| Deposit ID | 10087920 |
|---|---|
| MRDS ID | D010903 |
| MAS/MILS ID | 0080330007 |
| Record type | Deposit |
| Current site name | Calico Peak Alunite Deposit |
| Alternate or previous names | Calico Peak |
| Related records | 10166903 |
| Geographic coordinates: | -108.09037, 37.71029 (WGS84) |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 3666 |
| Relative position | 3.5 MILES N 70 W FROM RICO. At the head of Horse Creek. (Microsoft Maps mislabels Calico Peak as Elliott Mtn.) Location given at summit of Calico Peak. |
Political divisions (FIPS codes)
Dolores(county)
Colorado(state)
United States(country)
North America(continent)
Land(continent)
USGS map quadrangles
Rico(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)
Dove Creek(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)
Cortez(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)
Hydrologic units (watersheds)
Upper Dolores(hydrologic unit)
Upper Colorado-Dolores(hydrologic accounting unit)
Upper Colorado-Dolores(hydrologic subregion)
Upper Colorado(hydrologic region)
Federal lands
San Juan National Forest(National Forest)
National Forest FS(Type of land area)
FS(Federal land areas administered by FS)
| Country | State | County |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Colorado | Dolores |
| Meridian | Township | Range | Section | Fraction | State |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 040N | 011W | 20 | NW | Colorado |
| Commodity | Importance |
|---|---|
| Aluminum Critical | Primary |
| Molybdenum | Secondary |
| Sulfur | Secondary |
| Lead | Secondary |
| Manganese Critical | Tertiary |
| Copper | Tertiary |
| Silver | Tertiary |
| Titanium, Metal Critical | Tertiary |
| Potassium | Tertiary |
| Materials | Type of material |
|---|---|
| Alunite | Ore |
| Illite | Gangue |
| Jarosite | Gangue |
| Kaolinite | Gangue |
| Muscovite | Gangue |
| Quartz | Gangue |
| Sericite | Gangue |
| Sulfur | Gangue |
| Result | CROSS AND SPENCER'S (1900) ANALYSES OF ALUNITE ROCK: ANALYSIS 1 (COARSE-GRAINED ROCK FROM WEST FACE). 42.35 % AL203, 2.54 % SIO2, 35.24 % SO3, 0.08% CAO, 4.02% NA20, 3.27% 12.12% COMBINED H20 |
|---|---|
| Result | ANALYSIS 2 (FINE-GRAINED VEIN ROCK FROM SOUTH RIDGE), 37.66 % AL203, 1.79% SI02, 37.92% SO3, 0.38 % CAO, 2.12 % NA2O, 6.77 % K2O, 13.09 % COMBINED H2O. ONE ANALYSIS FIGURE INDICATES 19.9% ALUNITE. |
| Model code | 154 |
|---|---|
| USGS model code | 25e |
| Deposit model name | Epithermal quartz-alunite Au |
| Mark3 model number | 38 |
| Host or associated | Associated | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock type | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite | ||||||
| Rock unit name | Calico Peak Porphyry;Hornblende Latite Porphyry | ||||||
| Rock description | Calico Peak Porphyry;Hornblende Latite Porphyry | ||||||
| |||||||
| Host or associated | Host | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rock type | Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Latite | ||||
| Rock unit name | Calico Peak Porphyry;Cutler Formation | ||||
| Rock description | Calico Peak Porphyry;Cutler Formation | ||||
| |||||
| (1) | -108.09037, 37.71029 |
|---|
