ROCK ROOM
Smithers Exploration Group's Collection of Cordilleran Rock Suites
Welcome to Smithers Exploration Group’s Rock Room, home to our classic collection of Cordilleran rock suites. This extensive collection of rock samples is representative of deposits and rock types from across British Columbia, with a focus on the northwest. It’s an important resource for the development of expertise on the geology of northern BC and the discovery of the next mines.
The collection was begun in the 1970s by local geologists and prospectors, as well as the BC Ministry of Mines, and was updated under the direction of former regional geologist Paul Wojdak. It is designed to give hands-on examples of the rocks that make up the regional geological framework of northern British Columbia. We are working hard to complete our collection: if there is a particular suite you are keen to see but we do not yet have, please let us know and we will prioritize the aquisition of those samples. If you have a suite that you would consider donating to help us fill in the gaps, please contact us.
The Rock Room occupies a spacious classroom at the Smithers Exploration Group office at #101 3423 Fulton Avenue in Smithers. We have almost 2000 rock samples catalogued, clearly labelled and stored in trays that can be removed for handling and close examination. The room is heated, well-lit and spacious .It is equipped with regular and zoom stereomicroscopes for detailed investigation.
The rock suites cover:
- Plutonic
- Volcanic
- Sedimentary
- Metamorphic
- Stratigraphy
- Mineral Deposits and Ore Deposit Types
- Rock-forming and Ore Minerals
Call 250-877-7883 or email rockroom@smithersexplorationgroup.com if you have questions about the Rock Room or the donation requirements for samples.
SEG’s Rock Room with its Cordilleran Rock Suites will make Smithers home to a unique tool for explorationists. It will attract industry and government attention to Smithers as a community committed to the growth of the minerals industry in BC.
Browse the Rock Room Collection
| Library No. | Suite Name | Location | Collector | Rock Name | Age | Description | Cart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P8-05 | Alkaline Plutons | Galore Creek 104G 090 | Syenite | U Triassic | 80% very coarse K-feldspar (cloudy); 10% plagioclase; 5% chalcopyrite, magnetite, bornite; 5% hornblende; weak alteration to chlorite and epidote | ||
| P8-04 | Alkaline Plutons | Biotite hornblende diorite | 50% light minerals, mainly feldspar, 5% quartz; 40% hornblende and biotite | ||||
| P8-03 | Alkaline Plutons | Mt Fleet, north of Kamloops | Syenite | 50% elongate laths of K-feldspar; 48% interstitial feldspar (plagioclase?); disseminated fine magnetite; minor (2%) biotite | |||
| P8-02 | Alkaline Plutons | Granite feldspar porphyry | 75% coarse K-feldspar; fine grained crystalline matrix of quartz (14%), plagioclase (10%) and biotite (1%) | ||||
| P8-01 | Alkaline Plutons | Kamloops area | V Preto | Alkali syenite | coarse grained; large rhombs of K-feldspar; interstitial biotite and chalcopyrite | ||
| P7-18 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons, near Dawson | Garnet biotite syenite | mid Cretacous | Coarse grained, medium gray, 67% pale grey k-feldspar up to 4cm long, 15% biotite, 15% minerals with pink core zoned to white rims 0.75cm size that are reported to be garnets (grossular / andradite garnet?), also 3% fine grained cherry red mineral/staining. | ||
| P7-17 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons | Clinopyroxene monzonite | mid Cretacous | Medium grey; medium grained with 75% grey feldspar, 25% black clinopyroxene | ||
| P7-16 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons | Hornblende syenite | Mid Cretacous | coarse grained, 65% porphyritic k-feldspar with grey cores and white rims up to 3cm long, 20% white feldspar, 15% hornblende up to 1.5cm long | ||
