Kasna Creek (ARDF #LC044) Cu, Fe

Main commodities	Cu; Fe
Other commodities	Au; Ag; Pb; Zn
Ore minerals	chalcopyrite; pyrite; specular hematite; sphalerite
Gangue minerals	calcite; chlorite; fibrous amphibole; garnet; quartz

Main commodities

Cu; Fe

Other commodities

Au; Ag; Pb; Zn

Ore minerals

chalcopyrite; pyrite; specular hematite; sphalerite

Gangue minerals

calcite; chlorite; fibrous amphibole; garnet; quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale	LC
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale	A-3
Latitude	60.161
Longitude	-154.051
Nearby scientific data	Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy	About 2.4 km upstream from mouth of Kasna Creek, on the southern edge of Kontrashibuna Lake. Locality 31 of Nelson and others (1985), locality 4 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977), locality 5 of Cobb (1972), and samples 169-184 of Eakins (1970). NE1/4SE1/4 sec. 24, T. 1 N., R. 28 W., of the Seward Meridian. Locality accurate within 300 m.

Geologic setting

Geologic description The prospect occurs in lenticular contact-metamorphosed Upper Triassic limestone and dolomite. It consists of bedding parallel bands of skarn containing specular hematite, chalcopyrite, and lesser magnetite veinlets in amphibole-chlorite-calcite-quartz gangue. Tuffs, mafic volcanic rocks, and agglomerate occur within the limestone. Capps (1935) reported stringers of solid chalcopyrite several inches thick. The prospect consists of two ore bodies: Gilt Edge, 320 m x 76 m, to the north; and Barnes, 408 m x 12 m, to the south. The limestone and included lodes strike NE and dip NW (Berg and Cobb, 1967). Numerous trenches were dug and sampled by USBM in both ore bodies for assay analysis. Ore bodies average 0.95 percent Cu, 27.5 percent Fe, and 30.1 percent SiO2 (Warfield and Rutledge, 1951). A Tertiary, medium- to fine-grained hornblende-biotite quartz monzodiorite is nearby (Nelson and others, 1983; unit Ti2). The pluton yields concordant potassium-argon ages for hornblende and biotite of about 61 m.y. (Reed and Lanphere, 1972; 1973)
Geologic map unit	(-154.053197518299, 60.1603386885255)
Mineral deposit model	Fe skarn; Cu skarn (Cox and Singer, 1986; models 18d and 18b)
Mineral deposit model number	18d and 18b
Age of mineralization	Paleocene or younger. A quartz monzodiorite which is probably related to the deposit yields concordant potassium-argon ages for hornblende and biotite of about 61 m.y. (Reed and Lanphere, 1972; 1973).

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration	One adit each in Gilt Edge and Barnes deposits. Numerous trenches were dug and sampled by USBM in both ore bodies for assay analysis. Ore bodies average 0.95 percent Cu, 27.5 percent Fe, and 30.1 percent SiO2 (Warfield and Rutledge, 1951). Eakins (1970) reports stream sediments samples that yield up to 2,810 ppm Cu, 150 ppm Pb, and 1,200 ppm Zn.
Indication of production	None
Reserve estimates	Swainbank and others (1997) report reserves of over 9,070,000 tonnes of ore that grade more than 1 percent Cu.
Production notes	No production.
Additional comments Claims currently inactive, but diamond drilling between 1965 and 1970 has proved the presence of copper and iron in significant quantities (Detterman and Reed, 1980). Site is in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.

