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THOMAS SEWARD LOVERING
May 12, 1896-April 9, 1991
BY HAL T . M O RRI S
INNOVATIVE FIEED AND laboratory studies of the relations of
hycirothermally alterec! wall-rocks to minable ore clepos-
~ts were the principal scientific contributions of T. S. Lovering
cluring an illustrious career that also incluclec! theoretical
analysis, laboratory research, teaching, en c! administrative
cluties in the fielcis of economic geology en c! geochemistry.
For more than forty years he was affiliates! with the U.S.
Geological Survey in cletailec! investigations of mining clis-
tricts en c! mineralizec! terranes chiefly in Coloraclo en c! Utah.
During the latter half or so of his USGS career, he often
servec! as a U.S. clelegate to mineral conferences through-
out the world and as a minerals consultant to other federal
civilian en c! military agencies. To many who knew him only
casually from his penetrating questions en c! discussions at
scientific meetings and symposia, he sometimes appeared
brusque, argumentative, en c! perhaps egocentric. To his close
associates en c! co-workers, however, he was invariably cour-
teous, generous, and steadfast in his support and friend-
ship. To him the search for scientific excellence was para-
mount en c! all else was secondary.
Tom, as he was known by his colleagues en c! a wicle circle
of both older and younger acquaintances, was born in St.
Paul, Minnesota, on May 12, IS96. During World War I he
177
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B I O G RA P H I C A L
EMOIRS
trainee! as a Navy aviation caclet, but the armistice was signet!
before he was transferred to combat cluty, en c! upon his
discharge in 1919 he enterer! the Minnesota School of Mines.
In 1922 he gracluatec! with an E.M. degree en c! later in the
same year enrollee! in the graduate school of the University
of Minnesota, where he receiver! an M.S. degree in geology
in 1923 en c! a Ph.D. in economic geology in 1924. While at
Minnesota he was strongly influencec! by Professors Frank
F. Grout en c! John W. Gruner with whom he maintainer! an
infrequent correspondence for many years.
Tom's first position after completing his doctorate was an
instructorship in the Department of Geology at the Univer-
sity of Arizona. He remainec! at Arizona for only one aca-
demic year, accepting a position in 1925 with the U.S. Geo-
logical Survey to conduct studies of selected mining districts
in the Coloraclo Front Range uncler the general supervi-
sion of B. S. Butler. In 1934 he gave up this full-time posi-
tion with the USGS and became an associate professor of
geology at the University of Michigan. During the following
eight academic years, he also undertook many laboratory
investigations en c! worker! cluring the summer months for
the USGS in Coloraclo, where he continues! his studies of
tungsten en c! base- ant! precious-metal mining districts en c!
participates! in regional mapping projects.
Upon the entry of the United States into World War II,
Tom took a leave of absence from Michigan en c! rejoinec!
the USGS on a full-time war service appointment to assist
in the Strategic Minerals Program. His wartime activities
incluclec! the completion of several cletailec! reports on mining
districts in Coloraclo en c! the early phases of what became a
Tong-range study of deeply concealed ore bodies and associ-
atec! surficial alteration zones in the East Tintic mining
district of central Utah.
At the ens! of Woric! War II, Tom returnee! to the Univer
.
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TH O MAS S EWARD L OVE RI N G
179
sity of Michigan, where he resumed his professorship in the
Department of Geology and Mineralogy for the 1946-47 aca-
demic year. By this time, however, his field research at East
Tintic had reached a critical phase, and in ~ 947 he re-
signed from the faculty at Michigan and accepted a perma-
nent assignment with the Mineral Deposits Branch of the
USGS. He remained in this position until his retirement in
1966 at age seventy. During his retirement years he contin-
ued to pursue both academic and research activities for
nearly two decades, including the authorship of a number
of scientific papers, teaching, mineral deposits consulting
activities, and worldwide travel. Within about a month of
reaching his ninety-fifth birthday he succumbed to leuke-
mia on April 9, 1991, at his residence in Santa Barbara,
California.
Tom Lovering made significant contributions in several
disciplines of geological science, including geologic map-
ping, ore deposits studies, geochemistry, and the thermo-
dynamics and cooling rates of igneous intrusions. He is
probably most widely remembered for his studies of the
geochemistry of magmatic hydrothermal wall-rock alteration
in the Boulder County tungsten and gold district in Colo-
rado and the East Tintic mining district in Utah. These
studies have helped clarify the general processes of ore depo-
sition and in a number of instances have provided direct
guides to the occurrence of concealed ore deposits.
