Editing Quartzite (section)

==Occurrence==
[[Image:Quartzite Mine in Kakwa Park.JPG|thumb|Abandoned quartzite mine in [[Kakwa Provincial Park]], British Columbia, Canada]]
In the United States, formations of quartzite can be found in some parts of Pennsylvania, the Washington DC area, eastern [[South Dakota]], Central Texas,<ref>{{cite web |last=Holm |first=E. H. |last2=Cline Jr. |first2=T. |last3=Nelson |first3=M.R. |title=SOUTH DAKOTA – 2002 Mineral Summary: Production, Exploration and Environmental Issues |url=http://www.state.sd.us/DENR/DES/Mining/2002stat.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070512124912/http://www.state.sd.us/DENR/DES/Mining/2002stat.pdf |archive-date=May 12, 2007 |website=www.state.sd.us}}</ref> southwest [[Minnesota]],<ref>[http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/naturalhistory.html Natural history – Minnesota's geology – SNAs: Minnesota DNR] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309140357/http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/snas/naturalhistory.html |date=March 9, 2010 }}. Dnr.state.mn.us (2000-02-17). Retrieved on 2011-06-05.</ref> [[Devil's Lake State Park (Wisconsin)|Devil's Lake State Park]] in the [[Baraboo Range]] in [[Wisconsin]],<ref>[http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~maher/air/air14.htm Geology by Lightplane]. Geology.wisc.edu (1923-07-13). Retrieved on 2011-06-05.</ref> the [[Wasatch Range]] in [[Utah]],<ref>John W Gottman, ''Wasatch quartzite: A guide to climbing in the Wasatch Mountains,'' Wasatch Mountain Club (1979) {{ISBN|0-915272-23-7}}</ref> near Salt Lake City, Utah and as resistant ridges in the [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachians]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Mitra |first1=Shankar |title=Regional variations in deformation mechanisms and structural styles in the central Appalachian orogenic belt |journal=GSA Bulletin |date=1 May 1987 |volume=98 |issue=5 |pages=569–590 |doi=10.1130/0016-7606(1987)98<569:RVIDMA>2.0.CO;2|bibcode=1987GSAB...98..569M }}</ref> and other mountain regions. Quartzite is also found in the Morenci Copper Mine in [[Arizona]].<ref>Kennedy, B. A. (ed.). [http://books.smenet.org/Surf_Min_2ndEd/sm-ch09-sc04-ss00-bod.cfm ''Surface Mining'', Chapter 9.4: Case Studies: Morenci/Metcalf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070625010020/http://books.smenet.org/Surf_Min_2ndEd/sm-ch09-sc04-ss00-bod.cfm |date=2007-06-25 }} Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Undated Accessed May 28, 2007</ref> The town of [[Quartzsite, Arizona|Quartzsite]] in western Arizona derives its name from the quartzites in the [[Maria fold and thrust belt|nearby mountains]] in both Arizona and Southeastern California. A glassy ''vitreous quartzite'' has been described from the [[Belt Supergroup]] in the [[Coeur d'Alene, Idaho|Coeur d’Alene district]] of northern [[Idaho]].<ref>White, B.G. and Winston, D., 1982, The Revett/St Regis "transition zone" near the Bunker Hill mine, Coeur d’Alene district, Idaho: Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 24</ref>

In Canada, the [[La Cloche Mountains]] in [[Ontario]] are composed primarily of white quartzite. Vast areas of [[Nova Scotia]] are underlain by quartzite.

