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Red Mountain Alunite Deposit

Occurrence in Hinsdale county in Colorado, United States with commodities Aluminum, Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid, Potassium
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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. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  19. Links to other databases
  20. Bibliographic references
  21. General comments
  22. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10096873
MRDS ID D011566
Record type Deposit
Current site name Red Mountain Alunite Deposit
Alternate or previous names Red Mountain Deposit
Related records 10263779

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Approximate
Geographic coordinates: -107.33396, 37.97779 (WGS84)
Elevation 3909
Location accuracy 10000(meters)
Relative position 3.7 MILES S 17 W FROM LAKE CITY. (Lat/Long coordinates given were about 99 km too far south. Moved to location given in deleted record 10009278). Mostly in secs. 17,18,19, 20.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Hinsdale(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Lake San Cristobal(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Silverton(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Durango(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Gunnison(hydrologic unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic accounting unit)

Gunnison(hydrologic subregion)

Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management CO)

Bureau of Land Management CO BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Hinsdale

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
New Mexico 043N 004W 07,08,16,17,18,19,20,21,29,30 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • DEPOSIT COMPRISES MOST OF RED MOUNTAIN INTRUSIVE AND LAVA DOME. SECTIONS LISTED INCLUDE THOSE IN WHICH RED MOUNTAIN QUARTZ LATITE CROPS OUT. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR SUMMIT OF RED MOUNTAIN IN SW SE SW SW SEC. 179 ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :1977
  • ALTERED AREA ON CREST AND SLOPES OF RED MTN.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Aluminum Critical Primary
Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Primary
Potassium Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • SULFURIC ACID AND K (RECOVERABLE AS K2SO4) ARE POTENTIALLY RECOVERABLE BY-PRODUCTS OF ALUNITE-TO ALUMINA PROCESSING.
  • PROJECT 9350 - 01393 ALUNITE RESOURCES (from deleted record 10009278)

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Alunite Ore
Hematite Gangue
Kaolinite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) alunitization

Analytical data

Result X-RAY DATA INDICATE QUARTZ-ALUNITE ORE RELATIVELY FREE OF CONTAMINANT

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 154
USGS model code 25e
Deposit model name Epithermal quartz-alunite Au
Mark3 model number 38

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
    Rock unit name Quartz Latite Of Red Mountain;Quartz Latite Of Grassy Mountain;Sunshine Peak Tuff;Biotite-Quartz Latite Of Burns Member Of Silverton Volcanics
    Rock description Quartz Latite Of Red Mountain;Quartz Latite Of Grassy Mountain;Sunshine Peak Tuff;Biotite-Quartz Latite Of Burns Member Of Silverton Volcanics
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 23.3
    Dating method K-Ar
    Chronological age 22.9
    Dating method K-Ar
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Quartz Latite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Chronological age 23.3
    Dating method K-Ar
    Chronological age 22.9
    Dating method K-Ar

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description San Juan Volcanic Field, San Juan Depression
Type of structure Local
Structure description San Juan-Uncompahgre Calderas, Lake City Caldera, Red Mountain Lava Dome

Ore body information

  • General form CONICAL
  • General form HUGE IRREG. LENS
    Thickness 243.84M
    Length 1828.8M
    Width 1066.8M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Zoned Alteration Around Central Volcanic Vent Intruded Along Caldera Ring Fault

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Medium
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1911
Discoverer E.S. Larsen

Mining district

District name Lake (Lake City) District

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Prospecting Applic. Earth Sciences, Inc.
    Year ?
  • Type Operator
    Owner Earth Sciences, Inc.
    Home office Golden, Co.
    First year 1984
  • Type Owner
    Owner U.S. Bureau Of Land Management
    First year 1984

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • HALL, 1978, 1980 (FIRST ESTIMATE); EARTH SCIENCES, INC., (SECOND ESTIMATE, IN LYLE, 1977)