| Type of structure | Regional |
|---|---|
| Structure description | San Juan Uplift, Paradox Basin |
| Type of structure | Local |
| Structure description | Rico Dome, Calico Peak Stock, Calico Peak Anticline |
| General form | IRREGULAR |
|---|---|
| Length | 701.04M |
| Width | 548.64M |
| Development status | Occurrence |
|---|---|
| Commodity type | Both |
| Deposit size | Small |
| Significant | Yes |
| Discovery year | 1899 |
| Discoverer | Whitman Cross |
| District name | Rico (Pioneer) District |
|---|
| Type of mineral rights | Federal Lease |
|---|
| Ownership category | National Forest |
|---|---|
| Area name | San Juan N. F. |
| Type | Owner |
|---|---|
| Owner | Peaker, D.H., and A.J. |
| Interest | 100 |
| Year | 1975 |
| Type | Operator |
|---|---|
| Owner | Bulkley Wells |
| Home office | Denver, Co. |
| First year | 1918 |
| Type | Owner |
|---|---|
| Owner | Colorado Alunite Co. |
| Home office | Pueblo, Co. |
| First year | 1918 |
| Type | In-situ | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate year | 1944 | ||||||||||||||
| Measured | 16000mt ore | ||||||||||||||
| Indicated | 18000mt ore | ||||||||||||||
| Inferred | 60000mt ore | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Type of workings | Surface/Underground |
|---|---|
| Length | 126.49M |
| Agency | Database name | Acronym | Record ID | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USGS | Mineral Resources Data System | MRDS | D010903 | |
| U.S. Bureau of Mines | Minerals Availability System | MAS | 0080330007 | =10166903, merged and deleted |
RATTE, J.C., 1968, ALUNITE, IN MINERAL AND WATER RESOURCES OF COLORADO: U.S. GOVT. PRINTING OFFICE, P. 155-157.PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.
PRATT, W.P., AND OTHERS, 1969, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE RICO QUADRANGLE, DOLORES AND MONTEZUMA COUNTIES, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-797.
MCKNIGHT, E.T., 1974, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE RICO DISTRICT, COLORADO: USGS PROF. PAPER 723.
SERNA-ISAZA, M.J., 1971, GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF CALICO PEAK, DOLORES COUNTY, COLORADO: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES M.S. THESIS T-1338.
THOENEN, J.R., 1941, ALUNITE RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES: USBM RI-3561, 48 p.
CROSS, WHITMAN, AND SPENCER, A.C., 1900, GEOLOGY OF THE RICO MOUNTAINS, COLORADO: USGS 21ST ANN. REPT., PT. 2, P. 32-33, 87, 92-94.
NAESER, C.W., AND OTHERS, 1979, PLIOCENE INTRUSIVE ROCKS AND MINERALIZATION NEAR RICO, COLORADO: USGS OF-79-1093, 18 P.
HALL, R.B., 1980, ALUNITE--A POTENTIALLY ECONOMIC SOURCE OF ALUMINUN AND POTASH?, IN SCHOWCHOW, S.D., ED., PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIFTEENTH FORUM ON GEOLOGY OF INDUSTRIAL MINERALS: CGS RESOURCE SER. 8, P. 77-88.COLORADO DIV. MINES INF. REPTS.
GARDNER, L.S., 1944, UNPUB. REPT. IN USGS FILE.
1899, RECON: W. CROSS AND A.C. SPENCER: 21ST ANN. REPT.
1943, GEOLMAP: L.S. GARDNER; UNPUB. REPT.
CALKIN, W.S., 1970, EVALUATION OF THE ALUNITE OF CALICO PEAK, DOLORES CO. COLO FOR COLORADO CENTRAL MINES: EARTH SCIENCES, INC., OCT. 21, 1970. CONFIDENTIAL REPORT.
