the drainagev "-£"' * > -

basin* A dominance of quartz and potassium feldspar over rock

fragments indicates lack of exposures of urtweathered rock in the

drainage basin. The "Maximum intermediate dimension (inches) 1* gives

the length of the intermediate dimension of the largest fragment in' '--'''.. - ' r- -. ' - . -> .* i '. ' ,"'.. .. j ' ' :V, J^^vj: :wrvv. *-. ' - :-.'; ' - '- '' >- --^ :- ." -. .'-. # if^iv- ' ': . ..;^'1--V'i,-

the sample of alluriua.

Abbreviations for "Composition1* and for other parts of the table

are:

ft U. S. COVeRNMBMT PRDTTIMO

I'-if!

ill!tMfc

tw d

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J

Word

Amphibole

Biotlte gneiss

Biotite-hornblende gneiss

Biotite schist

Calc-silicate rock

Chlorite schist

Diabase

Epidote

Feldspar

Gabbro

Garnet

Granite

Hornblende

Hornblende gneiss

Kyanite

Limestone

Magnetite

Muscovite

Organic fragments

Fegnatite

Quartzschist

Trace

Abbreviation

Xenotiae

bio ga

bio-hgn

bio sch

calc-silicate

chl sch

diab

ep

fels

gar

gr

hnb

hgn

raise

organic frags

peg

qtzsil sell pi tour tr

. a. o(£?i3tMCNT PHWTma orrtcc t i»»? o - tim?

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Minerals in concentrate

The columns under "Minerals in concentrate" shov the veight of

the concentrate in grams, the "Sieve fraction/ seven minerals of

possible economic interest, seven accessory minerals, and a column for- yr

other minerals. Weight of the concentrate shovs the amount of mineral!

panned from a sample of standard size (0-5^ cu. ft.)- Under "Sieve

fraction" the size distribution of the minerals in the concentrate is

shown by weight percentage retained on the ^ 100^ and ITO^mesh sieve*

Where the percentage of the concentrate caught on the 32-mesh sieve or.'V,W3 ̂ -V'"M^.* ->: £ *: .A:^ . ' ;,-passing through the 170-mesh sieve is greater than 1 percent^it is

<V L - !-* *'" '- ' ' I ,' ~'

also recorded.

ftU. fl. OOVERWMENT PRMTINO OrriCE i 19»9 O- tlltTl

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The seven Binerals of possible economic importance are monazite,

llmenite, rutile, zircon, garnet, kyanite, and silHmanite. Abundance

of each of these minerals in the panned concentrate is shown as a

weight percentage of the concentrate. Dashes are used in the columns

headed "Percent of concentrate1* to show that the mineral was looked

for but not found. Trace means that the mineral is present but makes

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up less than 1 percent of the weight of the concentrate.L The tenor/^ I" -- ::v-,/-.:C-

of these possibly economic minerals -aare given as pounds per cubic yard>«£' >r< v^'.-.Vv-.:^ ''.

of sediment in place. Tenors estimated to be less than 0.1 pound' -:" _ '-.'A j*.. .--. ' T-%-^,:.'« >_?? '^^':'"-,'j:^-'->,. ..« (

per cubic yard are recorded to show the sparseness of the mineral, but

the estimates of less than 0.1 pound are not reliable. Tenors have"" w ,

.. "» " **.-

been adjusted for swell to reduce the measured volume of the sample

to approximate volume in place. For reduction of swell the factors

published by Peele and Church (l9Hl> v. 1, p. 3-Oj) were used:

Class of alluvium

Riffle sand and gravel

Bank silt, sand, and loose gravel

Clay and compact bank gravel

Swell (in percent)

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Ho adjustment for recovery in panning was applied to the

estimated tenors of the samples, because the recovery is different for

different minerals in the different classes of sedimentary materials.

Recoveries of monazite, the mineral vith which, the work is concerned,-'"?-''' *T-.

were about 8H percent in the different materials, and the recoveries

of the other minerals ranged from about Ho to 90 percent -with the

lowest recoveries being for minerals in samples of silt and clay

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(Theobald, 1957, P-

The abundance of the accessory minerals of no economic value

are shown as weight percentage of the concentrate. Estimates of tenon' T".- "* A. ," V',\j -.; ;.

have not been prepared. Staurolite is here classed as an accessory

instead of an economic mineral because of its general sparseness in

the high-grade metamorphic rocks on which the fluvial placers are* ̂ V '

developed*

"Others** lists minor accessory minerals of infrequent occurrence.

The name of the minor mineral is written above percentages showing - '. ' '. ' > * <..>--» its abundance in the concentrate* Abbreviation of the names of the

minerals were given above.

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References cited

Bex-man, R. M*, 1953, A nomogram for obtaining percent composition byt>7/ weight from mineral-grain counts: Jour. Sed. Pefy, v. 23,

p7 120-12J.

Hansen, L. A., and Cuppels, H. P., 1955, Monazite placer at the

Junction of the Horth Tyger River with the Middle Tyger River,

Spartanburg County, South Carolina; U.S. Atomic Energy Coma.

RME 3H7, P- 3-23-

Kel 1 agher, Richard, and Flanagan, F. J., 1956, The multiple cone-; -'~'l^~, _ - _ '.-.- -xr "* " "" ,- ' ~ - "

splitter: r jour. Sed. Petrology, T. 26, no." 3, p. 213-221.

OTerstreet, W. C., Theobald, P. K., Jr., Whitlow, J. W., 1959,

Thorium and uranium resources in nonazite placers of the western.

Piedmont, Horth and South Carolina; Mining Eng., v. 11, no. 7,

p. 709-71*. * Overstreet, W. C., Theobald, P. K., Jr., Whitlow, J. W., and Stone,

Jerome, 1956, Heavy-mineral prospecting, in- Internet . Conf.;-*" * '''^ '* » '' J;' :%*' - '; 'i''^

- , v '.'.. Tt 'W* :..'* ;

Peaceful Uses Atomic Energy, Geneva 1955, Proc., v. 6, p. 692-

... -'- -.. 7 - - ' Peele, Robert, and Church, J. A., 19^1, Mining engineers' handbook,

*.--. - - - :^.;4:^.v^^ : </,, grd ed.: Hew York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., p. 1-01 to 1H--66,

plus 63. %,- .;; - ...^ :^r:-VvV^;;'.;.iA,^*"

Theobald, P. K*, Jr., 1957, The 'gold pan as Va quantitative geologic, - ' '. , ' '->' ' ".^"t "Ki:^<-'t'^r ,:<.

tool:~U. 8. Geol. Survey Bull. 1071-A, p. l-5^»

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