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South Platte Pegmatite District

Past Producer in Jefferson county in Colorado, United States with commodities Feldspar, Quartz, Fluorine-Fluorite, REE, Gemstone, Thorium, Niobium (Columbium), Tantalum, Manganese
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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. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Workings at the site
  18. Links to other databases
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10107990
MRDS ID D010180
Record type District
Current site name South Platte Pegmatite District

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -105.21502, 39.39555 (WGS84)
Elevation 2256
Relative position 16 TO 21 MILES S 16 TO 25 E FROM EVERGREEN

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Jefferson(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Platte Canyon(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Bailey(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Denver(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper South Platte(hydrologic unit)

South Platte(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Platte(hydrologic subregion)

Missouri(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Pike and San Isabel National Forests(National Forest)

National Forest FS(Type of land area)

FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Jefferson

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 007S;008S 070W;070W 28,33,36;02,03,11,22 Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • AROUND RALEIGH PEAK SW OF CONFLUENCE OF SOUTH PLATTE RIVER AND ITS NORTH FORK. SECTIONS GIVEN ARE FOR RAE-PRODUCING MINES. OTHER FLD/QTZ PEGMATITES LIE IN SECS. 16, 17, 21, 26, 27, 29, 32, 34, & 35, T7S, R70W AND SECS. 01, 04, T8S, R70W. LAT-LONG GIVEN IS FOR CENTRALLY LOCATED RALEIGH PEAK. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1975)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Feldspar Primary
Quartz Primary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Secondary
REE Critical Secondary
Gemstone Secondary
Thorium Tertiary
Niobium (Columbium) Critical Tertiary
Tantalum Critical Tertiary
Manganese Critical Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Fluorite Ore
Gadolinite Ore
Quartz Ore
Xenotime Ore
Amazonstone Gangue
Bastnaesite Gangue
Biotite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Doverite Gangue
Fergusonite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Muscovite Gangue
Prochlorite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Pyrolusite Gangue
Sericite Gangue
Synchisite Gangue
Thalenite Gangue
Topaz Gangue
Yttrotantalite Gangue
Zircon Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Fe Oxidation In Biotite, Chloritization, Sericitization, Deuterogenic Wallrock Alt., 2d Hydrothermal Repl.

Analytical data

Result WHOLE-ROCK NEUTRON-ACTIVATION ANALYSES OF GRANITE SAMPLES IN AREA CONTAINED 87 TO 189 PPM LA, 177 TO 395 PPM CE, 15 TO 38 PPM SM, 0.5 TO 2.9 PPM TB, 4 TO 25 PPM YB, 4 TO 8 PPM LU
Result QUARTZ MONZONITE SAMPLES CONTAINED 124 TO 152 PPM LA, 254 TO 307 PPM CE, 21 TO 28 PPM SM, 0.9 TO 3 PPM TB, 7 TO 23 PPM YB, 4 TO 6.5 PPM LU. OVERALL MEAN VALUES FOR GRANITE, QUARTZ MONZONITE, AND NEAR-CONTACT ZONE AT SEERIE MINE WERE 128.7 PPM LA, 259.8 PPM CE, 27.3 PPM SM, 1.9 PPM TB, 15.5 PPM YB, 5.7 PPM LU. ENRICHMENT FACTORS CALCULATED TO BE 2.3 FOR LA, 2.5 FOR CE, 3.4 FOR SM, 1.7 FOR TB, 3.6 FOR YB, 8.4 FOR LU. RARE-EARTH CONCENTRATES FROM BIG BEAR NO. 2 AND OTHER PEGMATITES CONTAINED 47.9% Y, 2.8% GD, 2.3% DY, 3.7% ND, 1 TO 2% ER, SM, CE, AND 0 TO 1% HO, LA, TB, PR (HEINRICH, 1958
Result SIMMONS AND HEINRICH, 1980).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Pegmatite
    Rock unit name Pegmatite;Pikes Peak Granite
    Rock description Pegmatite;Pikes Peak Granite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Granitoid > Granite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Pegmatite
    Rock unit name Idaho Springs Formation;Pikes Peak Granite
    Rock description Idaho Springs Formation;Pikes Peak Granite

Nearby scientific data

(1) -105.21502, 39.39555
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Front Range Uplift, Pikes Peak Batholith
Type of structure Local
Structure description Kennedy Gulch Fault Zone

