Chabazite

specimen number:
2354297

location:
Oxbow Dam, Baker Co., Oregon, USA

description:

A superb example for the species for this locality, razor-sharp pale hand to cream-colored pseudo-cubic crystals of chabazite to 2.0 cm across very nice on matrix. In very good condition. Micro crystals of stilbite are present. The specimen was self collected by Charles Trantham in 1964.

Located along the Snake River within the rugged Hells Canyon region of Baker County, Oregon, the geology of the Oxbow Dam area is dominated by thick layers of Miocene-age Columbia River Basalt Group volcanic flows. Gas bubbles trapped within the rapidly cooling basaltic lava formed numerous cavities known as vesicles, which were later inundated by mineral-rich hydrothermal fluids. Over time, these low-temperature solutions deposited pristine zeolites inside the voids, most notably chabazite, which occurs here as sharp, rhombohedral crystals often exhibiting intricate twinning patterns. The construction of Oxbow Dam and associated roadwork in the mid-twentieth century exposed fresh rock cuts along the canyon walls, drawing mineral collectors and researchers to the site. Collectors prized the locality for yielding bright, well-defined chabazite specimens intermixed with other secondary minerals like calcite and stilbite, though access has since become limited due to steep terrain and regional land management restrictions.

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