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Red Mountain Creek

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Copper, Lead, Zinc, 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. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  11. Links to other databases
  12. Bibliographic references
  13. General comments
  14. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308488
Record type Site
Current site name Red Mountain Creek
Alternate or previous names WTF (Western Tundra Flats), Dry Creek

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.38283, 63.91965 (WGS84)
Relative position This site represents an area of about a square mile between upper Red Mountain Creek and Dry Creek. The map site is at an elevation of about 4,300 feet, on the west wall of the valley of upper Red Mountain Creek, in the SW1/4 of sec. 33, T. 11 S., R. 2 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. This is locality 7 of Cox and others (1989).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Southeast Fairbanks(Census area)

Alaska(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Healy D-1(quadrangle 1:63,360 scale)

Mount Hayes NW(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Healy(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Alaska(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

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

Comments on the commodity information

  • Gangue = white mica

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Chlorite Gangue
Feldspar Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 185
USGS model code 28a
Deposit model name Massive sulfide, kuroko, (Precambrian)
Mark3 model number 103
Model code 184
USGS model code 28a
Deposit model name Massive sulfide, kuroko
Mark3 model number 93
Model code 186
USGS model code 28a
Deposit model name Massive sulfide, kuroko (Phanerozoic)
Mark3 model number 104

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.38283, 63.91965
ListMap

Economic information

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = The country rocks in the area of this prospect are mapped as the Lower Mississippian to Middle Devonian Totatlanika Schist, composed predominantly of metavolcanic and metavolcaniclastic rocks, and subordinate amounts of intercalated metasedimentary rocks (Wilson and others, 1998). The dominant structural fabric on the property is a strong mylonitic foliation, and there is a consistent east-northeasterly lineation that plunges at about 20-30 degrees. The deposit is in greenschist-grade metasedimentary rocks and altered rhyolite schist, and consists of stratiform bodies of massive sulfides that occur on the northern and southern limbs of an east-trending synclinal fold. The southern limb of the syncline contains three ore horizons that dip to the north at about 70 to 80 degrees (Schuster, 1998). These are referred to as the DC zones, which have been subdivided into the DC-North, DC-South, and DC-17 zones. The DC-North zone is defined by a 2-kilometer-long EM conductor. This zone has been further subdivided into three areas: Discovery, which roughly bisects the EM anomaly; Lago Creek, which is 200-400 meters west of the Discovery area; and Fosters Creek, about 800 meters west of the Discovery area. In the Fosters Creek area, drilling has intercepted a 29-meter interval (true width) grading 6.22 percent zinc, 2.56 percent lead and 0.22 percent copper, as well as 182.8 grams silver and 1.03 grams gold per tonne. A 3.7-meter intercept in the hole produced assay results as high as 23.58 percent zinc, 8.46 percent lead, 1.02 percent copper, and 531.5 grams silver and 2.24 grams gold (Schuster, 1998). The DC-South zone is virtually unexplored except for a few reconnaissance drill holes. The DC-17 zone is a 15-meter-thick bed of pyrite (with minor amounts of lead and zinc) that is believed to be genetically related to other zones. The northern limb of the syncline dips gently to the south and hosts the WTF zone, a layer of massive sulfides 0.3 to 5 meters thick that has been tested by 26 widely-spaced drill holes (Schuster, 1998).
  • Age = Mineralization was syngenetic with the Lower Mississippian to Middle Devonian host rocks.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • Reserves = Reserves for part of this deposit have been estimated at 1.10 million tonnes grading 0.15 percent copper, 2.5 percent lead, 7.9 percent zinc, and 270 grams silver, and 1.9 grams of gold per tonne (Nokleberg and others, 1987). An estimate based on 38 of 60 holes drilled to test the southern limb of the syncline gave an inferred resource of 2.9 million tonnes grading 4.4 percent zinc, 1.9 percent lead, 0.2 percent copper, and 0.55 gram gold and 93.6 grams silver per tonne. Included in this estimate is a higher-grade core of 1.5 million tonnes grading 6.4 percent zinc, 2.9 percent lead, 0.3 percent copper, and 0.79 gram gold and 123.8 grams silver per tonne. The bulk of the resource is in the Fosters Creek and Discovery zones, respectively in pyritic sedimentary rocks and intensely altered rhyolite. On the north limb of the syncline, the WTF resource currently (1999) stands at 2.8 million tonnes grading 6 percent zinc, 2.5 percent lead, 0.1percent copper, and 0.9 gram gold and
  • Reserves = 178.2 grams silver per tonne (The Northern Miner, 1998 and 1999: v. 84, nos. 26 and 52).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Exploration of the area includes an EM geophysical survey and extensive drilling. Press releases indicate that over 60 drill holes totaling approximately 7600 m have been drilled to date (Robertson, 1998; The Northern Miner, 1998 and 1999: v. 84, nos. 26 and 52).

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Berg, H.C., Brew, D.A., Grybeck, D.J., Robinson, M.S., Smith, T.E., and Yeend, W., 1987, Significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1786, 104 p.

  • Deposit

    Cox, D.P., Light, T.D., Csejtey, Bela, Jr., and Campbell, D.L., 1989, Mineral resource assessment map of the Healy quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map, MF-2058-A, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Nokleberg, W.J., and others, 1994, Metallogeny and major mineral deposits of Alaska and Metallogenic map of significant metalliferous lode deposits and placer districts of Alaska, in Plafker, G. and Berg, H.C., eds., The Geology of Alaska: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America: The Geology of North America, v. G1, p. 855-904 and v. G1, Plate 11, scale 1:2,500,000.

  • Deposit

    Robertson, R, 1998, Grayd hits massive sulphide: The Northern Miner, v. 84, no. 17, p. 3.

  • Deposit

    Schuster, T., 1998, Grayd advances Alaskan properties: The Northern Miner, v. 84, no. 18, p. 2.

  • Deposit

    Wilson, F.H., Dover, J.H., Bradley, D.C., Weber, F.R., Bundtzen, T.K., and Haeussler, P.J., 1998, Geologic map of central (interior) Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-133, 17 p., 2 sheetsm, scale 1:500,000.

  • Deposit

    The Northern Miner, 1998, v. 84, nos. 26

  • Deposit

    The Northern Miner, 1999, v. 84, nos. 52

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Nokleberg and others, 1994

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Kuroko massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 28a)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 07-APR-2000 N. Van Wyck (Stevens Exploration Management Corporation) Stevens Exploration Management Corporation

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative Alaska resources

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