The genesis and potential utilization of zeolite in the Moncongloe Area, Maros, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

In the Moncongloe area, Maros Regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, zeolite mineralization in porphyritic rhyolite and green tuff was identified in a volcano-sedimentary sequence that was exposed as a result of rock (building materials) mining activity. Geologi- cally, the Moncongloe area is included in the Camba Formation (Tmc) which is arranged by units of marine sedimentary rocks interbedded with volcanics. The lithology units in the formation consist of tuff, sandstone and claystone, with intercalations of marl, limestone, volcanic conglomerate and breccia, as well as coal, which are varies in color, is mostly well consolidated and bedding of 4 to 100 cm in thickness. Tuffs are fine to lapilli in size, red clayey tuff contains abundant biotite, conglomerate and breccia is composed of andesite and basalt pebbles of 2 to 30 cm in size, sandy limestone contains fragments of coral and moll- lusc, dark gray claystone and marl contain small forams and coal intercalation is 40 cm thick (Sukamto and Supriatna 1982). The zeolite mineralization occurs in the tuff member of the Camba Formation (Figures 1 and 2).