MRDS Number	A010656; A013001
References Bain, H.F., 1946, Alaska's minerals as a basis for industry: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7379, 89 p. Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous lode deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p. Brooks, A.H., 1913, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1912: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 308 p. Brooks, A.H., 1914, Mineral resources of Alaska; report on progress of investigations in 1913: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592, 413 p. Capps, S.R., 1935, The southern Alaska Range: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 862, 101 p. Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Lake Clark quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-378, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-485, 101 p. Cobb, E.H., and Reed, B.L., 1981, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral occurrences in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska; Supplement to Open-File Report 76-485; Part A, Summaries to January 1, 1981: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-1343-A, 25 p. Cobb, E.H., and Reed, B.L., 1981, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral occurrences in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska; Supplement to Open-File Report 76-485; Part B, Lists of references to Januray 1, 1981: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-1343-B, 20 p. Detterman, R.L., and Reed, B.L., 1980, Stratigraphy, structure, and economic geology of the Iliamna quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1368-B, 86 p. Eakins, G.R., 1970, Geology and geochemistry of Kontrashibuna Lake, Lake Clark region, southwestern Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Geology Geochemical Report 20, 34 p. MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000. Martin, G.C., and Katz, F.J., 1910, Outline of the geology and mineral resources of the Iliamna and Clark lakes region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442-E, p. 179-200. Martin, G.C., and Katz, F.J., 1912, A geologic reconnaissance of the Iliamna region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 485, 138 p. Moxham, R.M., and Nelson, A.E., 1952, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the southern Cook Inlet region, Alaska, 1949: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 207, 7 p., 1 plate, scale 1:500,000. Nelson, W.H., King, H.D., Case, J.E., Tripp, R.B., Crim, W.D., and Cooley, E.F., 1985, Mineral resource map of the Lake Clark quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1114-B, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. 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., 2 plates, scale 1:5,000,000. Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Dawson, K.M., Eremin, R.A., Goryachev, N.A., Koch, R.D., Ratkin, V.V, Rozenblum, I.S., Shpikerman, V.I., Frolov, Y.F., Gorodinsky, M.E., Melnikov, V.D., Diggles, M.F., Ognyanov, N.V., Petrachenko, E.D., Petrochenko, R.I., Pozdeev, A.I., Ross, K.V., Wood, D.H., Grybeck, D., Khanchuck, A.I., Kovbas, L.I., Nekrasov, I.Y., and Sidorov, A.A., 1996, Significant metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous lode mineral deposits and placer districts, and for metallogenesis of the Russian Far East, Alaska, and the Canadian Cordillera: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-513-B, 385 p.; U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-513-B, 385 p. (CD-ROM format). Reed, B.L., 1967, Results of stream sediment sampling and bedrock analyses in the eastern part of the Iliamna quadrangle, and at Kasna Creek, Lake Clark quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 67-185, 18 p. Reed, B.L., and Lanphere, M.A., 1972, Generalized geologic map of the Alaska-Aleutian range batholith showing potassium-argon ages of the plutonic rocks: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-372, 2 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000. Reed, B.L., and Lanphere, M.A., 1973, Alaska-Aleutian Range batholith: Geochronology, chemistry, and relation to circum-Pacific plutonism: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 84, no. 8, p. 2583-2609. Smith, P.S., 1917, The Lake Clark-central Kuskokwim region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 655, 162 p. Swainbank, R.C., Bundtzen, T. K., Clough A.H., and Henning, M.W., 1997, Alaska's mineral industry 1996: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 51, 68 p. Warfield, R.S., and Rutledge, F.A., 1951, Investigations of Kasna Creek copper prospect, Lake Kontrashibuna, Lake Clark region, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Report of Investigation 4828, 10 p. Wedow, Helmuth, White, M. G., and Moxham, R. M., 1952, Interim report on an appraisal of the uranium possibilities of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-165, 124 p.
Reporters	M.L. Miller (USGS); D.P. Bickerstaff (USGS)
Last report date	6/15/1998

MRDS Number

A010656; A013001

References

Bain, H.F., 1946, Alaska's minerals as a basis for industry: U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 7379, 89 p.

Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous lode deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p.

Brooks, A.H., 1913, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1912: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 308 p.

Brooks, A.H., 1914, Mineral resources of Alaska; report on progress of investigations in 1913: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592, 413 p.

