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Petrology Of North Mississippi Bauxite : A Case For Depositional Bauxite And Kaolin, Charles Nelson Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past 55 years, there has been considerable debate over the stratigraphic position, genesis, and economic value of North Mississippi bauxite. The aluminum rich deposits are unlike most deposits found around the world. The deposits are associated with 200-300 foot thick marine to nonmarine clays overlain by feldspar poor, fluvial-deltaic sediments. The possible source areas are composed of limestone, marls, sand, and muds ranging in age from Late Cretaceous to Late Paleocene. These factors prohibit the direct application of previous theories derived from studies outside Mississippi. The deposits, therefore, cannot be considered a textbook example of bauxite formation.

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