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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Aichilik River

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodity REE
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Host and associated rocks
  7. Nearby scientific data
  8. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  9. Mining district
  10. Links to other databases
  11. Bibliographic references
  12. General comments
  13. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10003112
MRDS ID A015644
Record type Site
Current site name Aichilik River

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -143.1534, 69.5299 (WGS84)
Relative position Deposit along the Aichilik River. Accurate to within 1,525 meters (5,000 ft).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

North Slope(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Demarcation Point C-4(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Demarcation Point NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Demarcation Point(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Camden Bay(hydrologic unit)

Eastern Arctic(hydrologic accounting unit)

Arctic Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Arctic 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
REE Critical Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Ore Material = Yttrium
  • Ore Material = Ytterbium
  • Ore Material = Yttrium

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Cretaceous
    Stratigraphic age (oldest) Late Triassic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -143.1534, 69.5299
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = High yttrium (300 ppm) and ytterbium (15 ppm) in sample of efflorescent salt that is mainly aluminum sulfate. Efflorescent salts coat outcrops of Kingak Shale and accumulate along the margins of ephemeral pools at the foot of cut banks.
  • Age = Host rock is Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age
  • Age = Host rock is Jurassic and Early Cretaceous age

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Canning

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Mount Michelson quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-462, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in northern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-628, 106 p.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Sedimentary
Deposit Other Comments = Sulfosalts similar to those described here are present in outcrops of the Hue Shale, Gamma-ray, and Inoceramus zones, Cretaceous units that lie above the Kingak Shale. Sulfosalt blooms similar to those described here are more abundant in these units than in the Kingak Shale. The Kingak Shale can be difficult to descriminate from these units, especially where these shales are structurally complex and poorly exposed. (J.S. Kelley, personal observation)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 13-SEP-1996 Powers, M.T. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 13-SEP-1996 Huber, D.F. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 13-SEP-1996 Kelley, J.S. 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.