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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Unnamed (Tupik Creek area)

Occurrence in Alaska, United States with commodities Copper, Lead, Tin, Silver, Gold, Beryllium, Bismuth, Fluorine-Fluorite, Molybdenum, Antimony, Tungsten, Zinc
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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. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10001214
MRDS ID A011927
Record type Site
Current site name Unnamed (Tupik Creek area)

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -155.08348, 67.50959 (WGS84)
Relative position This site is a composite of four occurrences (localities 18-22 of Grybeck and Nelson, 1981) in an area of about 6 square miles on both sides of Tupik Creek. The coordinates are for the center of the area in the NW1/4 of sec. 3, T. 24 N., R. 17 E., of the Kateel River Meridian. Location of area accurate to within 2000 ft.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Northwest Arctic(Borough)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Survey Pass C-5(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Survey Pass N(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Survey Pass(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Upper Noatak River(hydrologic unit)

Noatak River-Lisburne Peninsula(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Gates of the Arctic 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
Lead Primary
Tin Critical Primary
Silver Secondary
Gold Secondary
Beryllium Critical Secondary
Bismuth Critical Secondary
Fluorine-Fluorite Critical Secondary
Molybdenum Secondary
Antimony Critical Secondary
Tungsten Critical Secondary
Zinc Critical Secondary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Gangue = Calc-silicate minerals

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Arsenopyrite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Fluorite Ore
Galena Ore
Molybdenite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Stibnite Ore
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Metasomatic alteration related to contact metamorphism: calc-silicate minerals, sulfides and quartz.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 43
USGS model code 14b
Deposit model name Sn skarn

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Rock unit name Mt. Igikpak Pluton
    Rock description Mt. Igikpak Pluton

Nearby scientific data

(1) -155.08348, 67.50959
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This composite site represents a number of occurrences that share a common geologic enviroment marked by flat-lying Paleozoic gneiss and schist and Devonian and Silurian limestone and shale that overlie a large Devonian gneissic granite pluton. Small erratic skarn bodies are common where carbonates are present. Five mineral occurrences within the area are specifically noted by Grybeck and Nelson (1981), and others probably could be found with some search. Most are small and erratic; they rarely are more than a few feet or tens of feet in area and they are usually hundreds of feet or more apart. Impressive hand samples containing ore minerals were collected within the area, but no widespread concentration of ore minerals was noted. The mineralogy of the occurrences is highly variable. It includes various combinations of galena, sphalerite, stibnite, chalcopyrite, magetite, and molybdenite, often associated with quartz and fluorite, and, in the skarns, various calc-silicate minerals. Highly select grab samples of the more sulfide-rich rocks contain up to 55 ppm Ag, 55 ppm Au, 70 ppm Be, 700 ppm Bi, 1000 ppm Sn, and, in the skarns, 300 ppm W. The overall environment is that of contact metamorphism marked by very spotty metamsomatic mineralization. The source of the metals is the large Devonian granite pluton that underlies most of the area. Similar mineralization is recognized elsewhere in the Brooks Range and is described by Newberry and others (1986).
  • Age = Deposits formed by metasomatic introduction of metals related to intusion of Devonian granite.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Noatak

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Samples were mostly collected during spot stops and short traverses during geologic mapping by the USGS in the late 1970s.

Reference information

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Grybeck and Nelson, 1981

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Skarn (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 14b)
Deposit Other Comments = Located within Gates of the Arctic National Park.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 20-SEP-1999 S.W. Nelson U.S. Geological Survey

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.