Funter Bay, Admiralty Island-Nickel Deposit, Alaska

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Nickel, Copper
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. Geologic structures
  10. Controls for ore emplacement
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Land status
  13. Reserves and resources
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10069267
MRDS ID W002851
Record type Site
Current site name Funter Bay, Admiralty Island-Nickel Deposit, Alaska

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -136.33541, 58.49972 (WGS84)
Relative position DEPOSIT IS NEAR THE NORTH END OF ADMIRALTY ISLAND, ABOUT 18 MILES WEST OF JUNEAU.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Hoonah-Angoon(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Mount Fairweather B-2(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Juneau SW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Mount Fairweather(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Glacier Bay(hydrologic unit)

Northern Southeast Alaska(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southeast Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Glacier Bay National Park(National Park)

National Park NPS(Type of land area)

NPS(Federal land areas administered by NPS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Critical Primary
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore

Analytical data

Result ORE IS FOUND IN A PIPE-LIKE MAFIC INTRUSIVE COMPOSED MOSTLY OF SULFIDE-POOR GABBRO: TYPICAL SPECIMEN CONTAINING 55% PLAGIOCLASE, 30% AUGITE, 5% HORNBLENDE, 4% MAGNETITEILMENITE, 3% BIOTITE, 2% CHLORITE, AND 1% SULFIDES. THE PLAGIOCLASE RANGES FROM LABRADORITE (AN54) TO ANDESINE (AN38).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Gabbro > Norite

Nearby scientific data

(1) KJse

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Exploration By Dmea Revealed That The Mafic Intrusive Where The Sulfide Mineralization Occurs Is Pipelike In Form, Consisting Of Gabbro And Norite. The Pipe Plunges Approximately 30 Degrees E. Along A Contact Between Quartz-Sericite Schists And Overlying Graphitic Pyhillite. It Has A Maximum Diameter Of 60-200 Feet And Has Been Explored For 900 Feet Downdip.

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Reed Described The Sulfide Mineralization As Occurring In A Mafic Sill That Averages 100 Ft. In Thickness And Dips Steeply Eastward.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1919
Discoverer John Mertie (Mapped In 1919) U.S.G.S.

Land status

Ownership category National Park

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1973
    Total resources 507000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 0.35 wt-pct Nickel Major 1973
    Copper Cu 0.35 wt-pct Copper Major 1973

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CORNWALL, H.R., 1966, NICKEL DEPOSITS OF NORTH AMERICA: USGS BULL. 1223, P. 37, MAP P. 10-11

  • Deposit

    REED, J.C., 1942, NICKEL-COPPER DEPOSIT AT FUNTER BAY, ADMIRALTY ISLAND, ALASKA: USGS BULL. 936-0, P. 349-361.

  • Deposit

    CORNWALL, H.R., 1973: NICKEL, USGS PROF. PAPER 820, P. 440

  • Deposit

    1919 GEOLMAP JOHN MERTIE

  • Deposit

    1950 DIREXPL DEFENSE MINERALS EXPLORATION ADMINISTRATION

  • Reserve-Resource

    CORNWALL, H.R., 1973, SEE REFERENCES

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-1974 Shaffer, Glenn L. 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.