| P7-15 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons | Hornblende syenite | mid Cretacous | coarse grained; 65% porphyritic white K-feldspar up to 3cm long, 20% white feldspar, 15% hornblende up to 1cm long, | ||
| P7-14 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons | Hornblende syenite | mid Cretacous | Coarse grained, 60% K-feldspar with a grey core and white rims up to 3cm long (sodic rims on K-spar), 15% hornblende up to 1cm, 25 % white feldspar. | ||
| P7-13 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons, N of Dawson City | Biotite monzonite | mid Cretacous | Fine grained, dark grey with 75% grey feldspar, 20% biotite and 5% quartz. | ||
| P7-12 | Selwyn Plutons | Tombstone plutons | Nepheline porphyry phonolite ("Tinguite") | mid Cretacous | 20% white nepheline phenos up to 1cm in a fine grained grey groundmass of 75% white to grey feldspar and 5% hornblend | ||
| P7-11A P7-11B | Selwyn Plutons | O'Grady batholith, SE Yukon | Alkali feldspar megacrystic quartz syenite | mid Cretacous | stained for K-feldspar; salt and pepper, coarse grained with 50% white k-feldspar phenos up to 1.5cm, 20% plagioclase, 20% quartz, 10% hornblend, fine grained, trace honey-colour sphene, T476B - broken along label. | ||
| P7-10 | Selwyn Plutons | O'Grady batholith, SE Yukon | Biotite granite aplite | mid Cretacous | stained for K-feldspar. Salt and pepper, fine grained, 50% white k-feldspar, 15% plagioclase, 25% quartz, 10% biotite, with rounded mafic xenolith. | ||
| P7-09 | Selwyn Plutons | O'Grady batholith, SE Yukon | Alkali feldspar megacrystic quartz syenite | mid Cretacous | stained for K-feldspar; 45% k-feldspar phenos up to 2.5cm long, white with faint zonation, 15% plagioclase, 20% quartz, 10% hornblende, 10% biotite, trace fine grained, honey-colour sphene, | ||
| P7-08 | Selwyn Plutons | O'Grady batholith, SE Yukon | Biotite hornblende quartz syenite | mid Cretacous | stained for K-feldspar, salt and pepper, medium grained, weakly foliated, 50% k-spar, 15% plagioclase, 15% quartz, 10% biotite, 10% hornblende. | ||
| T469 (missing) | Selwyn Plutons | Mactung pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Granite aplite | mid Cretacous | ||
| P7-07 | Selwyn Plutons | CAC pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Alkali feldspar megacrystic biotite granite | mid Cretacous | Salt and pepper, medium grained, 55% white feldspar up to 3cm long k-feldspar phenos, 30% translucent grey quartz up to 0.5cm, 15% biotite. | |
| P7-06 | Selwyn Plutons | Southern Nahanni pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende granodiorite | mid Cretacous | Salt and pepper, medium grained with 20% white k-spar, 30% white plagioclase, 30% translucent grey quartz, 10% biotite, 10% hornblende. | |
| P7-05 | Selwyn Plutons | Southern Nahanni pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende granodiorite | mid Cretacous | Salt and pepper, medium grained with 20% k-spar, 30% plagioclase, 30% quartz, 15% biotite, 5% hornblend. | |
| P7-04 | Selwyn Plutons | Rudi pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Biotite granite aplite | mid Cretacous | Very fine grained grey with 49% quartz, 50% white feldspar, 1% biotite. | |
| P7-03 | Selwyn Plutons | Rudi pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Biotite granodiorite | mid Cretacous | Salt and pepper texture, coarse grained with 30% quartz, 50% feldspars up to 2 cm from white to faint orange, 20% biotite. | |
| P7-02 | Selwyn Plutons | Rudi pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Alkali feldspar biotite granite | mid Cretacous | Salt and pepper texture, medium to coarse grained with up to 4 cm long megacrystic k-feldspar phenocrysts, 50% translucent grey quartz 0.5cm, 40% white k-feldspar, 10% biotite | |
| T461 (missing) | Selwyn Plutons | Lened pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Alkali feldspar megacrystic biotite granite | mid Cretacous | ||
