Abstract

MONTENEGRO, Teresita. Las zeolitas de los basaltos del Grupo Volcánico Isla James Ross, en las proximidades de Punta Santa Rita, isla James Ross, Antártida. Rev. Asoc. Geol. Argent. [online]. 2013, vol.70, n.4, pp.577-582. ISSN 0004-4822.

In the James Ross Island, northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula, Cretaceous sedimentary rocks crop out and they are overlaid by basalts of the James Ross Island Volcanic Group. These basalts are characterized by their different volcanic successions emplaced in subglacial, marine, subaqueous and subaerial environments. Lavas emplaced in subaqueous environment originate hyaloclastite breccia. In Santa Rita Point (64° and 57° 16'10''W 13'52''S), located to the southeast of Ekelöf Point, some basalt horizons have amygdaloidal structure with cavities filled with zeolites and calcite, ranging in size between 0.3 mm and 1 cm. The minerals that filled the cavities have been studied with conventional petrographic techniques, SEM, EDS and Xray diffraction. All zeolites are enriched in Na. An intergrowth of chabazite-gmelinite crystals, lining the walls of the cavities, accompanied by analcime, thomsonite, phillipsite, and calcite developed to the center. Calcite also occurs in veins. Palagonite glass is located at the free surfaces and chemically, is also enriched in Na, in addition to Al, K and Ca. Zeolites associations would have been originated by reaction with surface water during the initial cooling of lava flows and / or by recrystallization of glass. The basalts may have been exposed to the action of marine waters, as is evidenced by the abundance of Na in all zeolites and in the palagonitic glass.

Keywords : Gmelinite; Chabazite; Cenozoic; James Ross Island Volcanic Group; James Ross basin; Antarctica.

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