Unnamed (north flank of Paxson Mountain) (ARDF #MH197) Cu

Unnamed (north flank of Paxson Mountain)

Occurrence, Inactive

Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities	Cu
Ore minerals	bornite; chalcocite; chrysocolla; malachite
Gangue minerals	opal; quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale	MH
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale	A-4
Latitude	63.0729
Longitude	-145.6366
Nearby scientific data	Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy	This occurrence is at an elevation of 4,050 feet on the north flank of Paxson Mountain, south of the Denali Highway. It is in the NE1/4NE1/4 section 28, T. 21 S., R. 11 E., Fairbanks Meridian. The occurrence corresponds to locality 7 of Rose and Saunders (1965) and locality S91 in table 2 in Nokleberg and others (1991).

Geologic setting

Geologic description Several bornite-bearing quartz veinlets, as much as a half-inch wide, cut purplish vesicular metabasalt at this location (Rose and Saunders, 1965). Some vesicles are filled with opal. Minor amounts of chalcocite accompany the bornite, and both are partly oxidized to malachite and chrysocolla. The host rock is Nikolai Greenstone of Late Triassic age.
Geologic map unit	(-145.63882808269, 63.072479571486)
Mineral deposit model	Basaltic Cu (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 23).
Mineral deposit model number	23
Age of mineralization	Probably Cretaceous.
Alteration of deposit	The metabasalt is altered to chlorite and epidote; copper mineral(s) are oxidized.

Production and reserves

Indication of production	None
Additional comments Mineralized float can be traced about 100 feet along the strike of the zone.

References

MRDS Number	A011807
References Berg, H.C., and Cobb, E.H., 1967, Metalliferous lode deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1246, 254 p. MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000. Nokleberg, W.J., Lange, I.M., Roback, R.C., Yeend, Warren, and Silva, S.R., 1991, Map showing locations of metalliferous lode and placer mineral occurrences, mineral deposits, prospects, and mines, Mount Hayes quadrangle, eastern Alaska Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1996-C, 42 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000. Rose, A.W., and Saunders, R.H., 1965, Geology and geochemical investigations near Paxson, northern Copper River basin, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geological Report 13, 35 p.
Reporters	W.T. Ellis (Alaska Earth Science), C.C. Hawley (Hawley Resource Group), and W.J. Nokleberg (USGS)
Last report date	6/18/2002