When Lovering undertook his alteration studies in Boul-
der, Colorado, in the 1930s, it was generally believed that
the altered salvages of the tungsten- and gold-bearing ore
shoots were created by wall-rock reactions with a single hy-
drothermal solution that concurrently deposited the ore
and gangue minerals. Tom was able to show, however, that
the wide outer zone of strongly argillized (cIay-mineral rich)
wall rock gives way abruptly near the ore shoots to a zone
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B I O G RA P H I C A L
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of sericitic alteration, which inclicatec! a change from early
strong acic! solutions to near neutral solutions. These neu-
tral solutions were then follower! in turn by weakly alkaline
fluids from which the goicI, tungsten, en c! associates! gangue
minerals were clepositecI.
To further refine his hypothesis of the wiclely differing
compositions of wall-rock altering solutions as comparer! to
ore depositing solutions, Lovering undertook a cletailec! study
of Utah's East Tintic mining district in the early 1940s. In
this district hycirothermal wall-rock alteration zones aclja-
cent to en c! above large replacement ore bellies are greatly
more extensive than the relatively narrow seIvages borcler-
ing the Bouicler County veins. In aciclition, some well-cle-
fined geologic events, including minor faulting and igne-
ous intrusions en c! eruptions, couIc! be user! to establish
the relative timing of surges of the various altering solu-
tions. The early results of his studies in East Tintic were
published in 1949 as Monograph I by the Society of Eco-
nomic Geologists. In this report he describes five distinct
en c! separable periods of movement of magmatic hyciro-
thermal fluids:
First, an early district-wide flooding by neutral, magnesium-rich re-
ducing solutions that dolomitized limestone wall-rocks and locally propylitized
the basal parts of the earliest erupted lavas.
Second, after a period of intrusion of minor bodies of monzonite and
quartz-monzonite and the eruption of lavas, localized invasions of hot acidic
solutions that severely leached and sanded the underlying limestones and
hydrothermal dolomites, and strongly argillized the border areas of the
minor intrusive plugs and the adjacent and nearby lavas. These argillized
zones were comparable in many respects to the argillized envelopes of the
Boulder County tungsten- and gold-ore shoots.
Third, a multiple late-barren stage following closely in time on the
mid-barren argillizing stage that is characterized in part by extensive silici-
fication of carbonate rocks at depth and minor silicification of areas of lava
and porphyry. Shortly following the silicifying solutions there was extensive
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TH O MAS S EWARD L OVE RI N G
181
flooding of near-neutral, sulfur-rich solutions that converted iron oxide
minerals in the intrusive rocks, lavas, and some of the sedimentary rocks to
cubic pyrite.
Fourth, closely following the silicifying and pyritizing solutions, po-
tassium-rich fluids moved along many of the channel-ways and conduits
used by the preceding jasperoidizing solutions, converting some of the
early-formed clay minerals to adularia, sericite, and illite. In most places
minor clear quartz, pyritohedral pyrite, and sparse barite were deposited at
this time.
Fifth, a change in composition of the potassium-rich solutions at the
source with the abrupt and increasing appearance of ore ions in the hydro-
thermal solutions, eventually leading to the abundant precipitation of sul-
fide, sulfantimonide, sulfarsenide, and other ore minerals that replace part
of the early-formed jasperoid, sanded dolomite, and other fresh and al-
tered rocks. Fluid inclusions entrapped within these ore and gangue min-
erals indicate that they were deposited from near neutral, saline solutions
at temperatures ranging from 150°-300°C.
~ 7 1~ ~ 1~ ~ 7
For Lovering the selection of the East Tintic mining clis-
trict for his most clefinitive studies of hycirothermal wall-
rock alteration was highly fortuitous, inasmuch as relatively
few major mining districts elsewhere in the woric! show such
a distinct sequential series of hycirothermal events leacling
to ore deposition. Many other large districts are greatly
complicated, in fact, by overprints of repetitive stages of
solution activity, continues! igneous emplacement, en c! similar
geologic events.
Tom Lovering also was a lifelong acivocate of cletailec!
geologic mapping, and he often expressed his personal ob-
servation that theoretical en c! experimental studies were
vaTic! only when closely linker! with meticulous fielc! exami-
nations en c! clemonstrable physical relations. His geologic
en c! alteration maps of the East Tintic district, publisher! in
1960 as U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Fielc!