Comments on the workings information

  • FEW TEST PITS ONLY

Comments on development

  • LARGE REPLACEMENT ALUNITE DEPOSITS HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED IN GEOLOGIC MAPPING OF SAN JUAN REGION BY EARLY 1900S. EARTH SCIENCES INVOLVELENT BEGAN IN 1970 WITH ITS DISCOVERY OF LOW-GRADE ALUNITE IN WAH WAH MTNS OF BEAVER COUNTY, UTAH. CONSORTIUM OF EARTH SCIENCES,NATIONAL STEEL, AND SOUTHWIRE FORMED ALUMET PROJECT TO DELINEATE AND DEVELOP RESERVES. CONSORTIUM CONSTRUCTED 10-TPD-CAPACITY ALUMINA-FROM-ALUNITE PILOT PLANT IN GOLDEN IN 1973; FULL-SCALE COMMERCIAL PLANT (TO BE BUILT IN BEAVER COUNTY, UTAH) WOULD PRODUCE CELL-GRADE ALUMINA, BY-PRODUCT FERTILIZER-GRADE K2SO4, AND BY-PRODUCT INDUSTRIAL-GRADE SULFURIC ACID (FOR ACIDULATING IDAHO PHOSPHATE). LARGE CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND UNPROVEN TECHNOLOGY PREVENTED DEVELOPMENT. EARTH SCIENCES ALSO PROSPECTED IN LAKE CITY AREA IN 1970S AND BEGAN PREFERENCE-RIGHT LEASE PROCEDURES WITH BLM TO DEVELOP OPEN PIT ALUNITE MINE ON RED MTN. ORE WOULD BE TRANSPORTED IN 40-MILE PNEUMATIC PIPELINE TO MILLSITE IN MONTROSE. PROSPECTING PERMIT ISSUED IN 1974. AS
  • OF AUGUST 1983, BLM HAD PREPARED DRAFT EIS FOR PROJECT AND CONDUCTED PUBLIC MEETINGS IN LAKE CITY. DEVELOPMENT OF COLORADO'S LARGEST AND POSSIBLY ONE OF WORLD'S LARGEST ALUNITE DEPOSITS COULD BE COMPLICATED BY (1) ITS INCLUSION IN WILDERNESS STUDY AREA, (2) POTENTIAL IMPACT ON LAKE CITY WATER SUPPLY, AND (3) RUGGEN TERRAIN.
  • RED MTN. ONLY RECONNOITERED FOR ALUNITE; EXPLORATION PLANNED SUMMER OF 1976 (from deleted record 10009278)
  • PRODUCTION PLANNED: 3-4 MILLION SHORT TONS PER YEAR. 1973 EXPLORATION. (Copied from deleted record 10111312 (old MRDS DE03000)

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Geology

    STEVEN, T. A., LIPMAN, P. W., HAIL, W. J., JR., BARKER, FRED, AND LUEDKE, R. G., COMPILERS, 1974 , GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE DURANGO QUADRANGLE, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO, USGS MISC. INV. MAP I-764 , SCALE 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    LARSEN, E.S., 1913, ALUNITE IN THE SAN CRISTOBAL QUADRANGLE, COLORADO, in Lindgren, Waldemar, Contributions to economic geology, 1911, Part I, Metals and non-metals except fuels--Aluminum ores: USGS BULL. 530, p. 179-183.

  • Deposit

    HALL, R.B., 1978, WORLD NONBAUXITIC ALUMINUM RESOURCES--ALUNITE: USGS PROF. PAPER 1076-A, 35 P.

  • Deposit

    HALL, R.B., 1980, ALUNITE--A POTENTIALLY ECONOMIC SOURCE OF ALUMINUM AND POTASH?, IN SCHWOCHOW, S.D., ED., PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH FORUM ON GEOLOGY OF INDUSTRIAL MINERALS: CGS RESOURCE SER. 8, P. 77-88.

  • Deposit

    LYLE, DON, 1977, ALUNITE LODE DISCOVERED IN HIGH COUNTRY: ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, V. 119, NO. 106 (AUG. 6), P. 94.

