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Paragenesis

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Encyclopedia of Geochemistry

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Definition

Paragenesis is the sequence of formation of associated minerals in rocks and rock suites (Craig and Vaughan 1994, p. 164). The concept of mineral paragenesis , sensu stricto, applies to the characteristics of mineral associations that connote contemporaneous formation, presumably in chemical equilibrium. The word paragenesis comes from the Greek, meaning “born beside.”

The classical usage of paragenesis is to describe the temporal order of mineral deposition in an ore deposit , or paragenetic sequence, for example, in the Stassfurt salt deposits (Clarke 1911; Warren 2006). Mineral paragenesis is closely related to the concept of mineral zoning, where the variation occurs in space, rather than time. In its broadest sense, the term can be applied to any sequence or assemblage of minerals related by common formation conditions. Recent conceptual developments in mineralogy frame paragenesis from stellar atmospheres, to protoplanetary disks, to planets, to plate...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA

    Denton S. Ebel

  2. Tucson Office – Geology, Minerals, Energy and Geophysics Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 520 North Park Avenue, Suite 355, Tucson, Arizona, 85719, USA

    Robert J. Kamilli

Authors
  1. Denton S. Ebel
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  2. Robert J. Kamilli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Denton S. Ebel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth, Cornell University Department of Earth, Ithaca, New York, USA

    William M. White

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Ebel, D.S., Kamilli, R.J. (2017). Paragenesis. In: White, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geochemistry. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_304-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39193-9_304-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-39193-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-39193-9

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