Ore body information

  • General form LENTICULAR
    Length 304.8M
    Width 91.44M
  • General form LENTICULAR

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Pegmatites Localized In Outer Granite Margin Of Pluton As Highly Fluid Liquid Segregations. Microcline-Perthite Localized In Zones By Fractional Crystallization According To Bowen Series. F, Rae, And Qtz Localized Near Center By Fractionation Of Resulting Hydrous Volatile-Rich Phase Of Melt.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Year of first production 1935
Year of last production 1965

Mining district

District name South Platte Pegmatite District

Land status

Ownership category National Forest

Comments on the production information

  • ANNUAL TOTALS FOR FLD, QTZ, AND F UNAVAILABLE DUE TO LACK OF PRODUCTION STATISTICS FROM INDIVIDUAL MINES. CUMULATIVE TOTALS ARE ROUGH ESTIMATES FROM SIMMONS AND HEINRICH (1980). TOTAL ESTIMATED RAE IS 55 ST FROM WHITE CLOUD MINE, 16 ST FROM DEEP HOLE MINE, AND POSSIBLY UP TO 100 ST FROM BIG BEAR NO. 2 AND SEVERAL OTHERS MINES.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Overall depth 15.24M

Comments on the workings information

  • ALL OPEN CUTS. FOR THOSE PRODUCING ONLY FELDSPAR, PERTHITE FROM INTERMEDIATE ZONE SELECTIVELY MINED LEAVING ANNUAL OR PARTLY ANNULAR EXCAVATION AROUND INTACT QUARTZ CORE.

Comments on development

  • AREA PROBABLY FIRST PROSPECTED FOR AU BECAUSE OF BULL QUARTZ CORES EXPOSED. PROSPECTED AT LEAST SINCE 1920S FOR FELDSPAR. INTERMITTENT PRODUCTION OF FELDSPAR AND QUARTZ TERRAZZO AND DECORATIVE STONE FROM LATE 1930S TO LATE 1960S. SMALL PRODUCTION OF ACID-GRADE FLUORSPAR. RARE-EARTH ORES DISCOVERED IN MID 1950S AND SMALL AMOUNT OF RARE EARTHS AND RARE-EARTH FLUORITE PRODUCED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    SIMMONS, W.B., AND HEINRICH, E.W., 1980, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE DISTRICT, COLORADO: CGS RESOURCE SER. 11, 131 P.

  • Deposit

    PETERSON, W.L., 1964, GEOLOGY OF THE PLATTE CANYON QUADRANGLE, COLORADO: USGS BULL. 1181-C, 23 P., 1 PL.

  • Deposit

    HAYNES, C.V., JR., 1965, GENESIS OF THE WHITE CLOUD AND RELATED PEGMATITES, SOUTH PLATTE AREA, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO: GSA BULL., V. 76, NO. 4, P. 441-462.

  • Deposit

    ADAMS, J.W., AND SHARP, W.N., 1972, THALENITE AND ALLANITE DERIVED FROM YTTROFLUORITE IN THE WHITE CLOUD PEGMATITE, SOUTH PLATTE AREA, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 800-C, P. C63-C69.

  • Deposit

    HEINRICH, E.W., 1958, RARE-EARTH PEGMATITES OF THE SOUTH PLATTE-LAKE GEORGE AREA, DOUGLAS, TELLER, AND PARK COUNTIES, COLORADO (ABS.): GSA BULL., V. 69, NO. 12, PT. 2, P. 1579-1580.

  • Deposit

    HAYNES, C.V., JR., 1958, RARE-EARTH MINERALIZATION IN THE WHITE CLOUD MINE NEAR SOUTH PLATTE, JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO (ABS.): GSA BULL., V. 69, NO. 12, PT. 2, P. 1729-1730.

  • Deposit

    ADAMS, J.W., AND OTHERS, 1962, THALENITE FROM TELLER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 450-D, P. D6-D8.

