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Harrys Creek

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Silver, Gold, Lead, Zinc
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10307272
Record type Site
Current site name Harrys Creek

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -163.34542, 65.92636 (WGS84)
Relative position Harrys Creek is a small headwater tributary to Cunningham Creek, a north tributary to Hannum Creek. Hannum Creek is a north tributary to Inmachuk River. This prospect extends across Harrys Creek approximately 1,500 feet upstream of its mouth. It is locality 7 of Cobb (1972; MF 417; 1975; 75-429).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Silver Primary
Gold Primary
Lead Primary
Zinc Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Boulangerite Ore
Galena Ore
Sphalerite Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Development of silica-rich rock is characteristic; variably developed but extensive. The deposit is deeply weathered and oxidized. Dolomitic marble is also present.

Nearby scientific data

(1) -163.34542, 65.92636
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = A poorly exposed, interlayered metasedimentary schist and dolomitic marble sequence strikes northwest across Harrys Creek and dips moderately (15 to 65 degrees) to the north in the general area. The presence of lode galena deposits was noted by 1905 (Moffit, 1905). On both sides of Harrys Creek, over a distance of 1,400 feet, local deeply weathered and gossanous exposures of bedrock and surficial debris in dozer trenches show evidence of alteration and mineralization in marble and siliceous schist (Hudson and others, 1977). The mineralization is near a contact between dolomitic marble and siliceous schist (Hudson and others, 1977). Herreid (1966) describes the silica-rich rock as quartzite and interprets it to be silicified marble. The silica-rich zones are coarse-grained, porous, and contain some quartz crystal-lined cavities (Herreid, 1966). Mineralization includes pods, veinlets, and disseminations of galena in silica-rich rock, in places with disseminated pyrite and sphalerite. Pebbles and cobbles of massive galena are abundant in the stream bed of Harrys Creek at and below the dolomitized marble. Boulangerite is disseminated with galena in gossan float from a dozer trench on the south side of the creek (Herreid, 1966). Light brown surficial material containing fragments of silica-rich rock and massive limonite gossan contained 0.05 % Cu, 4.0 % Pb, 0.62 % Zn, 0.04 ounces/ton Au, and 1 ounces/ton Ag. An 18 inch-wide gossan with a 2 to 3 inch core of galena assayed 0.05 % Cu, 10.0 % Pb, 2.2 % Zn, 1.76 ounces/ton Ag, and nil Au. Other elements were not determined in these two samples (Herreid, 1966, Table 1). Samples of surficial materials from slopes and dozer trenches have highly anomalous lead contents (greater than 1,000 ppm) over a length of 1,250 feet. These samples also contain some significant zinc anomalies (to greater than 1,000 ppm) but not copper; other elements were not analyzed for in these samples (Herreid, 1966, Table 2). Sampling by Mulligan (1965) also indicated traces of gold in the mineralized zones. The 1,400 foot length of this mineralized zone is indicated by natural exposures near the creek and six dozer trenches (totaling 1,250 feet of length) on the south side of the creek (Herried, 1966, Figure 2). The dozer trenches primarily expose deeply weathered material and not bedrock. Burand (1957) collected a series of 5-foot channel samples in two of the dozer trenches; (1) five samples of yellow, sandy soil with visible quartz and galena contained 2.3 to 5.8 % Pb, 0.37 to 10.11 ounces/ton Ag, and nil to 0.06 opunces/ton Au, (2) eight samples over poorly exposed carbonate-bearing bedrock contained 1.7 to 6.2 % Pb, 0.23 to 7.52 ounces/ton Ag, and nil to 0.03 ounces/ton Au, and (3) five fivesamples over a yellow clay-rich zone contained 2.3 to 9.6 % Pb, 6.42 to 10.09 ounces/ton Ag, and 0.01 to 0.06 ounces/ton Au. The mineralized zone is open to both the northwest and southeast. Similar mineralization is present on Hannum Creek (BN056), 4,000 feet southeast and on strike with the eastern exposures of this locality.
  • Age = the deposit may be epigenetic and younger than the host metasedimentary rocks. Epigenetic deposits on Seward Peninsula are primarily Cretaceous in age, a significant period of regional metamorphism and granitic plutonism. The Inmachuk River and many of its tributaries, including Cunningham and Hannum Creeks, contain signficant placer gold deposits. Some lode gold deposits on southern Seward Peninsula are mid-Cretaceous in age (see Midnight Mountain, BN047). If the deposit is stratiform, it may be similar in age to its host sedimentary rocks. The protoliths for the metasedimentary rocks in this area are lower Paleozoic in age (Till and others, 1986).

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairhaven

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Six dozer trenches (totaling 1,250 feet of length) are present on the south side of the creek (Herried, 1966, Figure 2). The dozer trenches primarily expose deeply weathered material and not bedrock. The mineralized zone is open to both the northwest and southeast. Similar mineralization is present on Hannum Creek (BN056), 4,000 feet southeast and on strike with the eastern exposures of this locality.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF BN055

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Burand, W.M., 1957, The Hannum Creek lead deposit: Alaska Territorial, Department of Mines internal memorandum, 4 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Bendeleben quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-429, 123 p.

  • Deposit

    Hudson, T.L., Miller, M. L., and Pickthorn, W. J., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-796-B, 46 p., one sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    Till, A.B., Dumoulin, J.A., Gamble, B. ., Kaufman, D.S., and Carroll, P.I., 1986, Preliminary geologic map and fossil data, Soloman, Bendeleben, and southern Kotzebue quadrangles, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 86-276, 10 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Mulligan, J.J., 1965, Examination of the Hannum lead prospect, Fairhaven district, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 6-65, 16 p.

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., 1905, The Fairhaven gold placers, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 247, 85 p.

  • Deposit

    Herried, G.H., 1966, The geology and geochemistry of the Inmachuk River map area, Seward Peninsula, Alaska: Alaska Division of Mines and Minerals Geological Report 23, 25 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Bendeleben quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-417, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Herreid, 1966

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Sulfide-bearing pods, veinlets, and disseminations in silica-rich metasedimentary rocks; it is not clear whether this is a recrystallized stratiform deposit or an epigenetic deposit much younger than its host rocks. It has a polymetallic character with significant precious metal values.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 15-MAR-99 Travis L. Hudson Applied Geology