Studies Map MF-230, for example, were wiclely user! by pri-
vate mining and exploration groups in the district, leading
to the discovery en c! clevelopment of two major new mines
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B I O G RA P H I C A L
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en c! the clelineation of several other prospective zones that
may be worthy of development.
Tom was particularly prouc! also of his contributions to
the geologic map of Coloraclo, which was publisher! in 1935
in collaboration with W. S. Burbank, E. N. GociciarcI, en c! E.
B. Eckel, en c! his geologic maps of the Coloraclo Front Range
en c! the Front Range mineral belt that accompany U.S. Geo-
logical Survey Professional Paper 223, publisher! in 1950
with Eciclie GociciarcI.
As an exception to his Tong-stancling rule to avoic! acimin-
istrative en c! supervisory positions if at all possible, Tom
agrees! in 1954 to become chief of the USGS Section of
Geochemical Exploration. In large part this reflected! his
cleeply hell! interest in the refinement en c! continues! cle-
velopment of new mineral exploration techniques. On step-
ping clown from this position in 195S, Tom servec! until his
retirement as a senior research scientist within the Geo-
logic Division, continuing his studies of the geochemistry
of hycirothermal wall-rock alteration, innovative techniques
of geochemical exploration, en c! worIc~wicle mineral resource
evaluation.
During his lifetime Tom receiver! many honors, inclucI-
ing election to the National Academy of Sciences, the Dis-
tinguishec! Service Mecial of the U.S. Department of the
Interior, the Penrose Mecial of the Society of Economic Ge-
ologists, the Tackling Mecial of the American Institute of
Mining en c! Metallurgical Engineers, en c! the Achievement
Awarc! Goic! Mecial of the University of Minnesota. He was
an active member en c! supporter of numerous scientific en c!
engineering societies, some of which include the American
Association for the Advancement of Science, the American
Geophysical Union, the American Association of Mining,
Metallurgical, en c! Petroleum Engineers, the American As-
sociation of Petroleum Geologists, the Clay Minerals Soci-
ety, the Geochemical Society, the Geological Society of
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TH O MAS S EWARD L OVE RI N G
183
America, the Society of Economic Geologists, and, a par-
ticular favorite of his, the Coloraclo Scientific Society.
For approximately ten years after his retirement from the
USGS Tom maintainer! a residence near the USGS regional
headquarters in LakewoocI, Coloraclo, but spent many win-
ters in Tucson, Arizona, where he later acceptec! a research
professorship in economic geology at the University of Ari-
zona. During this time he also taught special courses in
economic geology at the University of Texas, University of
Utah, en c! other academic institutions. In 1976 he mover!
from Lakewooc! to Santa Barbara, California, where he be-
came a research associate at the University of California,
Santa Barbara. As with his other postretirement academic
activities, this affiliation allowed! Lovering to interact with
bright students en c! an outstanding faculty in the academic
en c! research environment that he so greatly enjoyocI.
Throughout the greater part of his years as a student en c!
as a professional geologist Tom enjoyoc! the love, support,
en c! companionship of his wife, Corinne. He marries! Alexina
Corrine Gray on October Il. 1919, shortly after his clis-
charge from the Naval Aviation Corps. She was no stranger
to the rigors of geologic fieldwork en c! cheerfully acceptec!
the discomforts of wilclerness camping in the Coloraclo
Rockies, spartan lodgings in declining mining camps, and
less than palatial accommodations in a wide variety of mo-
tels en c! hotels in small towns throughout the west. Corrine
cliec! on August 27, 1969. Fincling his life lonely en c! incom-
plete in many ways without a close companion, Tom later
marries! Milcirec! Stewart, with whom he sharer! many com-
mon interests, especially extensive land and sea travel through-
out the woricI. Millie also prececlec! him in cleath on March
13, 1983.
Tom is survived by one son, Tom G. Lovering, a daugh-
ter-in-law, Dorothy, en c! two grancichiTciren, Davic! en c! Karen.
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S E L E C T E D
EMOIRS
B I B L I O G RAP H Y
1923
The leaching of iron protores; solution and precipitation of silica
in cold water. Econ. Geol. 18:523-40.
