| Basis for focus area |
Cobalt and weak copper concentrations in stream sediments, permissive carbonate host rocks of the Lisburne Group (host to Red Dog) and other prospective lithologic units. Appropriate tectonic setting for driving circulation of non-magmatic fluids. |
| Identified resources |
None. |
| Production |
None recorded. |
| Status |
Unknown. |
| Estimated resources |
None. |
| Geologic maps |
No modern mapping better than 1:250,000 scale. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Deep water and slope facies carbonate rocks. Mississippian extensional faults/structures. |
| Deposits |
None. |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
No known carbonate- or siliciclastic-hosted copper deposits. Vein/breccias with Zn-Pb locally contain copper (for example, Kady; Werdon ref.). |
| Geochemical evidence |
Anomalous Co, Ga, Ge in streambed sediments, local Cu enrichments (up to 2,000 ppm) in rock chips with associated trace elements. |
| Geophysical evidence |
No data. |
| Evidence from other sources |
Prospectivity analyses conducted by Karl and others (2016) show large areas of this region containing HUC's with medium to high prospectivity with medium to high certainty. |
| Comments |
This focus area includes the Red Dog sediment-hosted massive sulfide district related to circulation of basinal fluids in siliciclasltic basin resulting in world-class base-metal systems. Part of this belt is contained within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which is currently closed to mineral entry. |
| Cover thickness and description |
Unknown. |
| Authors |
Douglas C. Kreiner, James V. Jones III, Melanie B. Werdon. |
| New data needs |
New mapping, geophysics, updated geochemical sampling. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Mapping at 1:100,000 scale or better. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
Aeromagnetics and radiometrics collected at Rank 2. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
IfSAR coverage is complete over entire focus area. |