[[Paleoproterozoic]] quartzite-[[rhyolite]] successions are common in the [[Precambrian]] [[basement (geology)|basement]] rock of western North America. The quartzites in these successions are interpreted as sedimentary beds deposited atop older [[greenstone belt]]s. The quartzite-rhyolite successions may record the formation of [[back-arc basins]] along the margin of [[Laurentia]], the ancient core of North America, between episodes of mountain building during the assembly of the continent. The quartzites are often nearly pure quartz, which is puzzling for sediments which must have eroded from igneous rock. Their purity may reflect unusual conditions of chemical weathering, at a time when the Earth's atmosphere was beginning to be oxygenated.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Whitmeyer |first1=Steven |last2=Karlstrom |first2=Karl E. |title=Tectonic model for the Proterozoic growth of North America |journal=Geosphere |date=2007 |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=220 |doi=10.1130/GES00055.1|doi-access=free }}</ref>

In [[Ireland]] areas of quartzite are found across the west and northwest, with [[Errigal]] in [[County Donegal]] as the most prominent outcrop. A good example of a quartzite area is on the [[Corraun Peninsula]] in [[County Mayo]], which has a very thin layer of Irish Atlantic Bog covering it.

In the United Kingdom, a craggy ridge of quartzite called the [[Stiperstones]] (early [[Ordovician]] – [[Arenig|Arenig Epoch]], 500 Ma) runs parallel with the [[Pontesford-Linley fault]], 6&nbsp;km north-west of the [[Long Mynd]] in south [[Shropshire]]. Also to be found in [[England]] are the [[Cambrian]] "[[The Wrekin|Wrekin]] quartzite" (in Shropshire), and the Cambrian "[[Hartshill]] quartzite" ([[Nuneaton]] area).<ref>{{cite book|author=Veena|title=Understanding Geology|year=2009|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9dYw6kHptcQC&pg=PA145|access-date=5 June 2011|publisher=Discovery Publishing House|isbn=978-81-8356-461-8|pages=145–}}</ref> In [[Wales]], [[Holyhead Mountain]] and most of [[Holy Island, Anglesey|Holy island]] off [[Anglesey]] sport excellent [[Precambrian]] quartzite crags and cliffs. In the [[Scottish Highlands]], several mountains (e.g. [[Foinaven]], [[Arkle (Sutherland)|Arkle]]) composed of Cambrian quartzite can be found in the far north-west [[Moine Thrust Belt]] running in a narrow band from [[Loch Eriboll]] in a south-westerly direction to [[Skye]].<ref>John Blunden, (1975), ''The mineral resources of Britain: a study in exploitation and planning'', p. 281.</ref>

In [[continental Europe]], various regionally isolated quartzite deposits exist at surface level in a belt from the [[Rhenish Massif]] and the German Central Highlands into the Western [[Czech Republic]], for example in the [[Taunus]] and [[Harz]] mountains. In Poland, quartzite deposits at surface level exists in [[Świętokrzyskie Mountains]]. In Norway, deposits are quarried near [[Austertana]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aggbusiness.com/feature/lns-use-caterpillar-775g-trucks-austertana-quarry-norway|title=LNS use Caterpillar 775G trucks at Austertana quarry, Norway|access-date=2021-08-01|date=2013-06-11|publisher=Aggregates Business Europe}}</ref> which is one of the largest quarries in the world at {{convert|850000|t}} annually, and Mårnes near [[Sandhornøya]] with an output of {{convert|150000|t}} annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.miningnordics.com/companies/elkem-asa|title=Elkem ASA|access-date=2021-08-01|publisher=Mining in the Nordics}}</ref> Deposits are also quarried in [[Kragerø Municipality]], and several other deposits are known but not actively quarried.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.ngu.no/sites/default/files/Focus_11_2019_final_QUARTZ_RESOURCES_IN_NORWAY_Crop.pdf|title=Quartz Resources in Norway - A Varied Spectrum|access-date=2021-08-01|date=2019-02-26|magazine=NGU Focus|issue=11|publisher=The Geological Survey of Norway|first=Jan|last=Egil Wanvik|archive-date=2022-05-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519154810/https://www.ngu.no/sites/default/files/Focus_11_2019_final_QUARTZ_RESOURCES_IN_NORWAY_Crop.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The highest mountain in [[Mozambique]], [[Monte Binga]] (2436 m), as well as the rest of the surrounding Chimanimani Plateau are composed of very hard, pale grey, Precambrian quartzite. Quartzite is also mined in Brazil for use in kitchen countertops.