Sophie Gulch Mine

Past Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Tungsten, Gold, Lead
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Controls for ore emplacement
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10002039
MRDS ID A012888
Record type Site
Current site name Sophie Gulch Mine
Related records 10160160

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -165.41772, 64.6115 (WGS84)
Relative position ON TRIB. TO ROCK CREEK.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Nome(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Nome C-1(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Solomon NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Nome(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Nome(hydrologic unit)

Norton Sound(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Sitnasuak Native Corporation(ANCSA Village)

ANCSA Village NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Comments on the location information

  • USGS MF-247, LOC. 17. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Tungsten Critical Primary
Gold Tertiary
Lead Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Scheelite Ore
Calcite Gangue
Feldspar Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Schist > Mica Schist

Nearby scientific data

(1) -165.41772, 64.6115

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N 45 DEGREES E
    Dip 90 DEGREES TO STEEP NW
    Thickness 4.57M
    Length 304.8M
    Width 15.24M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Shear Zone

Comments on the geologic information

  • STRUCTURAL DATA: CLEAVAGE IN SCHIST STRIKES N WITH 23 DEGREES EAST DIP; VERTICAL JOINTS STRIKE N 35 DEGREES W; MINERALIZED FRACTURES STRIKE N 45 DEGREES E WITH VERTICAL TO STEEP NW DIPS; MINERALIZATION IS OFFSET BY GOUGE-FILLED FAULTS THAT STRIKE N 18 DEGREES W AND DIP 54 DEGREES E.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1900
Year of first production 1916
Year of last production 1917

Comments on the production information

  • 4000-5000 CY OF RESIDUAL MATERIAL SLUICED, 1916.

Comments on the workings information

  • DEVELOPED BY 65 FT TUNNEL, 32 FT SHAFT, 28 FT SHAFT AND OPEN CUTS PRIOR TO 1916; 3 BULLDOZER CUTS IN 1942-43 SHOWED VERY LITTLE RESIDUAL MATERIAL LEFT BEHIND BY HYDRAULIC OPERATION.

Comments on development

  • EXPLORED VIA UNDERGOUND WORKINGS PRIOR TO 1916; HYDRAULICALLY MINED 1916-17; 3 BULDOZER CUTS MADE IN 1942-43; AK-KX-52-132.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit UNWEATHERED MATERIAL TOO LOW GRADE TO MINE, USGS, OFR 17, P. 3; LATER REPORTS OF SPHALERITE AND STIBNITE AT THIS PROSPECT APPEAR TO BE IN ERROR. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT
Deposit ZONE OF RESIDUAL MATERIAL 3-15 FT THICK WAS DEVELOPED OVER SHEAR ZONE CONTAINING NUMEROUS IRREGULAR QUARTZ, QUARTZ-FELDSPAR, AND QUARTZ-CALCITE VEINS FROM LESS THAN 1 IN TO ABOUT 1 FT THICK; SCHEELITE-BEARING ZONE 50 FT BY 1000 FT; SCHEELITE AT VEIN MARGINS AND DISSEMINATED IN WALL ROCK; SURROUNDED BY PERIPHERAL ZONE OF AU DISSEMIANTED IN WALL ROCK; SCHEELITE-BEARING VEINS CROSS CUT BY ARSENOPYRITE-PYRITE-GALENA STRINGERS; SOME ARSENOPYRITE ALSO DISSEMIANTED IN WALL ROCK.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1987 Leonard, Kenneth R. (Huber, Donald F.) U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

Authoritative Alaska resources

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