Wonder Mine

Past Producer in Lemhi county in Idaho, United States with commodities Thorium, REE, Copper, Zinc, Barium-Barite, Uranium
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. Host and associated rocks
  10. Nearby scientific data
  11. Geologic structures
  12. Ore body information
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Mineral rights holdings
  17. Land status
  18. Ownership information
  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 10105780
MRDS ID W015732
MAS/MILS ID 0160590235
Record type Site
Current site name Wonder Mine
Alternate or previous names Wonder Lodes Nos. 1 To 5 and Buckhorn Claims, Wonder and Buckhorn Claims, Silver Bell, Quinn Prospect, Inspiration Group

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -113.47062, 44.95795 (WGS84)
Elevation 2042
Relative position 9 MI NE OF LEMHI

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Lemhi(county)

Idaho(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Lemhi Pass(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Leadore(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Dubois(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Lemhi(hydrologic unit)

Salmon(hydrologic accounting unit)

Lower Snake(hydrologic subregion)

Pacific Northwest(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Bureau of Land Management(Bureau of Land Management ID)

Bureau of Land Management ID BLM(Type of land area)

BLM(Federal land areas administered by BLM)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Idaho Lemhi

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Boise 019N 025E 22,23 NESENE (22) Idaho

Comments on the location information

  • In Camp Gulch, Tributary Of Agency Creek Nearly A Mi Above The Copper Queen Mine

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Thorium Primary
REE Critical Primary
Copper Tertiary
Zinc Critical Tertiary
Barium-Barite Critical Tertiary
Uranium Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • Wonder Lode Vein Is 1 Of Only 2 Cu-Th Veins In The Lemhi Pass Area

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bornite Ore
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chrysocolla Ore
Malachite Ore
Rutile Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Thorite Ore
Allophane Gangue
Barite Gangue
Biotite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Feldspar Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Limonite Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Specularite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Chlorite
  • (Local) Epidote

Analytical data

Result IN 100 FT VEIN (2.5 FT THICK), 0.75% THORIUM OXIDE CONTAINED
Result IN 150 FT. VEIN (1.75 FT THICK), 0.30% TH OXIDE AND 0.3% RAE.

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metasedimentary Rock > Quartzite
    Rock type qualifier Phyllitic Quartzite
    Rock unit name Belt Supergroup
    Rock description Belt Supergroup-Phyllitic Quartzite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -113.47062, 44.95795

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure name Brecciation
Type of structure Local
Structure name Cross Faults
Type of structure Local
Structure name Slickensides

Ore body information

  • General form DISSEMINATIONS, MASSES, SEAMS, STRINGERS
    Strike N 76 DEG E
    Dip 80 DEG NW
    Thickness 3.05M
    Length 365.76M
    Width 6.1M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fracture
  • Shear Zone

Comments on the geologic information

  • Diorite Dike Strikes E And Dips 58 Deg S To Vertical
  • Original concentration process entry:
    Hydrothermal
  • Original Structures entry:
    Local - Brecciation, Minor Cross Faults, Slickensides
  • Original alteration entry:
    Local - Chlorite, Epidote
  • Original ore control entry:
    Fracture, Shear Zone

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1923
Discoverer James Quinn (1923)

Mining district

District name Mcdevitt District

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Located Claim

Land status

Ownership category BLM Administrative Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Nuclear Fuels And Rare Metals, Inc.
    Interest 100
    Home office Reno, Nev.
    Year 1977
  • Type Operator
    Owner Defense Metals, Inc.

Comments on the production information

  • At Least 1 Production Year Was 1923 (Staatz, 1972)

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Length 243.84M

Comments on development

  • Econ.Com: 1 Adit Sample Had Up To 3.2% Tho2 And 2.8% Cu; 1 Sample Over 1% Zn; Vein Radioactivity As High As 2.0 Mr/Hr; Ag Found 0.2-2.0 Oz/Ton

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Anderson, A. L., 1960, Geology Of Thorite-Rare Earth Deposits In The Lemhi Pass Region, In Study Of Two Idaho Thorite Deposits: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology Pamphlet 122, P. 133-139.

  • Production

    Sharp, W. N., And Cavendar, W. S., 1962, USGS Bull 1126

  • Deposit

    Anderson, A. L., 1958, Uranium, Thorium, Columbium, And Rare Earth Deposits In The Salmon Region, Lemhi County, Idaho: Idaho Bureau Of Mines And Geology Pamphlet 115, 81 P.

  • Deposit

    Weis, P. L., And Others, 1958, Reconnaissance For Radioactive Minerals In Washington, Idaho, And Western Montana 1952-1955: USGS Bulletin 1074-B, 48 P.

  • Deposit

    Sharp, W. N., And Cavender, W. S., 1962, Geology And Thorium-Bearing Deposits Of The Lemhi Pass Area, Lemhi County, Idaho, And Beaverhead County, Montana: USGS Bulletin 1126, 76 P.

  • Deposit

    Staatz, M. H., 1972, Geology And Description Of The Thorium-Bearing Veins, Lemhi Pass Quadrangle, Idaho And Montana: USGS Bulletin 1351, 94 P.

  • Deposit

    Moen, 1957, Us Atomic Energy Commission Rme-2061, Pt 1

  • Deposit

    Anderson, A. L., 1961, Econonimc Geology, V 56, P 177-197

  • Deposit

    Staatz, Bunker, and Bush, 1971, USGS Professional Paper 750-C, P 136-140

  • Deposit

    Trites And Tooker, 1953, USGS Bulletin 988-H, P 157-209

  • Deposit

    Ross and George, 1966, USBM Resource Report 62.1 Salt Lake City Met Res Cn

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: 1923, THORITE IN 1950'S
Deposit On E Side Of Gulch, Strike Has Changed To N 85 Deg W, Dip To 65 Deg Sw. In Third Cut, Zone Strikes N 55 Deg W, Dips 45 To 50 Deg Ne. In Sixth Cut, The Lode Strikes N 60 Deg W, Dips 55 Deg Ne.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1974 Miller, Pat J. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 17-MAR-1989 Ridenour, James U.S. Bureau of Mines
Reporter 27-FEB-1984 Kauffman, John D. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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