Makushin Volcano Sulfur

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodity Sulfur
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. 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 10002325
MRDS ID A013235
Record type Site
Current site name Makushin Volcano Sulfur
Related records 10258128

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -166.92907, 53.8866 (WGS84)
Relative position Location is in crater at summit of Makushin Volcano (Maddren, 1919, p. 285, fig. 3). Coordinates were derived from Drewes and others (1961, plate 75) and is thought to be accurate within about a 1.6 km radius.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Aleutians West(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Unalaska C-3(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Unalaska NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Unalaska SE(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Fox Islands(hydrologic unit)

Aleutian Islands(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southwest(hydrologic subregion)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge(National Wildlife Refuge)

National Wildlife Refuge FWS(Type of land area)

FWS(Federal land areas administered by FWS)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Sulfur Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Sulfur Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Hydrothermal alteration of basalt(?).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Mafic Volcanic Rock > Basalt

Nearby scientific data

(1) -166.92907, 53.8866

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = Twenty to thirty acres of bare ground in summit crater icecap of Makushin Volcano contain several active fumaroles and vents. Decomposed basalt is altered to a gray-creamy white mantle more than 5 m thick. The richest sulfur deposits are within 2 feet (0.7 m) of surface, but some are present up to 16 feet (5 m) deep. Sulfur is most conspicuous along cracks and crevices, and as incrustations around fumarole vents. Probably not more than 5 acres of the area contain high grade deposits of sulfur (Maddren, 1919).

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Non-metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Aleutian Islands

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = According to Veniaminov (1840), there was some production of sulphur during Russian occupation.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = Only about 5 acres contain high-grade ore; estimated at 1,800 tons per acre within 2 feet (0.7 m) of surface. Lower grade material or deeper may yield as much as 4,900 tons of sulfur per acre to a 16 foot (5 m) depth (Maddren, 1919).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Some drilling up to 16 feet (5 m) deep during sampling by USGS (Maddren, 1919).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Maddren, 1919

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = fumarolic sulfur, hydrothermal, volcanogenic
Deposit Other Comments = Extensive evaluation and drilling by State of Alaska for geothermal evaluation conducted in 1970's and 1980's (Motyka, 1983; Motyka and others, 1983; 1988; Nye and others, 1984; Queen, 1989; Reeder, 1982, AOF 163; 1982 in Watson; Republic Geothermal, Inc, 1983; 1984; 1985). Russian sulphur production prior to 1840.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-JAN-1992 L.P. Niles U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 07-JAN-1992 S.W. Bie 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.