Big Horn

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodity Copper
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. Host and associated rocks
  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 10001066
MRDS ID A011747
Record type Site
Current site name Big Horn
Alternate or previous names Finch
Related records 10161067

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -143.61363, 61.6566 (WGS84)
Relative position 2,000 ft north of Kuskulana Glacier, 4 mi up-glacier from toe, where glacier flows westward. Best location: MacKevett, 1976, loc. 157. Accurate within radius of 1,000 feet.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Valdez-Cordova(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

McCarthy C-7(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

McCarthy NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

McCarthy(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Chitina River(hydrologic unit)

Copper River(hydrologic accounting unit)

South Central Alaska(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Wrangell-St. Elias 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
Copper Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcocite Ore
Malachite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 87
USGS model code 23
Deposit model name Basaltic Cu (BC name is Volcanic redbed Cu)
Mark3 model number 118

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
    Rock unit name Nikolai Greenstone
    Rock description Nikolai Greenstone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Triassic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone

Nearby scientific data

(1) -143.61363, 61.6566

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Bornite-, chalcocite-, and malachite-bearing veins and pods in strongly faulted Triassic Nikolai Greenstone.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Chistochina

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Type of workings: surface and underground. Several adits and widespread surficial workings.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., and Mertie, J.B., Jr., 1923, The Kotsina-Kuskulana district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 745, 149 p.

  • Deposit

    Van Alstine, R.E., and Black, R.F., 1946, Copper deposits of the Kotsina-Kuskulana district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 947-G, p. 121-141.

  • Deposit

    Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous Lode Deposits of Alaska. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

  • Deposit

    MacKevett, E.M., Jr., 1976, Mineral deposits and occurrences in the McCarthy quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-773-B, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., 1918, Mining in the lower Copper River basin: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 662-C, p. 155-182.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Moffit and Mertie, 1923

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Basaltic Cu

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 18-SEP-1997 Leonard, K.R. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 18-SEP-1997 Elliott, R.L. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 18-SEP-1997 Richter, D.H. 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.