| Basis for focus area |
Fluorite-tungsten and precious-base metal veins and skarns. Basis for focus area are the mafic intrusions and contacts with limestones. Some fluorite vein deposits may have tungsten. Sarkar and others (2009) suggest that mafic magmas were important to potential mineralization in the Tobacco Root Mountains. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of copper, gold, lead, silver, and zinc. |
| Production |
Unknown. |
| Status |
Past mining for precious and base metals. No known exploration for critical elements. |
| Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
| Geologic maps |
Vitaliano and others (1979), scale 1:62,500; Reid (1957), scale 1:48,740. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Intrusions and possible skarns along the intrusive contacts; fluorite-tungsten veins hosted by the intrusive rocks. |
| Deposits |
Keystone mine (MRDS dep_id: 10294635), Lincoln mine (MRDS dep_id: 10281540), Lucky Joe (MRDS dep_id: 10096918), Margie (MRDS dep_id: 10022776). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS. |
| Geochemical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
None. |
| Comments |
The Tobacco Root Mountains are a highly mineralized area and had historical production for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, and Zn. There are a variety of mafic intrusions hosted by the quartz monzonite Tobacco Root batholith. |
| Cover thickness and description |
Exposed at the surface and extends to unknown depth. |
| Authors |
Kaleb C. Scarberry, Stanley L. Korzeb, Jay A. Gunderson. |
| New data needs |
Geophysics, lidar, geochemistry, geologic mapping, trace element analysis on the mafic intrusions, skarns, and veins for critical elements. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Updated geologic mapping. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric survey. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar incomplete. |
