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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Mystery Mountains West

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Lead, Zinc, Silver
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Mineral occurrence model information
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Mining district
  12. Links to other databases
  13. Bibliographic references
  14. General comments
  15. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10307779
Record type Site
Current site name Mystery Mountains West

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -154.65897, 63.51349 (WGS84)
Relative position The Mystery Mountains West occurrence is situated on a southwesterly spur in the western-most part of the Mystery Mountains about 0.6 miles (0.9 km) northwest of Cottonwood Creek, at an elevation of 1,650 feet (503 m) in Section 8, T. 23 S., R. 22 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. Location is accurate to within 500 feet (152 m).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Yukon-Koyukuk(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

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

Medfra N(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Medfra C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Doyon, Limited(ANCSA Region)

ANCSA Region NTVPIC(Type of land area)

NTVPIC(Federal land areas administered by NTVPIC)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Primary
Silver Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Sericite in dike rocks.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 85
USGS model code 22c
Deposit model name Polymetallic veins
Mark3 model number 46

Nearby scientific data

(1) -154.65897, 63.51349
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Mystery Mountains West occurrence consists of galena, sphalerite, and quartz in hornfels, and locally in quartz-tourmaline breccias in hornfels. Altered dikes cut the hornfels on the property. The Mystery Mountains West occurrence represents an outer-most metallic lead-zinc zonation observed in the Mystery Mountains mineralized area, which is thought to be a large-scale copper porphyry system. Prospects more central to the core, which include the Copenhagen Hill, Mystery Mountains-East, Frozen Creek, and Tarn prospects (MD030, MD028, MD032, MD027) are representative of a copper-gold bearing core. The Ursus prospect (MD033), like the Mystery Mountains West mineralization, represents a southern, outer lead-zinc zone (DiMarchi and others, 1997). The Mystery Mountains West occurrence is inferred to be Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic ages of plutonic rocks in Mystery Mountains (Moll and others, 1981). No assay data was found for this summary.
  • Age = the Mystery Mountains West occurrence is inferred to be Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic ages of plutonic rocks in Mystery Mountains (Moll and others, 1981).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name McGrath

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Mystery Mountains West is one of a number of prospects related to a large porphyry copper-gold target explored in the Mystery Mountains by WGM Inc., ACNC, and ASA Inc. from 1975 to 1997 (DiMarchi and others, 1997). No assay data was found for this summary.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Moll, E.J., Silberman, M.L., and Patton, W.W. Jr., 1981, Chemistry, mineralogy, and K-Ar ages of igneous and metamorphic rocks of the Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-811C, 15 p., 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    DiMarchi, J.J., and Frantz, P.S., 1997, Annual Report for 1997-Doyon Option Lands, Block 10: ASA Inc.-Montague Gold Joint Venture Report, Volume II: Unpublished report, 189 p. (Report held by Doyon, Limited, Fairbanks, Alaska.)

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = DiMarchi and others, 1997

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Polymetallic vein deposits (Cox and Singer, 1986; model no. 22c)
Deposit Other Comments = See Ursus prospect (MD033).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-JUN-98 Bundtzen, T.K. Pacific Rim Geological Consulting

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.