Saint David area, Cochise County, Arizona, USAi
Regional Level Types | |
---|---|
Saint David area | Area |
Cochise County | County |
Arizona | State |
USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
31° 51' 56'' North , 110° 15' 22'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
KΓΆppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
134557
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:134557:8
GUID (UUID V4):
02a2b6f5-7c37-4466-9bb6-64d8e1aa3dee
The St. David area is an alluvial outflow from the Whetstone Mountains to the West. At the San Pedro River in the center of the valley the alluvial deposits are up to fifteen hundred feet in depth. Subsequent erosion cut through layers of soil, exposing the various deposition levels. Soil saturation of rainwater and subsequent evaporation allowed deposition of gypsum in many forms. Opal also formed in the same way above impervious layers of caliche or clays. Quartz, magnetite, garnet, iron and other minerals are found in the outflow washes. Some of the opal and silica pods are slightly radioactive from the marginally commercial deposits in the Whetstone Mountains.
Most gypsum deposits are on the West side of the San Pedro River, two to three miles from the river, in the canyons that come down from the plateau above the river plain. Forms of the gypsum vary from the compact rose form to platy crystals, to colorless crystals and many other forms, each canyon seems to have different forms of gypsum.
A recent discovery in 2023 is that the mineral whewellite is present in at least 8 samples of different species of cacti in the St. David area, each having the crystals inside dead tissue of the plants.
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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded from this region.Mineral List
Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities15 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Rock list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities
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Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
β Aragonite Formula: CaCO3 References: |
β Calcite Formula: CaCO3 References: |
β 'Desert Rose' References: |
β Fluorite Formula: CaF2 References: |
β Grossular Formula: Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 References: |
β Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
β Gypsum var. Satin Spar Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
β Gypsum var. Selenite Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
β Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 References: |
β Hematite var. Specularite Formula: Fe2O3 References: |
β Magnetite Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4 References: |
β Microcline Formula: K(AlSi3O8) References: |
β Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 References: |
β Nitratine Formula: NaNO3 References: |
β Opal Formula: SiO2 · nH2O Localities: References: |
β Orthoclase Formula: K(AlSi3O8) References: |
β Pyrrhotite Formula: Fe1-xS References: |
β Quartz Formula: SiO2 References: |
β Quartz var. Chalcedony Formula: SiO2 References: |
β Quartz var. Milky Quartz Formula: SiO2 References: |
β 'Tourmaline' Formula: AD3G6 (T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z References: |
β Whewellite Formula: Ca(C2O4) · H2O References: |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
---|---|---|---|
β | Pyrrhotite | 2.CC.10 | Fe1-xS |
Group 3 - Halides | |||
β | Fluorite | 3.AB.25 | CaF2 |
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
β | Magnetite | 4.BB.05 | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
β | Hematite var. Specularite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
β | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 | |
β | Quartz var. Chalcedony | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
β | var. Milky Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
β | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
β | Opal | 4.DA.10 | SiO2 Β· nH2O |
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
β | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
β | Aragonite | 5.AB.15 | CaCO3 |
β | Nitratine | 5.NA.05 | NaNO3 |
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
β | Gypsum var. Selenite | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 Β· 2H2O |
β | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 Β· 2H2O | |
β | var. Satin Spar Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 Β· 2H2O |
Group 9 - Silicates | |||
β | Grossular | 9.AD.25 | Ca3Al2(SiO4)3 |
β | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
β | Orthoclase | 9.FA.30 | K(AlSi3O8) |
β | Microcline | 9.FA.30 | K(AlSi3O8) |
Group 10 - Organic Compounds | |||
β | Whewellite | 10.AB.45 | Ca(C2O4) Β· H2O |
Unclassified | |||
β | 'Tourmaline' | - | AD3G6 (T6O18)(BO3)3X3Z |
β | 'Desert Rose' | - |
List of minerals for each chemical element
Mindat Articles
Fluorescent Common Opal of St. David, Arizona by Rolf LuetckePseudomorph Crystal Discovery by Rolf Luetcke
Saint David Gypsum Collecting by Rolf Luetcke
Story of Whewellite in Cochise County Arizona by Rolf Luetcke
Localities in this Region
- Arizona
- Cochise County
- Saint David area
- Cochise County
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Mexico
- Sierra Madre OccidentalMountain Range
North America
- Sonoran DesertDesert
- San Pedro river valleyValley
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Basin and Range BasinsBasin
- Mazatzal DomainDomain
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Saint David area, Cochise County, Arizona, USA