Capps, S.R., 1935, The southern Alaska Range: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 862, 101 p.

Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Lake Clark quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-378, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-485, 101 p.

Cobb, E.H., and Reed, B.L., 1981, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral occurrences in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska; Supplement to Open-File Report 76-485; Part A, Summaries to January 1, 1981: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-1343-A, 25 p.

Cobb, E.H., and Reed, B.L., 1981, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral occurrences in the Iliamna, Lake Clark, Lime Hills, and McGrath quadrangles, Alaska; Supplement to Open-File Report 76-485; Part B, Lists of references to Januray 1, 1981: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-1343-B, 20 p.

Detterman, R.L., and Reed, B.L., 1980, Stratigraphy, structure, and economic geology of the Iliamna quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1368-B, 86 p.

Eakins, G.R., 1970, Geology and geochemistry of Kontrashibuna Lake, Lake Clark region, southwestern Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Geology Geochemical Report 20, 34 p.

MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous mineral deposits in the western part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-F, 38 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Martin, G.C., and Katz, F.J., 1910, Outline of the geology and mineral resources of the Iliamna and Clark lakes region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442-E, p. 179-200.

Martin, G.C., and Katz, F.J., 1912, A geologic reconnaissance of the Iliamna region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 485, 138 p.

Moxham, R.M., and Nelson, A.E., 1952, Reconnaissance for radioactive deposits in the southern Cook Inlet region, Alaska, 1949: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 207, 7 p., 1 plate, scale 1:500,000.

Nelson, W.H., King, H.D., Case, J.E., Tripp, R.B., Crim, W.D., and Cooley, E.F., 1985, Mineral resource map of the Lake Clark quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1114-B, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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., 2 plates, scale 1:5,000,000.

Nokleberg, W.J., Bundtzen, T.K., Dawson, K.M., Eremin, R.A., Goryachev, N.A., Koch, R.D., Ratkin, V.V, Rozenblum, I.S., Shpikerman, V.I., Frolov, Y.F., Gorodinsky, M.E., Melnikov, V.D., Diggles, M.F., Ognyanov, N.V., Petrachenko, E.D., Petrochenko, R.I., Pozdeev, A.I., Ross, K.V., Wood, D.H., Grybeck, D., Khanchuck, A.I., Kovbas, L.I., Nekrasov, I.Y., and Sidorov, A.A., 1996, Significant metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous lode mineral deposits and placer districts, and for metallogenesis of the Russian Far East, Alaska, and the Canadian Cordillera: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-513-B, 385 p.; U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-513-B, 385 p. (CD-ROM format).

Reed, B.L., 1967, Results of stream sediment sampling and bedrock analyses in the eastern part of the Iliamna quadrangle, and at Kasna Creek, Lake Clark quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 67-185, 18 p.

Reed, B.L., and Lanphere, M.A., 1972, Generalized geologic map of the Alaska-Aleutian range batholith showing potassium-argon ages of the plutonic rocks: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-372, 2 sheets, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reed, B.L., and Lanphere, M.A., 1973, Alaska-Aleutian Range batholith: Geochronology, chemistry, and relation to circum-Pacific plutonism: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 84, no. 8, p. 2583-2609.

Smith, P.S., 1917, The Lake Clark-central Kuskokwim region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 655, 162 p.

Swainbank, R.C., Bundtzen, T. K., Clough A.H., and Henning, M.W., 1997, Alaska's mineral industry 1996: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Special Report 51, 68 p.

Warfield, R.S., and Rutledge, F.A., 1951, Investigations of Kasna Creek copper prospect, Lake Kontrashibuna, Lake Clark region, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Report of Investigation 4828, 10 p.

Wedow, Helmuth, White, M. G., and Moxham, R. M., 1952, Interim report on an appraisal of the uranium possibilities of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 52-165, 124 p.

Reporters

M.L. Miller (USGS); D.P. Bickerstaff (USGS)

Last report date

6/15/1998