| P7-01 | Selwyn Plutons | Rudi pluton, SE Yukon | R Anderson | Alkali feldspar megacrystic biotite granite | mid Cretacous | Salt and pepper texture, medium to coarse grained with up to 5cm long megacrystic k-feldspar phenocrysts, 55% translucent grey quartz, 35% white k-feldspar, 10% biotite | |
| I6-14 (missing) | Granitic plutons | Feldspar porphyritic granodiorite | light pink; medium grained; 10% large, euhedral, pink K-feldspar; 15% rounded, fractured quartz to 6 mm; 60% smaller (to 3 mm) pink plagioclase(?); 15% aphanitic, quartz-rich groundmass. Large K-spar have darker potassic alteration rims and many smaller feldspars appear mottled pink-white due to potassic alteration; vuggy blebs of iron carbonate are likely altered mafic phenocrysts (or pyrite?); trace biotite. Orange weathered colour due to iron carbonate and potassic alteration | ||||
| I6-13 (missing) | Granitic plutons | Feldspar porphyritic quartz monzonite | coarse grained; quartz-feldspar porphyritic; 15% rounded, transparent quartz eyes to 1 cm; 30% white K-feldspar to 1.5 cm; 55% fine grained, dark grey feldspar-mafic groundmass | ||||
| P6-12 | Granitic plutons | Feldspar porphyritic granodiorite | light and dark grey; medium to coarse grained; 15% grey-brown, transparent, rounded quartz eyes to 7 mm; 30% white plagioclase phenocrysts to 2 cm (some concentrically banded); 15% chloritic hornblende to 4 mm; K-feldspar groundmass, fine, grey colour, stained yellow; disseminated magnetite | ||||
| P6-11 | Granitic plutons | Feldspar porphyritic quartz monzonite | black and white; medium grained; 15% white K-feldspar phenocrysts to 2 cm; 20% quartz (eyes?) to 7 mm; 50% granular, crumbly 2-feldspar groundmass; 15% hornblende to 3 mm and biotite; magnetite associated with mafics; minor epidote in some feldspar phenos | ||||
| P6-10 | Granitic plutons | Hornblende feldspar porphyritic quartz monzonite | pale pink-white and grey; medium grained; 10% rounded quartz eyes to 7 mm; 15% K-feldspar phenocrysts to 1 cm; 60% plagioclase and K-feldspar groundmass, crystals to 4 mm; 15% small hornblende; local epidote alteration of feldspar; minor fine disseminated magnetite | ||||
| P6-09 | Granitic plutons | K-feldspar porphyritic diorite | black and white; fine grained; 20% pale pink-orange to white K-feldspar to 2 cm; fine quartz-feldspar groundmass; tiny brown-black biotite to 2 mm (and minor hornblende?); occassional white to transparent quartz veinlets; one iron oxide veinlet with potassic alteration envelope | ||||
| P6-08 | Granitic plutons | Port Alberni batholith | J Beekmann | Biotite hornblende quartz monzonite | middle Jurassic | black and white; medium grained; 20% quartz; 20% plagioclase; 35% K-feldspar; 25% predominant hornblende to 5 mm and minor biotite; moderately magnetic; feldspars occur mainly as fine groundmass and are hard to distinguish except for occassional larger crystals | |
| P6-07 | Granitic plutons | Port Alberni batholith | J Beekmann | Biotite hornblende quartz monzonite | middle Jurassic | black and white; medium grained; 20% quartz; 20% plagioclase; 35% K-feldspar; 25% predominant hornblende to 8 mm and minor small biotite; moderately magnetic; weak alteration of feldspar to light green-grey epidote | |
| P6-06 | Granitic plutons | Port Alberni batholith | J Beekmann | Biotite hornblende quartz monzonite | middle Jurassic | black and white; medium grained; 15% quartz; 35% plagioclase; 30% K-feldspar; 20% predominant hornblende and minor biotite; feldspars occur mainly as fine groundmass and are hard to distinguish except for occassional larger crystals; moderately magnetic; epidote as weak alteration of feldspar and one hairline fracture | |
