zeolitebearing

Zeolitebearing is a geological term used to describe rocks and sediments in which zeolite minerals occur as an important constituent or as notable accessories. Zeolites are a family of hydrated aluminosilicate minerals with framework structures that enclose channels and cavities, capable of hosting water and exchangeable cations such as Na+, K+, and Ca2+.

Zeolite-bearing assemblages are characteristic of diagenetic and low-grade metamorphic environments. They commonly form during the alteration of volcanic glass and ash (tuff) in alkaline, relatively low-temperature fluids, typically in the range of roughly 100–200°C, and under conditions of moderate pH. Zeolites also appear in the zeolite facies of metamorphism, marking a transition from diagenesis toward greenschist-grade rocks.

Common zeolite minerals found in such rocks include analcime, chabazite, clinoptilolite, mordenite, natrolite, and stilbite, among others. They may occur as prismatic or euhedral crystals within vesicles, fractures, or pore spaces, or as masses replacing glassy constituents.

The presence of zeolite minerals informs interpretation of a rock’s history, including alteration fluids, temperature, and time scales. Zeolite-bearing rocks are also of economic interest because modern zeolites have industrial uses in adsorption, ion exchange, and catalysis, although the classification term itself emphasizes petrographic context rather than commercial grade.