  • Deposit

    MEHNERT, H.H., AND OTHERS, 1979, K-AR AGE OF ALTERATION AT RED MOUNTAIN, LAKE CITY AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS OPEN-FILE REPT. OFR-79-1642, 10 P.

  • Deposit

    MCGREGOR, HEATHER, 1983, WEST SLOPE STRIP-MINING PLAN FOR ALUNITE STIRS CONTROVERSY: DENVER POST, JULY 6.

  • Deposit

    HADDOW, ELLEN, 1983, MINERAL DEPOSIT SPURS CLASH ON WILDERNESS SITE: DENVER POST, APRIL 11.

  • Deposit

    MINING RECORD, 1983, BLM TO CONDUCT MEETING ON ALUNITE MINING OPERATION: MINING RECORD, AUG. 10.

  • Deposit

    LIPMAN, P.W., 1976, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE LAKE CITY CALDERA AREA, WESTERN SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS, SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO: USGS MAP I-962.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, INTERN. DIR. 1983, V. 9, NO. 10, P. 3 (Copied from deleted record 10111312 = DE03000)

  • Deposit

    1973 RECON EARTH SCIENCES, INC.: SAMPLING

General comments

Subject category Comment text
General RED MOUNTAIN APPARENTLY VOLCANIC NECK STRONGLY SOLFATARICALLY ALTERED
Deposit DEPOSIT IS HYDROTHERMALLY AND SOLFATARICALLY ALTERED QUARTZ LATITE LAVA DOME AND FLOW ORIGINATING FROM VOLCANIC NECK INTRUDED ALONG EAST RING FRACTURE BOUNDARY OF LAKE CITY CALDERA. RED MTN AND GRASSY MTN QUARTZ LATITES BURY RING FRACTURE, COVERING MIOCENE SUNSHINE PEAK RHYOLITE TUFF THAT FILLS COLLAPSED LAKE CITY CALDERA, AND OVERLAPPING OLIGOCENE SAN JUAN-UNCOMPAHGRE CALDERA INFILL SEQUENCE CONSISTING OF EUREKA MBR OF SAPINERO MESA TUFF, TUFFACEOUS SANDSTONE OF HENSON MBR, QUARTZ LATITE FLOWS OF BURNS MBR, FISH CANYON AND CARPENTER RIDGE TUFFS, AND QUARTZ LATITE FLOWS OF UNCOMPAHGRE PEAK. MEHNERT AND OTHERS (1979) DESCRIBE ALUNITE OCCURRENCES AS REPLACEMENT OF FELDSPAR PHENOCRYSTS, IRREGULAR DISSEMINATIONS, AND THIN VEINLETS. ACID-SULFATE ALTERATION ASSEMBLAGE CONSIDERED TO BE SHALLOW FACIES OF SAME HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEM THAT DEPOSITED BASE AND PRECIOUS METALS AND LOCAL URANIUM IN NEARBY FISSURES. HYDROTHERMAL SOLUTIONS PROBABLY VENTED AS SOLFATRIC HOT SPRINGS ABOVE PRESENT LEVEL OF
Deposit RED MTN CREST. FIRST AGE DATE FROM MASSIVE ALUNITE FROM CROSSCUTTING VEINLET AT 647-FT DEPTH IN EARTH SCIENCES DRILL CORE; SECOND DATE FROM DISSEMINATED ALUNITE AT 683-FT DEPTH.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-84 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Updater 05-NOV-10 Wilson, Anna B. U.S. Geological Survey merged and deleted oldMRDS D002157 = newMRDS 10009278 and DE03000 = 10111312
Reporter 01-APR-76 Hall, Robert B. U.S. Geological Survey =10009278 (D002157)
Updater 01-AUG-78 Starritt, Bruce C. U.S. Geological Survey =10009278 (D002157)
Reporter 01-APR-95 Mosier, Dan U.S. Geological Survey =DE03000 = 10111312

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

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