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Soapstone Branch Prospect

Occurrence in Mitchell county in North Carolina, United States with commodities Asbestos, Olivine, Chromium, Talc-Soapstone
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10091879
MRDS ID K002559
Record type Site
Current site name Soapstone Branch Prospect
Related records 10297200

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -82.05901, 36.02509 (WGS84)
Elevation 1280
Relative position 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF HAWK AND 2.5 MILES NORTHWEST OF PLUMTREE
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Geographic areas

Country State County
United States North Carolina Mitchell

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Asbestos Tertiary
Olivine Tertiary
Chromium Tertiary
Talc-Soapstone Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chromite Ore
Olivine Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) 3 Alteration Zones

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Pegmatite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Gneiss

Nearby scientific data

(1) -82.05901, 36.02509
ListMap

Ore body information

  • Width 30.48M
    Length 121.92M

Comments on the geologic information

  • THREE ALTERATION ZONES ARE PRESENT AT NORTH END OF BODY. 1) THE OUTERMOST ZONE IS 2 TO 3 FEET WIDE AND CONSISTS OF COARSE-GRAINED CHLORITE ENTERLAYERED WITH ANTHOPHYLLITE AND TALC. 2) THE MIDDLE ZONE VARIES IN WIDTH, BUT DOES NOT EXCEED 5 FEET AND IS COMPOSED MOSTLY OF AMPHIBOLE MINERALS. THE OUTER ONE FOOT OF THIS ZONE CONTAINS LARGE RADIAL SHAPED MASSES OF ANTHOPHYLLITE AND LONG BLADED CRYSTALS OF TREMOLITE AND/OR ACTINOLITE. CONSIDERABLE TALC IS PRESENT. 3) THE INNER ZONE IS COMPOSED MAINLY OF ANTHOPHYLLITE AND TALC. THE ANTHOPHYLLITE OCCURS IN RADIAL AND CONE SHAPED MASSES WHICH ARE UP TO ONE INCH IN DIAMETER. TALC OCCURS DISSIMINATED THROUGHOUT THE ANTHOPHYLLITE AS BLADE LIKE CRYSTALS AND MASSES. THIS ZONE VARIES IN WIDTH FROM A FEW FEET UP TO 15 FEET. THE INTERIOR OF THE BODY ADJACENT TO THE ALTERATION ZONES IS COMPOSED OF LAYERED, SERPENTINIZED DUNITE CONTAINING SMALL CHROMITE CRYSTALS. ALSO PRESENT ARE NUMEROUS VEINLETS OF CROSS-FIBER ASBESTOS WHICH CUT THE DUNITE AT VARIOUS
  • ANGLES.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Occurrence
Commodity type Both metallic and non-metallic
Significant No

Mining district

District name Spruce Pine Area

Comments on the workings information

  • PROMINENT MASSIVE OUTCROPS STAND ABOVE SURROUNDING ROCKS AND TWO PINNICAL SHAPED OUTCROPS AT NORTH END ARE ABOUT 30 FEET HIGH

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS K002559

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    CONRAD, S.G., AND OTHERS, 1963, ANTHOPHYLLITE ASBESTOS IN NORTH CAROLINA: NORTH CAROLINA DIV. MINERAL RESOURCES BULL. 77, 61P

  • Production

    CONRAD, S.G., AND OTHERS, 1963, N.C. DIV. MIN. RES. BULL. 77.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUL-1974 Fagan, James M. U.S. Geological Survey