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Unnamed (north flank of Paxson Mountain)

Occurrence, Inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Cu
Ore minerals bornite; chrysocolla; malachite

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale MH
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale A-4
Latitude 63.0846
Longitude -145.6295
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy This occurrence is at an elevation of about 3,650 feet on the north flank of Paxson Mountain. It is approximately one-half mile south of the Denali Highway in the SW1/4NW1/4 section 22, T. 21 S., R. 11 E., Fairbanks Meridian. This location corresponds to locality 8 in Rose and Saunders (1965) and locality S90 in table 2 of Nokleberg and others (1991).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

An area about 20 feet long and 2 to 3 feet high on a cliff face in a gorge is coated with chrysocolla and malachite (Rose and Saunders, 1965). The coating is due to oxidation of minor bornite in the country rock, which is vesicular metabasalt of Nikolai Greenstone of Late Triassic age. A light-colored hornblende-andesite dike intrudes metabasalt a few hundred feet west of the occurrence. The dike and the mineralization at this occurrence are in line with the strike of the bornite veinlets at MH197 (Rose and Saunders, 1965).
Geologic map unit (-145.63172886133, 63.0841801383936)
Mineral deposit model Basaltic Cu (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 23).
Mineral deposit model number 23
Age of mineralization Probably Late Triassic.
Alteration of deposit The metabasalt host rock is altered to chlorite and epidote; oxidation of copper mineral(s) is also present.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration Copper-bearing float occurs in a gully a few tens of feet north of the mineralized outcrop, and an old (pre-1960?) claim post and stakes are at the top of the cliff (Rose and Saunders, 1965). Traces of copper were also found on the opposite side of the gorge.
Indication of production None

References

MRDS Number A011806

References

Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Mount Hayes quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-238, 140 p.
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