| P6-05 | Granitic plutons | Corrigan batholith south of Port Alberni | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende granodiorite | middle Jurassic | black and white; medium grained; 30% quartz; 35% plagioclase; 10% K-feldspar; 25% predominant hornblende to 6 mm and minor biotite; mafics are moderately magnetic | |
| P6-04 | Granitic plutons | San Christoval plutons, Haida Gwai | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende diorite | middle Jurassic | black and white; medium grained; 55% plagioclase as fine groundmass and crystal aggregates; 5% quartz; 25% hornblende as euhedral laths to 8 mm; 15% biotite to 1 cm. Mafics are moderately magnetic. Rare sericite alteration | |
| P6-03 | Granitic plutons | San Christoval plutons, Haida Gwai | R Anderson | Hornblende gabbro | middle Jurassic | dark green-black and white; medium to coarse grained; 30% plagioclase to 5 mm; 70% weakly chloritic hornblende to 1.5 cm; weakly magnetic; minor fine pyrite; carbonate as weak pervasive alteration and in hairline fractures | |
| P6-02 | Granitic plutons | San Christoval plutons, Haida Gwai | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende diorite | middle Jurassic | light grey and black; medium grained; 58% plagioclase; 2% K-feldspar; 40% weakly chloritic hornblende to 8 mm; minor biotite; stained to detect K-spar; rare specks of py in mafics | |
| P6-01 | Granitic plutons | San Christoval plutons, Haida Gwai | K Dixon | Biotite hornblende quartz diorite | middle Jurassic | black and white; medium grained; 30% euhedral mafics to 5 mm (hornblende and biotite); 25% quartz; 40% white sub to euhedral plagioclase; 5% white K-feldspar. Stained to distinguish K-feldspar. Mafics are moderately magnetic | |
| P5-03 | Three Sisters pluton | NTS 104I | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende monzonite | mid Jurassic | medium grained; 30% K-feldspar to 1 cm; 35% plagioclase to 4 mm; 5% quartz; 30% mafics (biotite to 3 mm and hornblende to 5 mm; minor disseminated magnetite; weak potassic alteration indicated by stained surface | |
| P5-02 | Three Sisters pluton | NTS 104I | R Anderson | Biotite hornblende granodiorite | mid Jurassic | medium grained; 20% K-feldspar to 5 mm; 50% plagioclase to 4 mm; 10% quartz; 20% mafics (biotite to 5 mm and hornblende? Minor disseminated magnetite and cpy | |
| I5-03 (missing) | Hotailuh batholith | NTS 104I, SE of Dease Lk | R Anderson | Clinopyroxene gabbro (missing) | late Triassic | fine to medium grained; light grey and black; 30% acicular plagioclase to 4 mm, parallel aligned; 40% pyroxene to 6 mm; 30% grey groundmass of feldspar, pyroxene and grey-brown nepheline? Moderately magnetic; minor py | |
| I5-02 (missing) | Hotailuh batholith | NTS 104I | R Anderson | Hornblendite (missing) | late Triassic | dark green-grey; medium grained; hornblende to 2.5 cm; magnetite throughout; some interstitial plagioclase; minor olivine to 3 mm visible on cut surface | |
| P5-01 | Hotailuh batholith | NTS 104I | R Anderson | Clinopyroxenite | late Triassic | dark green-grey; medium grained; strongly magnetic; near 100% clinopyroxene?; pale yellow-green olivine? Or epidote alteration | |
| P4-06 | Pegmatites | 6cm wide muscovite sheets | |||||
| P4-05 | Pegmatites | Nicola area | T Richards | Horblende-feldspar pegmatite | 60% euhedral hornblende; 40% interstitial plagioclase; associated with alkaline plutons in Nicola volcanics; related to I4-03 | ||
| P4-04 | Pegmatites | P Wojdak | Quartz-feldspar-muscovite pegmatite | very similar to I4-06; includes a single 3 cm crystal of tourmaline (?) | |||
| P4-02 | Pegmatites | P Wojdak | Quartz | black; glassy with concoidal fracture; textbook crystal termination | |||
| P4-01 | Pegmatites | P Wojdak | Quartz-feldspar-muscovite pegmatite | separate 5 cm crystal of muscovite may accompany this specimen | |||
| P4-07 | Pegmatites | P Wojdak | Graphic granite pegmatite | Quartz and pink K-feldspar with graphic exsolution of quartz |
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