Cordierite locality (Bigelow Pond), Union, Tolland County, Connecticut, USAi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Cordierite locality (Bigelow Pond) | Road Cutting (Inactive) |
| Union | - not defined - |
| Tolland County | County |
| Connecticut | State |
| USA | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
41° 59' 30'' North , 72° 7' 58'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Road Cutting (Inactive) - last checked 2020
KΓΆppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Holland | 1,464 (2017) | 8.3km |
| Wales | 1,767 (2017) | 11.3km |
| Southbridge | 19,030 (2017) | 12.4km |
| Stafford | 12,029 (2017) | 12.9km |
| Sturbridge | 2,253 (2017) | 13.7km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Valley Mineral Club | Springfield, Massachusetts | 40km |
| Worcester Mineral Club | Worcester, Massachusetts | 41km |
Mindat Locality ID:
238727
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:238727:0
GUID (UUID V4):
ab367d19-aee0-41a7-8de3-56632742a428
Schairer (1931) describes the cordierite as, "Small crystals and irregular grains of excellent color in road cut just west of the south end of Bigelow Pond, Union."
Elwell reported on this locality in 1940:
About 1 1/2 miles northeast from the village of Union...there was once the attractive Bigelow Pond just north of Conn. Route 198. Just west of the south end of this pond were exposures of [Ordovician Brimfield] schists...In the road cut through these schists iolite crystals of excellent color had been found.
T. Lipton Smith and I set out one day to find this locality. We stopped at a garage in the neighborhood to inquire directions and learned for the first time that Bigelow Pond was no moreβit went out with the flood when the dam gave way [due to the Hurricane of 1938]...We found the locality without further trouble and collected garnets, iolite and moonstone. Bigelow Pond is no moreβit is now a brook!
T. Lipton Smith and I set out one day to find this locality. We stopped at a garage in the neighborhood to inquire directions and learned for the first time that Bigelow Pond was no moreβit went out with the flood when the dam gave way [due to the Hurricane of 1938]...We found the locality without further trouble and collected garnets, iolite and moonstone. Bigelow Pond is no moreβit is now a brook!
The dam for Bigelow Pond was rebuilt in 1941 and the highway is now state Route 171. A field check of the area on May 16, 2020 found extant road cuts just west of the dam on the north side of Route 171. These small cuts on the very busy road are very close to it and a it is dangerous place to be for more than a few minutes. A quick look found plenty of almandine and coarse-grained albite and quartz with annite, but no obvious cordierite. There did not appear to be any recent signs of collecting, not surprising given the danger and low chance of finding much. Only moss-covered, large boulders are on the south side of the road. Note, rip-rap along the road is not local rock, it is from the Becker Quarry in West Willington.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| β Albite Formula: Na(AlSi3O8) |
| β Albite var. Andesine Formula: (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| β 'Biotite' Formula: K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| β Cordierite Formula: (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) Description: Small crystals and irregular grains of excellent color |
| β 'Garnet Group' Formula: X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| β Graphite Formula: C |
| β Magnetite Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| β Microcline Formula: K(AlSi3O8) |
| β Pyrite Formula: FeS2 |
| β Quartz Formula: SiO2 |
| β Sillimanite Formula: Al2(SiO4)O |
| β Zircon Formula: Zr(SiO4) |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| β | Graphite | 1.CB.05a | C |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| β | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| β | Magnetite | 4.BB.05 | Fe2+Fe3+2O4 |
| β | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| Group 9 - Silicates | |||
| β | Zircon | 9.AD.30 | Zr(SiO4) |
| β | Sillimanite | 9.AF.05 | Al2(SiO4)O |
| β | Cordierite | 9.CJ.10 | (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) |
| β | Microcline | 9.FA.30 | K(AlSi3O8) |
| β | Albite | 9.FA.35 | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| β | var. Andesine | 9.FA.35 | (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| Unclassified | |||
| β | 'Biotite' | - | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| β | 'Garnet Group' | - | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | β Graphite | C |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| O | β Albite var. Andesine | (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| O | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| O | β Cordierite | (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) |
| O | β Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| O | β Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| O | β Quartz | SiO2 |
| O | β Sillimanite | Al2(SiO4)O |
| O | β Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| O | β Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| F | Fluorine | |
| F | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Na | Sodium | |
| Na | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Na | β Albite var. Andesine | (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| Mg | Magnesium | |
| Mg | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Mg | β Cordierite | (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) |
| Al | Aluminium | |
| Al | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | β Albite var. Andesine | (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| Al | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Al | β Cordierite | (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) |
| Al | β Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Al | β Sillimanite | Al2(SiO4)O |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | β Albite var. Andesine | (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| Si | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Si | β Cordierite | (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) |
| Si | β Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Si | β Quartz | SiO2 |
| Si | β Sillimanite | Al2(SiO4)O |
| Si | β Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
| Si | β Garnet Group | X3Z2(SiO4)3 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
| K | Potassium | |
| K | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| K | β Microcline | K(AlSi3O8) |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | β Albite var. Andesine | (Na,Ca)[Al(Si,Al)Si2O8] |
| Ti | Titanium | |
| Ti | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | β Biotite | K(Fe2+/Mg)2(Al/Fe3+/Mg/Ti)([Si/Al/Fe]2Si2O10)(OH/F)2 |
| Fe | β Cordierite | (Mg,Fe)2Al3(AlSi5O18) |
| Fe | β Magnetite | Fe2+Fe23+O4 |
| Fe | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
| Zr | Zirconium | |
| Zr | β Zircon | Zr(SiO4) |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
North America PlateTectonic Plate
- Ganderia DomainDomain
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References