1927
Organic precipitation of metallic copper. U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 795:45-
52.
1928
Geology of the Moffat Tunnel, Colorado. Am. Inst. Min. Metall. (Engl.
Trans.J 18:337-46.
1929
The New World or Cooke City mining district, Montana. U.S. Geol.
Surv. Bull. 811:1-87.
The Rawlins, Shirley, and Seminoe iron ore deposits, Carbon County,
Wyoming. U.S. Geol. Surv. Bull. 811:203-35.
1932
Field evidence to distinguish overthrusting from underthrusting. 7.
Geol. 40:651 -63.
1933
With J. H. Johnson. Meaning of unconformities in the stratigraphy
of central Colorado. Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol. Bull. 17:353-74.
1934
Geology and ore deposits of the Breckinridge mining district, Colo-
rado. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 176.
1935
Geology and ore deposits of the Montezuma quadrangle, Colorado.
U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof Pap. 178.
Theory of heat conduction as applied to geological problems. Geol.
Soc. Am. Bull. 46:87-100.
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TH O MAS S EWARD L OVE RI N G
185
With W. S. Burbank, E. N. Goddard, and E. B. Eckel. Geologic map
of Colorado. U.S. Geol. Surv. Scale 1:500,000.
1936
Heat conduction in dissimilar rocks and the use of thermal models.
Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 47:87-100.
1938
With E. N. Goddard. Laramide igneous sequence and differentia-
tion in the Front Range, Colorado. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 49:35-68.
1941
The origin of the tungsten ores of Boulder County, Colorado. Econ.
Geol. 36:229-79.
1943
Minerals in World Affairs. New York: Prentice-Hall.
1947
Sericite-kaolin alteration as a guide to ore. In Report of the Com-
mittee on Research on Ore Deposits of the Society of Economic
Geologists. Econ. Geol. 42:534-35.
1948
With V. P. Sokoloff and H. T. Morris. Heavy metals in altered rocks
over blind ore bodies, East Tintic district, Utah. Econ. Geol. 43:384-
99.
1949
With others. Rock alteration as a guide to ore East Tintic district,
Utah. Econ. Geol. Monograph I.
1950
With E. N. Goddard. Geology and ore deposits of the Front Range,
Colorado. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof Pap. 223.
The geochemistry of argillic and related types of alteration. Colo.
Sch. Mines Q. 45:231-60.
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186
B I O G RA P H I C A L
1953
EMOIRS
With O. L. Tweto. Geology and ore deposits of the Boulder county
tungsten district, Colorado. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof Pap. 245.
1954
Safeguarding our mineral-dependent economy. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull.
64:101-25.
1955
Temperatures in and near intrusions. In Economic Geology, 50th An-
nual Volume, Part 1, ed. A. M. Bateman, pp. 249-81.
1958
Current developments in geochemical exploration. Pakistan f. Sci
10:28-33.
1959
Significance of accumulator plants in rock weathering. Geol. Soc.
Am. Bull. 70:781-800.
1960
With A. O. Shepard. Hydrothermal alteration zones caused by halo-
gen acid solutions, East Tintic district, Utah. Am. f. Sci. Bradley
Vol. 258-A:215-29.
With others. Geologic and alteration maps of the East Tintic dis-
trict, Utah. U.S. Geol. Surv. Min. Invest. Field Studies Map MF-230,
two sheets, Scale 1:9600.
1961
Sulfide ores formed from sulfide-deficient solutions. Econ. Geol. 56:68-
99.
1963
tpigenetic, diplogenetic, syngenetic, and lithogenic deposits. Econ.
Geol. 58:315-31.
1965
With H. T. Morris. Underground temperatures and heat flow in the
East Tintic district, Utah. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof Pap. 504 F:F1-F28.
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TH O MAS S EWARD L OVE RI N G
1967
187
With C. Engel. Translocation of silica and other elements into Equi-
setum and other grasses. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 594 B:B1-B16.
1969
The origin of hydrothermal and low-temperature dolomite. Econ.
Geol. 64:743-54.
1978
With O. L. Tweto and T. G. Lovering. Ore deposits of the Gilman
district, Eagle County, Colorado. U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof Pap. 1017.
1979
With H. T. Morris. General geology and mines of the East Tintic
mining district, Utah and Juab Counties, Utah. U.S. Geol. Surv.
Prof.Pap. 1024.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
ore deposits
