Zeolite

Zeolite facies describes the mineral assemblage resulting from the

pressure and temperature conditions of low-grade metamorphism.
The zeolite facies is generally considered to be transitional between
diagenetic processes which turn sediments into sedimentary rocks, and
burial metamorphism, which is a hallmark of subseafloor alteration of
the oceanic crust around mid-ocean ridge spreading centres. The
zeolite and prehnite-pumpellyite facies are considered burial
metamorphism as the processes of orogenic regional metamorphism
are not required.
[Note : Burial Metamorphism - Burial Metamorphism occurs when
sedimentary rocks that had undergone diagenesis are buried even
deeper. Diagenesis grades into burial metamorphism, a relatively mild
type of metamorphism resulting from the heat and pressure exerted by
overlying sediments and sedimentary rocks.]
Zeolite is formed when particularly violent volcanoes erupted
enormous amounts of ash containing aluminosilicates of alkaline and
alkaline earth. Some of the wind borne ash settled to form thick ash
beds.
Most of the time ash falls into the ocean it just becomes sediment or
onto land and it just becomes soil. In some other cases the ash may fall
into lakes. These lakes cannot be seawater or fresh water but must be a
semi-saline lake. If the chemistry of the lake is in the right range the
chemical reaction of volcanic ash and in few salts in the water will
result in the formation of a natural zeolite. The material is said to be
zeolitised.
Characteristics of each zeolite deposit will vary due to the
circumstances of its formation. Natural differences such as
temperature, geographic location and the ratio and concentration of
the various salts determine which particular zeolite minerals are
formed.
Zeolite facies is most often experienced by pelitic sediments; rocks rich
in aluminium, silica, potassium and sodium, but generally low in iron,
magnesium and calcium. Zeolite facies metamorphism usually results in
the production of low temperature clay minerals into higher
temperature polymorphs such as kaolinite and vermiculite.
Mineral assemblages include kaolinite and montmorillonite with
laumontite, wairakite, prehnite, calcite and chlorite. Phengite and
adularia occur in potassium rich rocks. Minerals in this series include
zeolites, albite, and quartz.
This occurs by dehydration of the clays during compaction, and heating
due to blanketing of the sediments by continued deposition of
sediments above. Zeolite facies is considered to start with
temperatures of approximately 100-250 °C and some burial is required,
usually 1 - 5 km.
Zeolite facies tends to correlate in clay-rich sediments with the onset of
a bedding plane foliation, parallel with the bedding of the rocks, caused
by alignment of platy clay minerals in a horizontal orientation which
reduces their free energy state.
Generally plutonic and volcanic rocks are not greatly affected by zeolite
facies metamorphism, although vesicular basalts and the like will have
their vesicles filled with zeolite minerals, forming amygdaloidal texture.
Tuff can also become zeolitized, as is seen in the Obispo formation on
the California coast.