| Basis for focus area |
Polygon for area enclosing Zn mines, prospects, and occurrences from MRDS. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of lead and zinc. |
| Production |
New Prospect mine yielded about 100,000 tons of Zn ore from 1883-1901; Bunch Hollow and Kings Bend mines produced about 800 tons Zn and Pb concentrate between 1935 and 1945 (Brokaw and others, 1966). |
| Status |
Past mining. |
| Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
| Geologic maps |
Brokaw and others (1966, plate 1), scale 1:48,000; Swingle and others (1966), scale 1:250,000; all of the 7.5-minute (scale 1:24,000) geologic quadrangle maps have been completed for this area. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
The most productive deposits are in the Upper Cambrian Maynardville Limestone Member of the Nolichucky Shale where it has been cut by the northwest-trending strikeslip faults. Deposits of lesser economic importance, which may represent chimneys from richer deposits below, are along faults and fractures that cut the younger rocks, mostly the Copper Ridge Dolomite (Brokaw and others, 1966). |
| Deposits |
New Prospect mine (MRDS dep_id: 10025409), Bunch Hollow mine (MRDS dep_id: 10102263), Kings Bend mine (MRDS dep_id: 10025593). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS. |
| Geochemical evidence |
Sphalerite and galena, as well as smithsonite and cerussite, occur with pyrite. |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
Exploration, diamond drilling. |
| Comments |
A wealth of information about Zn mining in Tennessee is available at: https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/542b0003e4b057766eed29e5. |
| Cover thickness and description |
Surface to <100s of feet in depth. |
| Authors |
Laurel G. Woodruff, Peter J. Lemiszki. |
| New data needs |
Geophysical data. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Geologic mapping adequate. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution geophysical coverage. Note that the timing of the deposits is uncertain; they may have been transported on thrust sheets. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar adequate. |
