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Mystery

Prospect, Inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Pb; Sb
Other commodities Cu
Ore minerals galena; malachite; stibnite
Gangue minerals quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale DN
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale C-2
Latitude 63.5756
Longitude -150.7217
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy
The Mystery prospect (Cobb, 1980 [OFR 80-363]) is at an elevation of about 3950 feet on the ridge at the head of Spruce Creek. It is in the NW1/4 NE1/4 section 31, T. 15 S., R. 16 W., Fairbanks Meridian. The location probably is accurate within 1/2 mile.
There are several prospects at the head of Spruce Creek, and the exact site of the Mystery prospect is uncertain. The location for this record is based in part on the Alaska State Kardex file (KX 66-23: Heiner and Porter, 1972; Hawley and Associates, 1978). The Mystery prospect is included with other nearby prospects, including the Lena and Silver Wires (DN061), in location 22 of Cobb (1972 [MF 366]).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

The country rocks in the area of the Mystery prospect are graphitic phyllite and marble of the lower Paleozoic Spruce Creek sequence (Bundtzen, 1981; Thornsberry, McKee, and Salisbury, 1984, fig. K-2). The deposit consists of a 2.5-foot-thick quartz vein that contains galena, stibnite, and a secondary copper mineral, probably malachite (Davis, 1923, p. 132). No other information about the deposit has been published and it has not been found, with certainty, by any of the more recent surveys of the area.
Geologic map unit (, )
Mineral deposit model Polymetallic vein? (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 22c?).
Mineral deposit model number 22c?
Age of mineralization The deposit is assumed to be Eocene (see record DN091).
Alteration of deposit Oxidation of copper mineral.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration Probably explored by shallow pits, since sloughed. The prospect was last active in 1922 (Heiner and Porter, 1972).
Indication of production None

Additional comments

The prospect is in Denali National Park and Preserve.

References

MRDS Number A011240

References

Bundtzen, T.K., 1981, Geology and mineral deposits of the Kantishna Hills, Mt. McKinley quadrangle, Alaska: M. S. Thesis, University of Alaska, College, Alaska, 238 p.
Cobb, E. H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Mount McKinley quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-366, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Cobb, E.H., 1980, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Mount McKinley quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-363, 150 p.
Cox, D.P., and Singer, D.A., eds., 1986, Mineral deposit models: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1693, 379 p.
Davis, J. A., 1923, The Kantishna region, Alaska, in Stewart, B. D., Annual Report of the Mine Inspector to the Governor of Alaska, 1922: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys AR-1922.
Heiner, L.E., and Porter, Eve, 1972, Alaska Mineral Properties, volume 2: University of Alaska, Mineral Industry Research Laboratory Report 24, 669 p.
Thornsberry, V. V., McKee, C. J., and Salisbury, W. G., eds, 1984, 1983 Mineral Resource Studies: Kantishna Hills and Dunkle Mine Areas, Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: U. S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 129-84. 3 Volumes: v. 1, Text; v. 2, Appendices; v. 3, Maps. Prepared by Salisbury & Dietz, Inc., Spokane, WA.
Reporters C.C. Hawley
Last report date 5/2/2001