Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Clay Mineralogy And Origin Of The Huntingdon Fire Clays On Canadian Sumas Mountain, South British Columbia, Duane G. Horton

WWU Graduate School Collection

Three fire clay seams occur near the base of the Eocene Huntingdon formation at Canadian Sumas Mountain, southwest British Columbia. The three seams are separated from each other and overlain by coal partings.

The fire clays consist predominately of b-axis disordered kaolinite with minor amounts of quartz, detrital coal and x-ray amorphous iron oxides. They contain scant amounts of anatase, siderite, illite, and expandable clays. Expandable clays are concentrated in the fine clay fractions and illite is concentrated in the coarse clay fractions.

The lowermost fire clay seam contains better ordered kaolinite and fewer non-kaolinitic minerals than do the overlying …