  • Production

    SIMMONS AND HEINRICH, 1980

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit LEVELS TED TO BE LIMITED TO QUARTZ CORE AND WALL ZONE. EXPOSURE SIZE AND ZONE DEVELOPMENT COULD THUS BE GOVERNED BY ELEVATION AND DEPTH OF EROSION. LARGER LENS- AND POD-SHAPED PEGMATITES SHOW WELL DEVELOPED MOSTLY CONCENTRIC ZONING: 1) POORLY DEVELOPED OR ABSENT BORDER ZONE OF GRAPHIC GRANITE AND INTERGROWN QUARTZ-MICROCLINE PERTHITE; 2) WALL ZONE OF BIOTITE GRAPHIC GRANITE WITH INTERGROWN QUARTZ AND MICROCLINE-PERTHITE; 3) OUTER INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF GIANT BIOTITE CONTAINING AGGREGATES OF CYRTOLITE-THORITE AND FERGUSONITE; 4) MIDDLE INTERMEDIATE ZONE OF GIANT MICROCLINE-PERTHITE (MINED ZONE); 5) INNER INTERMEDIATE OR CORE-MARGIN ZONE OF DISCONTINUOUS GREEN EUHEDRAL FLUORITE WITH SOME TOPAZ; 6) CORE OF MASSIVE QUARTZ OR QUARTZ-MICROCLINE. SECONDARY REPLACEMENT UNITS SUPERPOSED ON PRIMARY ZONAL SEQUENCES: 1) PERTHITE REPLACED BY ALBITE AND CLEAVELANDITE; 2) BIOTITE BY HEMATITE; 3) QUARTZ BY SERICITE; 4) FLUORITE BY YTTROFLUORITE; 5) YTTROFLUORITE BY DOVERITE AND THALENITE; 6) GADOLINITE
Deposit BY Y-FLUOROCARBONATE; 7) QUARTZ ND ALLANITE BY LATE FLUORITE. MINOR MINERALIZATION TYPE IS FLUORITE-CEMENTED BRECCIA IN FRACTURES.
Deposit DETAILED RECORDS PREPARED FOR THOSE PEGMATITES PRODUCING RAE: BIG BEAR NO. 2, BIG BERTHA, DAZIE BELL, LITTLE PATSY, LUSTER NO. 1, MADONNA, OREGON NO. 3, SHUTTLE RUN, AND WHITE CLOUD MINES. SNOWFLAKE MINE RECORD ALSO INCLUDED FOR RAE BUT IS REMOVED FROM IMMEDIATE DISTRICT AND LOCATED IN TELLER CO. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit NORTH END OF PIKES PEAK BATHOLITH RELATIVELY CONFORMABLY INTRUDES OLDER METAMORPHICS ON CONTACT TRENDING ABOUT N 40 W, 40 NE. WEAKLY DEVELOPED FLOW STRUCTURE IN GRANITE ROUGHLY PARALLELS CONTACT. PEGMATITES BELIEVED TO BE PENECON-TEMPORANEOUS WITH GRANITE EMPLACEMENT AS H2O-RICH LIQUID SEGREGATIONS BECAUSE PEGMATITES ALL CONTAINED WITHIN PLUTON AND DO NOT EXTEND BEYOND BOUNDARY AND BECAUSE NO APPARENT EFFECT (CRYSTAL ORIENTATION, RADIAL FRACTURES, DISTORTION) ON ADJACENT GRANITE. FOUR TYPES OBSERVED: 1) APLITE WITH CONCENTRIC ZONED PEGMATITE OF SIMPLE BIOTITE GRANITE COMPOSITION; 2) SIMPLE QUARTZ-PERTHITE LENS ALONG QUARTZ VEIN; 3) QUARTZ-PERTHITE-BIOTITE PEGMATITE AS FLAT DIKELIKE BODIES RELATED TO FISSURES; 4) LARGE COMPLEX INTERNALLY ZONED PEGMATITES WITH QUARTZ CORES. VARIATIONS IN EXPOSED SIZE AND IN CORE-TO-PEGMATITE SIZE RATIO POSSIBLY DUE TO VERTICAL ASYMMETRY--NARROWER AT BOTTOM FLARING UPWARD WITH INTERMEDIATE ZONE AND RAE/F REPLACEMENT BETTER DEVELOPED NEAR TOP. LOWER

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-FEB-83 Schwochow, Stephen D. Colorado Geological Survey
Editor 16-NOV-11 Wilson, Anna B U.S. Geological Survey changed from site to district.

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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