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Defender Mine

Past Producer in Custer county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Zinc, Lead, Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Production statistics
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10012179
MRDS ID D007647
Record type Site
Current site name Defender Mine
Related records 10239696

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -105.45196, 38.15445 (WGS84)
Elevation 2451
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 1.4 MILES N30W FROM THE JUNCTION OF SR 96 AND CR 277 IN SILVER CLIFF, CO.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Custer(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Westcliffe(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Canon City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Pueblo(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Arkansas Headwaters(hydrologic unit)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic subregion)

Arkansas-White-Red(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Custer

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 022S 072W 8 NW OF SE NE Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • 0.5 MILE SE OF BEN WEST HILL ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Lead Secondary
Gold Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Smithsonite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Quartz Gangue
Calcite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Weak Argillization

Analytical data

Result PB, ZN ORE GRADE AVERAGES 10%

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 82
USGS model code 22
Deposit model name Epithermal veins

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Silver Cliff Rhyolite Undivided
    Rock description Silver Cliff Rhyolite Undivided
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) Older gravels and alluviums
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Silver Cliff Volcanic Center, Wet Mtns, Wet Mtn. Valley
Type of structure Local
Structure description West-Trending, Vertical Or Steeply Dipping To North Ring Fault

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Ring Fault

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1882

Mining district

District name Silver Cliff

Land status

Ownership category Federal

Production statistics

  • Year 1953
    Period 1936-1951
    Material ore
    Ore mined 5500mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Gold Gold 0g/mt
    Minor Lead Lead 12wt-pct
    Minor Zinc Zinc 4wt-pct
    Major Silver Silver 284g/mt

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, 1896, GEOLOGY OF SILVER CLIFF AND THE ROSITA HILLS, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 263-403.

  • Deposit

    FIELDMAN, D.W. AND CROWLEY, F.P., 1980, SILVER DEPOSITS IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SILVER CLIFF CALDERA, IN SILVER CLIFF VOLCANIC CENTER AND TALLAHASSEE CREEK URANIUM DEPOSITS: DENVER REGIONAL EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS GUIDEBOOK, P. 1-14.

  • Deposit

    SHARP, W.M., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SILVER CLIFF AND ROSITA VOLCANIC CENTERS, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAPS I-1081.

  • Deposit

    SIEMS, P.L., 1967, VOLCANIC AND ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE ROSITA HILLS AND SILVER CLIFF DISTRICTS, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL MINES, D. SC. THESIS, T 1042, 222 P.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: 1870-1895

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-81 Collins, Donna B. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

External references

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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