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Unnamed (lower Moose Creek canyon)

Occurrence, Inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Cu; Zn
Other commodities Pb
Ore minerals chalcopyrite; limonite; malachite; pyrite; sphalerite

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale MM
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale C-2
Latitude 63.5524
Longitude -151.0056
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy This occurrence is exposed on the east canyon wall of the Lower Canyon of Moose Creek at an elevation of about 1800-2000 feet. It is in the SE1/4 SE1/4 of section 3, T. 16 S., R. 18 W., Fairbanks Meridian. The location is accurate. The occurrence corresponds to rock sample locations 64 and 65 of Hawley and Associates (1978).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

This occurrence consists of sulfide minerals and their oxidation products, sparsely disseminated in metafelsite schist of the upper Precambrian Birch Creek Schist. The schist strikes NE and dips NW, and crops out along strike for about 2000 feet in the walls of the Lower Canyon of Moose Creek. There appears to be a fault at the base of the mineralized zone.
The schist contains disseminations of pyrite and lesser amounts of chalcopyrite and sphalerite. It is limonite stained and locally malachite stained. Representative samples contain 300-500 ppm copper, 465-965 ppm zinc, 50-135 ppm lead, and, in one sample, a trace of silver (Hawley and Associates, 1978, figure 4.1-A(1) and table 4,1-A(1)). The occurrence is similar to the one at MM022 on the southwest end of Alpha Ridge (Hawley and Associates, 1978, fig. 4.1-A(1)).
Geologic map unit (-151.007889368519, 63.5518922682689)
Mineral deposit model Possibly syngenetic and volcanogenic; the occurrence is hosted by metamorphosed felsic volcanic rock.
Age of mineralization Possibly late Precambrian, the protolith age of the Birch Creek Schist.
Alteration of deposit Oxidation of iron and copper minerals.

Production and reserves

Indication of production None

References

References

Hawley, C. C. and Associates, Inc, 1978, Mineral appraisal of lands adjacent to Mt. McKinley National Park, Alaska: U. S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 24-78, 275 p. (paged by sections).
Reporters C.C. Hawley
Last report date 5/2/2001