Unnamed (Tatonduk River)

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodity Iron
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  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 10002770
MRDS ID A015232
Record type Site
Current site name Unnamed (Tatonduk River)
Related records 10232782

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -141.10164, 65.03591 (WGS84)
Relative position This occurrence consists of scattered redbed outcrops for nearly 2 miles along the lower Tatonduk River and extends into the high country on both sides of the river. The outcrop area encompasses most of the northwest quarter of T. 2 N., R. 33 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian, and the southwest quarter of T. 3 N., R. 33 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The coordinates are for the approximate center of the outcrop area, in section 6, T. 2 N., R. 33 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. The occurrence is location 2 of Cobb (1972; MF-0390). The location is accurate.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Southeast Fairbanks(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Charley River A-1(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Charley River SE(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Charley River(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve(National Preserve)

National Preserve NPS(Type of land area)

NPS(Federal land areas administered by NPS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Hematite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 241
USGS model code 34a
Deposit model name Superior Fe (BC name is Lake Superior & Rapitan types iron-formation)

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cambrian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Shale
    Rock unit name Tindir Group
    Rock description Tindir Group
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Conglomerate
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Carbonate > Dolomite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff

Nearby scientific data

(1) -141.10164, 65.03591

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This occurrence is a redbed unit of the Precambrian Tindir Group (Kimball, 1969). The Tindir Group is about 2,200 to 2,600 feet thick and in addition to the redbed unit includes argillite, shale, slate, conglomerate, extrusive volcanic rocks, and dolomitic rocks. The beds are in a monoclinal sequence that dips irregularly as much as 30 degrees west and is cut by at least one low-angle thrust fault (Mertie, 1933). Much of the cement in the redbed unit is hematite, and some beds are nearly entirely hematite (Mertie, 1933). The material is not suitable for magnetic or simple gravity separation (Kimball, 1969).? the outcrop area of the redbed unit is more than 6 square miles, and nearly 800 feet of stratigraphic thickness was sampled in 1969 (Kimball, 1969). Sample chips assayed 4.73 to 24.7 percent soluble iron. A 133-foot-thick section assayed 10 to 20 percent soluble iron, and a 200-foot-thick section assayed 21.85 percent soluble iron. These were the highest assays for the thickest sections of material.
  • Age = Precambrian.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Probably inactive

Mining district

District name Black

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The Tatonduk River prospect has been known since at least 1933 and was assayed and sampled in 1969 (Kimball, 1969).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

  • Deposit

    Kimball, A.L., 1969, Reconnaissance of Tatonduk River red beds: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 1-69, 11 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Charley River quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-390, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Charley River and Coleen quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-632, 45 p.

  • Deposit

    Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1938, Gold placers of the Fortymile, Eagle, and Circle districts, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-C, p. 133-261.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Kimball, 1969

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Superior Fe (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 34a).
Deposit Other Comments = This site is within the Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-APR-00 Cameron, C.E. Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys

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.