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Unnamed (in headwaters of Niukluk River)

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Copper, Lead, Zinc
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10001937
MRDS ID A012771
Record type Site
Current site name Unnamed (in headwaters of Niukluk River)

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -163.84333, 65.18933 (WGS84)
Relative position This prospect is on the ridge between two unnamed northeast headwater tributaries of Niukluk River. It is on the east-souteast slopes at an elevation of 2,995 feet. It is approximately location 82 of Gamble (1988).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nome(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Bendeleben A-4(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Bendeleben SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Bendeleben C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Nome(hydrologic unit)

Norton Sound(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Copper Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Actinolite Gangue
Biotite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Epidote Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Mica Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) The epidote-garnet skarn appears to have an overprinting hydrous alteration of mica, actinolite, and chlorite. Limonitic staining is present.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 60
USGS model code 18c
Deposit model name Skarn Zn-Pb
Mark3 model number 22

Nearby scientific data

(1) -163.84333, 65.18933
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This prospect is a sulfide-bearing skarn prospect (Hudson and Wyman, 1983). It is developed in impure carbonate layers in high grade metasedimentary rocks that are variably replaced by epidote and garnet. Alteration of the skarn includes development of mica, actinolite, and chlorite. Lenses and pods of galena and sphalerite also replace metacarbonate layers, but chalcopyrite seems to favor replacement of metaclastic, metavolcanic (?), or amphibolite layers. Grab samples of skarn contained from up to 1.4 % Cu, 13.5 % Pb, 9.5 % Zn, and 5.1 ounces/ton Ag. Gold was below the detection level (5 ppb) in these samples (Hudson and Wyman, 1983). A sample from a sulfide-bearing limonitic quartz vein from the top of the ridge east of elevation 2,995 feet contained 6.22 % Cu, 7.75 % Pb, 2.38 % Zn, 4.98 ounces/ton Ag, and only 10 ppb Au. In general, skarn mineralization appears to carry more lead, zinc and silver values than copper. This base metal prospect, and several other occurrences in this part of the Bendeleben A-4 quadrangle, are in high grade metasedimentary rocks that are structurally above or peripheral to the crosscutting Pargon pluton. The Pargon pluton is mostly granodiorite and assumed to be Cretaceous in age (Till and others, 1986). It was emplaced at shallower depths than the more deep-seated Bendeleben pluton to the east. The metamorphic rocks peripheral to the Pargon pluton are also intruded by small, felsic dikes and plugs including quartz porphyry and muscovite granite. A sample of altered quartz porphyry contained 475 ppm Cu and 520 ppm Pb (Hudson and Wyman, 1983).
  • Age = Cretaceous; this occurrence is probably related to emplacement of the Pargon pluton which is assumed to be Cretaceous in age.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Council

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Mining claims have existed on this propect (Hudson and others, 1977). Work has consisted of surface observations and shallow, hand-dug prospecting pits.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Hudson, T.L., Miller, M. L., and Pickthorn, W. J., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-796-B, 46 p., one sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    Hudson, T.L., and Wyman, W. F., 1983, Interim report on areas of Seward Peninsula warranting further prospecting and evaluation: Anchorage, Anaconda Minerals Company internal report, 84 p., 7 plates. (Report held by Cook Inlet Region Inc., Anchorage, Alaska.)

  • Deposit

    Till, A.B., Dumoulin, J.A., Gamble, B. ., Kaufman, D.S., and Carroll, P.I., 1986, Preliminary geologic map and fossil data, Soloman, Bendeleben, and southern Kotzebue quadrangles, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 86-276, 10 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Hudson and Wyman, 1983

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Zn-Pb skarn (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 18c)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 15-MAR-1999 Travis L. Hudson Applied Geology

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.