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Geyser Mine

Past Producer in Custer county in Colorado, United States with commodities Silver, Lead, Zinc, Copper, Gold
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Ore body information
  14. Controls for ore emplacement
  15. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  16. Mining district
  17. Land status
  18. Production statistics
  19. Workings at the site
  20. Links to other databases
  21. Bibliographic references
  22. General comments
  23. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10012344
MRDS ID D007922
Record type Site
Current site name Geyser Mine
Alternate or previous names Security-Geyser, Fleetwood Tunnel

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Pit
Geographic coordinates: -105.4414, 38.1389 (WGS84)
Elevation 2438
Location accuracy 10(meters)
Relative position 0.4 MILES N24W FROM THE JUNCTION OF SR96 AND CR277 IN SILVER CLIFF, CO.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Custer(county)

Colorado(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Westcliffe(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Canon City(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Pueblo(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Arkansas Headwaters(hydrologic unit)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic accounting unit)

Upper Arkansas(hydrologic subregion)

Arkansas-White-Red(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Colorado Custer

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
6th Principal 022S 072W 16 SW OF SE OF NW Colorado

Comments on the location information

  • NORTH OF CHLORIDE GULCH ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1976)

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary
Gold Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Argentite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Gold Ore
Hessite Ore
Polybasite Ore
Pyrargyrite Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Tetrahedrite Ore
Barite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chalcedony Gangue
Garnet Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Topaz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Weak Argillization

Analytical data

Result IN VEINS AVG 250-300 OZ/TON
Result SB PRESENT

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 82
USGS model code 22
Deposit model name Epithermal veins

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Miocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Oligocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Glassy Rock > Obsidian
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Silver Cliff Rhyolite Unit 2
    Rock description Silver Cliff Rhyolite Unit 2
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Glassy Rock > Obsidian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Volcanic Breccia (Agglomerate)
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyolite
    Rock unit name Undivided Gneiss, San Isabel Granite Of Boyer Reached At 1850 Ft, Still Mineralized
    Rock description Undivided Gneiss, San Isabel Granite Of Boyer Reached At 1850 Ft, Still Mineralized

Nearby scientific data

Pit (1) -105.4414, 38.1389
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Silver Cliff Volcanic Center, Wet Mtns, Wet Mtn Valley
Type of structure Local
Structure description Silver Cliff Graben, Fault; Geyser Vent, Breccia Pipes

Ore body information

  • General form VEINS
    Strike N 37-40 W (VEINS)
    Dip N 10-15 W
    Thickness 640.08M
    Length 762M
    Width 762M
    Depth to top 31.7M
    Depth to bottom 640.08M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • thin veins, joint fillng

Comments on the geologic information

  • CHARCOAL IS PRESENT TO AT LEAST 2000 FT BELOW SURFACE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1878
Year of first production 1880
Year of last production 1911

Mining district

District name Silver Cliff

Land status

Ownership category Private

Production statistics

  • Year 1880
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 988g/mt
  • Year 1882
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 212g/mt
  • Year 1911
    Period 1880-1911?
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Silver Silver 154g/mt

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Unknown
    Area 5.257HA
    Length 17343.12M
    Overall depth 640.08M
    Overall length 762M
    Overall width 762M

Comments on the workings information

  • THIS IS THE DEEPEST MINE ON THE PLATEAU; MANY LEVELS INCLUDING 500, 700, 750, 1450, 1850, 2000, 2100 FT BELOW SURFACE; MINE BEGAN AT BASE OF SILVER CLIFF/RACINE BOY QUARRY; MOST WORKINGS TO WEST AND NORTHWEST, SOME SOUTH

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CROSS, WHITMAN, 1896, GEOLOGY OF SILVER CLIFF AND THE ROSITA HILLS, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 263-403

  • Deposit

    EMMONS, S.F., 1896, THE MINES OF CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS 17TH ANN. REPORT, PT 2, P. 405-472.

  • Deposit

    FIELDMAN, D.W. AND CROWLEY, F.P., 1980, SILVER DEPOSITS IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SILVER CLIFF CALDERA, IN SILVER CLIFF VOLCANIC CENTER AND TALLAHASSEE CREEK URANIUM DEPOSITS: DENVER REGIONAL EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS GUIDEBOOK, P. 1-14.

  • Deposit

    SHARP, W.M., 1978, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE SILVER CLIFF AND ROSITA VOLCANIC CENTERS, CUSTER COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP I-1081.

  • Production

    COLORADO DIVISION MINES INSPECTOR REPORTS, ANNUAL REPORTS

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS MINE WAS INTENDED TO EXPLORE THE "ROOTS" OF THE ORE UNDER THE RACINE BOY AND SILVER CLIFF QUARRIES; HIT ORE AT DEPTH. SEVERAL HORIZONS IN SHAFT HIT WATER DISCHARGING AT GREATER THAN 100 GPM. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit THE ORE BECAME RICHER AT DEPTH; VEINS NEARLY VERTICAL DIP; WHERE ORE IS BOTRYOIDAL ORDER OF DEPOSITION: 1) BARITE, 2) GALENA, ARGENTITE, 3) COPPER SULFIDES, 4) TETRAHEDRITE, 5) CHALCOPYRITE

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-81 Collins, Donna B. Colorado Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Colorado resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.