Basis for focus area |
Alkaline/peralkaline igneous rocks; district boundary from McLemore (2017). |
Identified resources |
None. |
Production |
No production, but test shipments of nepheline syenite. |
Status |
Past exploration for nepheline syenite and REE. |
Estimated resources |
Unknown. |
Geologic maps |
O'Neill and Nutt (1998), scale 1:24,000. |
Geophysical data |
Recent high resolution geophysical coverage over Trans-Pecos areas in Texas and Cornudas Mountains in New Mexico. Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage elsewhere. |
Favorable rocks and structures |
Nepheline syenites, adjacent limestones. |
Deposits |
Wind Mountains prospect (MRDS dep_id: 10125858). |
Evidence from mineral occurrences |
MRDS. |
Geochemical evidence |
See McLemore (2018a), New chemistry indicates most samples below 71 ppm Ga, but a few are up to 7450 ppm. |
Geophysical evidence |
Recent Rank 1 aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric data over part of the region (Bultman, 2021). |
Evidence from other sources |
New Mexico Mining and Minerals Division mine permits. |
Comments |
Important, but poorly understood REE deposit in New Mexico (McLemore, 2018a). |
Cover thickness and description |
Wind Mountain is at the surface but there are geophysical anomalies in the area that suggest potential subsurface occurrences of similar intrusions. |
Authors |
Virginia T. McLemore, Joshua M. Rosera. |
New data needs |
Alteration and mineralization mapping, geochemistry. |
Geologic mapping and modeling needs |
Wind Mountain is included on the geologic map of O'Neill and Nutt (1998) but no detail showing the mineralization and alteration is shown. Additional detailed mapping is needed. |
Geophysical survey and modeling needs |
High resolution aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric survey over areas without Rank 1 data. |
Digital elevation data needs |
Lidar complete in Texas, in progress in New Mexico. |