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Merrill's Silver

Prospect, Probably inactive

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Alternative names

Sunshine Mt. Silver

Commodities and mineralogy

Main commodities Ag; Pb; Zn
Other commodities Au; Cu
Ore minerals galena; malachite pyrite; sphalerite
Gangue minerals quartz

Geographic location

Quadrangle map, 1:250,000-scale SK
Quadrangle map, 1:63,360-scale B-3
Latitude 59.39
Longitude -136.07
Nearby scientific data Find additional scientific data near this location
Location and accuracy This prospect is north of the Little Salmon River at an elevation of approximately 700 feet; it is approximately 1.1 miles, S32W from VABM 1720 ('Knob'). It is approximately 6 miles west of the village of Klukwan in the NE1/4, section 1, T. 29 S., R. 55 E. of the Copper River Meridian. It is shown as locations 214 to 218 by Still and others (1984); site M by Still and others (1987); site K by Gilbert and Redman (1989); and number S016 by Wells and others (1986).

Geologic setting

Geologic description

Still and others (1991) describe this as a silver prospect that consists of silver-bearing, galena-sphalerite-quartz veins in dolomite and argillite. They collected rock samples that contained up to 610.3 ppm silver, 15.7% lead, 5.8% zinc, 0.471 ppm gold, and 1,640 ppm copper. Sample descriptions include: 'quartz vein with sphalerite, galena pyrite, and malachite(?)', 'quartz-gossan breccia with galena' and 'quartz-calcite breccia with galena and sphalerite'. The Devonian to Mississippian age of the carbonate host rocks (Gilbert and others, 1987) establishes a maximum age for the mineralization. However, the quartz-sulfide veins are probably of Tertiary age based on the 29.3 + 1 to 33.0 + 1 m.y. age of nearby intrusive bodies (Gilbert and others, 1987).
Geologic map unit (-136.07185475898, 59.3896690283235)
Mineral deposit model Silver-bearing quartz-sulfide veins in dolomite and argillite (Cox and Singer, 1986; 22c).
Mineral deposit model number 22c
Age of mineralization The Devonian to Mississippian age of the carbonate rocks that host the deposit (Gilbert and others, 1987) establishes a maximum age for the mineralization. However, the quartz-sulfide veins are probably of Tertiary age, based on the 29.3 + 1 to 33.0 + 1 m.y. age of nearby intrusive bodies (Gilbert and others, 1987).

Production and reserves

Workings or exploration According to Still and others (1991), this prospect is in an area penetrated by overgrown logging roads, with few outcrops. It was discovered by Merrill Palmer in 1980.
Indication of production None

References

MRDS Number A013101

References

Gilbert, W.G., and Redman, E.C., 1989, Lode deposits, prospects, and occurrences of the Porcupine mining area, southeast Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 17-89, 1 sheet, scale 1:39,600.
Gilbert, W.G., Burns, L.E., Redman, E.C., and Forbes, R.B., 1987, Preliminary bedrock geology and geochemistry of the Skagway B-3 quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 87-2, 2 sheets, scale 1:36,200.
MacKevett, E.M., Jr., Robertson, E.C., and Winkler, G.R., 1974, Geology of the Skagway B-3 and B-4 quadrangles, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 832, 33 p., 1 plate.
Still, J.C., 1991, Section A: Haines - Klukwan - Porcupine subarea, in U.S. Bureau of Mines, Mineral investigations in the Juneau Mining District, Alaska, 1984-1988: Volume 2 - Detailed mine, prospect, and mineral occurrence descriptions: U.S. Bureau of Mines Special Publication VOL. 2A, 214 p., 9 sheets.
Still, J.C., Gilbert, W.G., and Forbes, R.B., 1987, Final report of stream sediment, float, and bedrock sampling in the Porcupine mining area, southeast Alaska, 1983-1985: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 36-87, 35 p., 8 sheets.
Still, J.C., Hoekzema, R.B., Bundtzen, T.K., Gilbert, W.G., Wier, K.R., Burns, L.E., and Fechner, S.A., 1991, Economic geology of Haines-Klukwan-Porcupine area, southeastern Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 91-4, 156 p., 5 sheets, scale 1:63,360.
Still, J.C., Weir, K.R., Gilbert, W.G., and Redman, Earl, 1984, Stream sediment, float, and bedrock sampling in the Porcupine mining area, southeast Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 173-84, 6 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Wells, D.E., Pittman, T.L., Brew, D.A. and Douglass, S.L., 1986, Map and description of the mineral deposits in the Juneau, Taku River, Atlin, and part of the Skagway quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-717, 332 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
Reporters T.C. Crafford (T. Crafford & Associates, Anchorage)
Last report date 2/4/2001