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Iron Creek

Prospect, Inactive

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Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Fe; Mn
Other commodities Ti
Ore minerals limonite; pyrolusite; rutile
Gangue minerals calcite; dolomite

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale NM
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale C-2
Latitude 64.7361
Longitude -165.7405
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy The Iron Creek prospect is on the ridge crest northeast of the head of Ashland Creek, 2.5 miles northeast of the Nome-Teller road. The prospect is at an elevation of about 1,100 feet and near the center of section 6, T. 9 S., R. 35 W., Kateel River Meridian. The location is accurate to within about 500 feet. This is locality 6 of Cobb (1972 [MF 463], 1978 [OFR 78-93]).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

Limonitic rocks occur in a synform near the base of a marble unit (Herreid, 1970, figure 1). According to Mulligan and Hess (1965), samples of outcrop consist of finely crystalline marble with minor disseminated limonite and limonitic cavity fillings; sericitic schist with minor earthy and compacted limonite and accessory rutile is also present. Associated schist consists of chlorite, limonite, quartz, biotite, sericite, manganese oxides (pyrolusite?), and minor clay. There is an estimated resource of 12,000 long tons of material that contains 20 to 40 percent iron and 20,000 long tons of 10 to 20 percent iron (Shallit, 1942; Mulligan and Hess, 1965, table 3). Mulligan and Hess (1965) found no evidence of sulfides at this deposit, and samples collected by Herreid (1970) contained only as much as 220 ppm zinc.
Geologic map unit (-165.74313675465, 64.735336175051)
Mineral deposit model Iron oxide veins and replacement of marble and schist.
Age of mineralization Post mid-Cretaceous, the age of metamorphism of the host schist and marble.

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration Some surface prospecting pits are probably present.
Indication of production None
Reserve estimates Shallit (1942; Mulligan and Hess, 1965, table 3) estimated that there are 12,000 long tons of limonitic material containing 20 to 40 percent iron and 20,000 long tons of limonitic material containing 10 to 20 percent iron.

References

MRDS Number A012782

References

Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-463, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.
Cobb, E.H., 1978, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Nome quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File report 78-93, 213 p.
Herreid, G.H., 1970, Geology and geochemistry of the Sinuk area, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geologic Report 36, 61 p., 3 sheets, scales 1:42,000 and others.
Mulligan, J.J., 1965, Examination of the Sinuk iron deposits, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, with a section by Hess, H. D.: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 8-65, 34 p.
Reporters C.C. Hawley and Travis L. Hudson
Last report date 3/12/2000