| Basis for focus area |
Yadkin-Richland mine (Richland Cove) is a past-producer of Ti; a granular occurrence of ilmenite in matrix of fibrous serpentine and talc in closely spaced veins and lenses. Vein is 200 feet deep and 35 feet wide and occurs in the layered Wilson Creek Gneiss of Bryant and Reed (1970), however, no other units were mapped within this unit. |
| Identified resources |
Historical production of titanium (ilmenite). |
| Production |
Yadkin-Richland mine (1942-1952): produced more than 200,000 short tons of ilmenite (51% TiO2). |
| Status |
Past mining. No current mining. |
| Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
| Geologic maps |
Bryant and Reed (1970), scale 1:52,000. |
| Geophysical data |
Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric data: Rank 4 aeromagnetic and Rank 5 aeroradiometric surveys. |
| Favorable rocks and structures |
Ilmenite occurs along veins and in lenses. |
| Deposits |
Yadkin Valley (Richland Cove) (MRDS dep_id: 10069116). |
| Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS; Stuckey (1965). |
| Geochemical evidence |
Favorable mineralogy. |
| Geophysical evidence |
Unknown. |
| Evidence from other sources |
Established mining district for titanium; polygon includes anorthosite and Border Gneiss units shown on 1993 State Map of Virginia. |
| Comments |
Lenses of ilmenite in sericitic talc between a footwall of gneiss and a hanging wall of schist. Crude ore contained an average of 41.4% TiO2. |
| Cover thickness and description |
Exposed bedrock to thin cover. |
| Authors |
Arthur J. Merschat. |
| New data needs |
Geophysical data, geologic mapping, and geochemical analyses. |
| Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Units within layered Wilson Creek Gneiss are not separated; description of Stuckey (1965) suggests deposit is associated with mafic and ultramafic rocks. |
| Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage. Aeromagnetic data expected to image mafic rocks and associated structures, radiometric data can help with geologic mapping in vegetated terrane; alteration may be imaged. Gravity data may also help. |
| Digital elevation data needs |
QL2. |
