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Whirlwind

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Arsenic, Copper
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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. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308647
Record type Site
Current site name Whirlwind

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -154.23396, 63.5035 (WGS84)
Relative position The Whirlwind prospect is situated at the southwest end of Whirlwind Ridge at an elevation of 2,700 feet (823 m) in Section 9, T. 23 S., R. 24 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. Location is accurate to within about 1,000 feet (304 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-3(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Medfra N(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Medfra C(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Takotna River(hydrologic unit)

Upper Kuskokwim River(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

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
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Arsenic Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Gangue = Carbonate

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Arsenopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Quartz Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

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

Nearby scientific data

(1) -154.23396, 63.5035
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The Whirlwind prospect consists of veinlets and replacement zones near the contact of a composite pluton with Cretaceous flysch. The composite pluton, which is composed of pyroxenite, gabbro, and monzonite, is elongated parallel to the northeast trending ridgeline (Patton and others, 1980). Galena and arsenopyrite occur in replacement zones at the contact and as grains in mafic phases of the pluton. The pluton is marked by an elongated aeromagnetic high (Patton and others, 1982). The Whirlwind prospect is inferred to be Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic ages of the host pluton (Moll and others, 1981). Grab samples collected by DiMarchi and others (1992) contain as much as 276 ppm copper, 1.4 ppm silver, 396 ppm lead, and 6,192 ppm arsenic.
  • Age = The Whirlwind prospect is inferred to be Late Cretaceous, based on isotopic ages of the host pluton (Moll and others, 1981).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name McGrath

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The Whirlwind Prospect was discovered in 1991 by ASA Inc. during regional exploration on lands selected by Doyon Ltd. Grab samples collected by DiMarchi and others (1992) contain as much as 276 ppm copper, 1.4 ppm silver, 396 ppm lead, and 6,192 ppm arsenic.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Patton, W.W., Jr., Moll, E.J., Dutro, J.T., Jr., Silberman, M.L., and Chapman, R.M., 1980, Preliminary geologic map of Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-811-A, 1 sheet, scale l:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Patton, W.W., Jr., Cady, J.W., and Moll, E.J., 1982, Aeromagnetic interpretation of the Medfra quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-811-E, 15 p., 2 sheets, scale l:250,000.

  • Deposit

    DiMarchi, J.J., Weglarz, T.B., Freeman, L.K., Nicholson, L.C., and Barker, J.C., 1992, Annual Report for 1992--Doyon Option Lands, Block 10: ASA Inc. Report, 121 pages (Report held by Doyon Ltd., Fairbanks, Alaska.)

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = DiMarchi and others, 1992

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Polymetallic veins (Cox and singer, 1986; model no. 22c)
Deposit Other Comments = The Whirlwind prospect is on lands selected or owned by Doyon Ltd. For further information, contact Doyon Ltd. at 210 1st Ave., Fairbanks, Alaska, 99701.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 06-JUN-1998 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.