| Basis for focus area |
Kennecott-type copper deposits, favorable host and source rocks, tectonic setting. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of copper. |
| Production |
Early 1900s to about 1930. |
| Status |
Past mining; current and past exploration. |
| Estimated resources |
No new resources. |
| Geologic maps |
No modern mapping better than 1:250,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Triassic Nikolai greenstone and associated ultramafic intrusions provided a source of Cu, Co, and other metals that circulated through and were trapped within the overlying reactive Chitistone limestone. |
| Deposits |
Kennecott mine (numerous lodes grouped under this name; for example, Bonanza-Mother Lode, Jumbo and Erie) with historical production of 1.18 billion lbs of Cu and around 9 Moz of Ag. |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
Multiple additional ARDF occurrences including Denali, Lichen and Blue Lode. |
| Geochemical evidence |
Anomalous Co, Ge, Ga and/or Ag concentrations in streambed sediments and rock chips. |
| 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 |
Part of this geologically favorable terrane is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park. |
| 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. |