NEUBERT, J.T., 1992, MINERAL APPRAISAL OF SAN JUAN NATIONAL FOREST, CO: U.S. BUREAU OF MINES MINERAL LAND ASSESSMENT OPEN-FILE REPORT 2-92 (SAMPLES 93-123)
| Subject category | Comment text |
|---|---|
| Deposit | RECOGNIZED THREE PERIODS OF ALTERATION (DETAILED UNDER "SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION") CLOSELY FOLLOWING EMPLACEMENT AND CONSOLIDATION OF STOCK AND FORMATION OF RADIAL/CONCENTRIC FRACTURE SYSTEMS: (A) EARLY EPITHERMAL(?) ALTERATION CHARACTERIZED BY SERICITIZATION OF FELDSPAR AND ALTERATION OF SPHENE TO RUTILE, AND PARTLY MASKED OR CHANGED BY (B) PRINCIPAL SOLFATARIC ALTERATION STAGE, CHARACTERIZED BY INTRODUCTION OF ALUNITE AND FORMATION OF STOCKWORK SILICA AND JAROSITE, SURROUNDED BY ARGILLIC ENVELOPE OF KAOLINITE AND ILLITE OR MIXTURES OF KAOLINITE-SERICITE AND ALUNITE-KAOLINITE, SECONDARY FORMATION OF RARE ZUNYITE; (C) LATE SUPERGENE ALTERATION OF PYRITE AND JAROSITE TO HEMATITE, AND LIMONITE, SOME PROBABLE LATE FORMATION OF ALUNITE AND KAOLINITE IN VEINLETS. SOLFATARIC ALTERATION BELIEVED TO BE CONTROLLED BY AND CENTERED ON RADIAL FRACTURE SYSTEM WITHIN STOCK, WHICH PERMITTED ACIDIC SULFUROUS VAPORS, CO2, AND MINOR DISSOLVED SILICA TO SEPARATE FROM MAGMA RESERVOIR, RISE THROUGH CONDUITS |
| General | Merged and deleted record 10166903 ((old MAS 0080330007) gave year of discovery as 1912 and mining method as bench (berm) and milling method as "hydrometallurgy unspecified" on a surface operation. |
| Deposit | AND STRUCTURALLY WEAK ZONES IN STOCK, INTERACT WITH METEORIC WATERS TO FORM ACIDIC SOLUTIONS (AND SEPARATION OF NATIVE S) THAT SPREAD OUTWARD FROM MINERALIZING CENTERS, REACTING WITH WALL ROCKS, AND GRADUALLY CHANGING FROM STRONGLY ACIDIC TO LESS ACIDIC TO NEUTRAL TO BASIC THROUGH PROGRESSIVELY WEAKER, OUTER ALTERATION ZONES. NAESER AND OTHERS (1979) DATED CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY AS PLIOCENE, THUS ESTABLISHING MAXIMUM AGE OF ITS ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION. BASED ON ANNEALING OF FISSION TRACKS IN OLDER IGNEOUS ROCKS (LATE CRETACEOUS TO TERTIARY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY), THEY ALSO POSTULATED LATE TERTIARY THERMAL DISTURBANCE PROBABLY CENTERED ON BURIED STOCK ON NE SIDE OF RICO AND RELATED EITHER TO CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY OR TO ALASKITE PORPHYRY (PLIOCENE) INTRUSIONS, AND HAVING POTENTIAL FOR PORPHYRY-TYPE MINERALIZATION (BASED ON MO IDENTIFICATION AT CALICO PEAK). |
| Deposit | CALICO PEAK STOCK AND ASSOCIATED LATITE DIKES INTRUDED WEST- AND NW-DIPPING CUTLER FM RED BEDS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY INTRUDED BY HORNBLENDE LATITE PORPHYRY SILLS AND DIKES, ALL ON WEST SIDE OF RICO DOME. SERNA-ISAZA (1971) IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PHASES OF LATITE PORPHYRY STOCK EMPLACEMENT: (A) FELDSPAR-RICH PHASE IN NORTH PART OF STOCK AND INCLUDING RADIAL DIKES, CHARACTERIZED BY TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF FELDSPAR PHENOCRYSTS BY KAOLINITE, ILLITE, ALUNITE, SOME SERICITE AND JAROSITE, IN QUARTZ-ALUNITE