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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Unnamed (on northern Akun Island)

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Sulfur, Copper, Mercury, 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. Host and associated rocks
  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 10002319
MRDS ID A013230
Record type Site
Current site name Unnamed (on northern Akun Island)
Related records 10185982

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -165.64241, 54.25913 (WGS84)
Relative position This site is at elevations between 1,400 and 1,600 feet on the northwest part of Akun Island approximately 0.8 miles northeast of Mt. Gilbert. Site location is accurate to within 1/2 mile.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Aleutians East(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Unimak B-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Akutan Island(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Unimak(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Fox Islands(hydrologic unit)

Aleutian Islands(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge(National Wildlife Refuge)

National Wildlife Refuge FWS(Type of land area)

FWS(Federal land areas administered by FWS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Sulfur Primary
Copper Secondary
Mercury Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Material = Silver (native)
  • Ore Material = Sulfur (native)

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Silver Ore
Pyrite Ore
Sulfur Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Argillic.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Intermediate Volcanic Rock > Andesite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -165.64241, 54.25913
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Rocks at this site consist of andesitic flows, agglomerates, and tuff breccias which exhibit extreme argillic alteration (Butherus and others, 1979). These rocks are thought to be Tertiary or younger in age (Simpson, 1985). Native sulfur occurs with the altered rock. Several small zones of altered material occur over a 15 to 20 acre area. The main zone of alteration and sulfur mineralization measures approximately 500 by 1200 feet. The altered material varies from dull yellowish earthy masses to to gray pyritic clay. Maddren (1919) describes the surface material as a highly decomposed earthy zone having a thickness of 1 to 4 feet. Below this zone is a 6 to 10 foot layer of seimleached decomposed rock which appears to be massive clay.? A small amount of sulfur commonly occurs as thin encrustations on walls of fractures and cavities. The encrustations are generally less than 1/8 inch thick, but may be up to 1 inch thick. Some sulfur is also present as disseminations in the altered rock. Most of the sulfur occurs within 1 to 4 feet of the surface. Two samples collected in 1917 contained 55.5 and 22.8 percent sulfur (Maddren, 1919). Using an average thickness of 2 feet and a sulfur content of 40 percent, he estimated a total resource of 1200 tons. Bain (1979), however, cites a U.S. Geological Survey estimate of 15,000 to 20,000 tons.? Resource Associates of Alaska examined this area in 1979 and again in 1984, looking primarily for precious metals (Butherus and others, 1979; Butherus, 1984). Three samples collected in 1979 contained up to 270 ppm copper, 7.6 ppm mercury, 16 ppm tungsten, and 260 ppm zinc. No gold was detected. In 1984, sixty-seven samples were collected and all but one were highly anomalous in mercury. A few samples were also anomalous in copper and zinc.
  • Age = Tertiary or younger.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Non-metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Aleutian Islands

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = Estimates of the sulfur resource range from 1,200 tons (Maddren, 1919) to 20,000 tons (Bain, 1979).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Attempts to mine the sulfur at this site continued off and on from 1917 to at least 1937, as described in various U.S. Geological Survey reports (see following). Maddren (1919) reported that numerous trenches, ranging in depth from 4 to 15 feet had been dug in 1917 and that 2 samples had assayed 55.5 and 22.8 percent sulfur. Martin (1920) reported a test shipment in 1918. Brooks (1921, 1922, and 1923) reported that a commercial deposit of sulfur was being opened up and that equipment for mining and reduction of sulfur was supposed to be in place at the end of 1920. Nothing of consequence was reported until it was announced that in 1930 Pacific Coast Sulfur Company was organized to mine the sulfur with a steam shovel and transport it to the beach using an aerial tram (Smith, 1933). The tram was actually built and the remains of it have been noted by recent workers in the area. In 1935 the prospect was acquired by Alaska Northwest Sulfur Company. No record of any production has been found.? Resource Associates of Alaska examined and sampled the prospect in 1979 and in 1984, looking for precious metals (Butherus and others, 1979; Butherus, 1984). All samples were anomalous in mercury, and a few were anomalous in copper and zinc. No gold was detected.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Maddren, 1919

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Solfataric sulfur
Deposit Other Comments = This site is on land selected by the Aleut Native Corporation.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 27-JAN-2000 S.H. Pilcher U.S. Geological Survey

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.