MATRIX, ACCESSORY ZIRCON, AND SPHENE REPLACED BY RUTILE; (B) TRANSITIONAL PHASE THROUGH CENTRAL PART OF STOCK, CHARACTERIZED BY GRADATION FROM FELDSPAR PORPHYRY TO QUARTZ PORPHYRY, PHENOCRYSTS REPLACED BY KAOLINITE, ALUNITE, AND SERICITE IN FINE-GRAINED QUARTZ MATRIX, ACCESSORY SPHENE AND ZIRCON, JAROSITE PARTLY ALTERED TO HEMATITE, AND SOME ILLITE AND PLUMBOJAROSITE; (C) QUARTZ-RICH PHASE IN SOUTHERN PART OF STOCK, CHARACTERIZED BY QUARTZ AND FELDSPAR PHENOCRYSTS IN FELSIC MATRIX, FELDSPAR |
| Deposit | REPLACED BY QUARTZ AND MIXTURES OF QUARTZ, ALUNITE, AND KAOLINITE, SPHENE ALTERED TO RUTILE, ACCESSORY ZIRCON, AND JAROSITE/PLUMBOJAROSITE ALTERATION; (D) BRECCIA PHASE MOST PROMINENTLY DEVELOPED ALONG SOUTHERN AND EASTERN MARGINS OF STOCKS, COMPOSED OF QUARTZITE AND SANDSTONE FRAGMENTS (PRECAMBRIAN AND PENNSYLVANIAN?) IN QUARTZ-RICH-PHASE GROUNDMASS. STOCK EMPLACED BY TWO CLOSELY SPACED PULSES: FELDSPAR-RICH PHASE EMPLACED BY LATITE-TRACHYTE PULSE FOLLOWED BY (SECOND) QUARTZ LATITE PHASE (QUARTZ-RICH PHASE) BEFORE FINAL COOLING. FORCIBLE INJECTION AND ASSIMILATION OF COUNTRY ROCK CAUSED NO APPRECIABLE DISTURBANCE OF HOST ROCK (CUTLER FM) EXCEPT FOR FORMATION OF RADIAL AND CONCENTRIC FRACTURE SYSTEMS DURING COOLING. SOME INITIAL FRACTURES FILLED WITH DIKES FROM FIRST INJECTION PHASE. FELSITE DIKES INTRUDED ALONG ARCUATE FRACTURES CONCAVE TOWARD CENTER OF STOCK AFTER CONSOLIDATION BUT BEFORE ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION. SERNA-ISAZA'S (1971) SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND GEOCHEMIC AL |
| Deposit | SAMPLING SHOWS CLOSE CORRELATION BETWEEN ALTERATION PATTERNS IN STOCK AND ANOMALOUS DISTRIBUTIONS OF SELECTED ELEMENTS. PRINCIPAL ALUNITE CONCENTRATIONS (G.T. 25 % AS CALCULATED FROM % SOLUBLE AL203) LIE AT CENTER OR PEAK AND RADIAL FRACTURE SYSTEM AND ON FAR EAST AND SOUTHERN MARGINS WITH SEVERAL SMALLER AREAS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT STOCK AND POSSIBLY INDICATING POSITIONS OF SECONDARY CONDUITS OR OTHER MAJOR FRACTURES OR STRUCTURALLY WEAK ZONES. ANOMALOUS MO (20 TO 40 PPM) FOUND ON NORTH SIDE OF STOCK, APPARENTLY INCREASING DOWNWARD; TWO OTHER AREAS COINCIDE WITH RICH QUARTZ-ALUNITE AREAS AND STOCKWORK SILICIFICATION IN CENTER AND SE SIDE OF STOCK. ANOMALOUS PB (250 TO 500 PPM) SHOWS FAIR RADIAL DISTRIBUTION CENTERED ON HIGHLY SILICIFIED AREA. SAMPLING ALSO SHOWS GENERAL LEACHING OF MG AND CA, AND CONCENTRATION OF NA AND K. ANOMALOUS CU (350 PPM) AND MN (2 %) COMMON IN INTERMEDIATE DIKES; TRACES OF AG FOUND IN APOPHYSIS OF CALICO PEAK PORPHYRY ON SW SIDE OF STOCK. SERNA-ISAZA |
| Type | Date | Name | Affiliation | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reporter | 01-SEP-83 | Schwochow, Stephen D. (Hall, Robert B.) | Colorado Geological Survey | |
| Reporter | 03-SEP-96 | Salisbury | U.S. Bureau of Mines | =10166903 (MAS 0080330007) |
| Editor | 29-OCT-10 | Wilson, Anna B. | U.S. Geological Survey | merged and deleted =10166903 (MAS 0080330007) |
Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.
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