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Metal Creek

Producer in Alaska, United States with commodities Gold, Tungsten, Silver, Copper, Platinum
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308771
MRDS ID A011679
Record type Site
Current site name Metal Creek
Alternate or previous names Sumner and Andrulli
Related records 10001008

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -148.40264, 61.49957 (WGS84)
Relative position Locations reported include the lower and upper sections of Metal Creek from headwaters at Metal Creek Glacier to the Glacier Fork of Knik River confluence. Mineral occurrences span a distance greater than 15 miles, including Anchorage 1:63,360 scale C-4, B-4, and B-5 topographic maps. Includes localities 95-109 of Cobb (1972) and locality 64 and 65 of MacKevett and Holloway (1977).
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Tungsten Primary
Silver Secondary
Copper Secondary
Platinum Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Platinum Ore
Scheelite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 119
USGS model code 39a
BC deposit profile C01. C02
Deposit model name Placer Au-PGE
Mark3 model number 54

Nearby scientific data

(1) -148.40264, 61.49957
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = A raised terrace of clay and glacial deposits extends up Metal Creek and glacial debris cover most of the high valleys. Placer gold is largely restricted to lower half of Metal Creek and is probably derived from source in basin such as small quartz veins. The gold apparently was deposited in a glacial lake and is currently being reworked by present stream action. Generally, gold is well rounded and less than 1 mm in diameter. The maximum gold content occurs below 600 ft elevation, thus corresponding roughly to the height of the old glacial lake terrace surrounding the lower course of the creek (Richter, 1967). Platinum, pyrite, zircon, copper, native silver, and fairly abundant scheelite are present in many concentrate samples. Country rock along Metal Creek is Valdez Group interbedded slate, siltstone, and graywacke of Late Cretaceous age that have been metamorphosed to phyllite and quartz mica schist. These rocks are tightly folded, exhibit strong foliation, strike N 10-30 E, and dip nearly vertical. At the headwaters of Metal Creek and Glacial Fork, greenstone containing discontinous dikes and one stock of quartz diorite are present (Lande, 1927). Quartz veins with pyrite and chlorite are common in the area.
  • Age = Placer deposits are Quaternary.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Active?

Mining district

District name Anchorage

Comments on the production information

  • Production Notes = The total production of gold probably not worth more than a few thousand dollars (Richter, 1967).

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = Placer gold was discovered in 1906 and has been mined on a small scale intermittently since that time. The total production probably not worth more than a few thousand dollars. Platinum, pyrite, zircon, copper, native silver, and fairly abundant scheelite are present in many concentrate samples. Placer gold in amounts amendable to mining are present in the lower section of Metal River.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF AN085
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A011679
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS D002742
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS M045358

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Paige, Sidney and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska, with notes on the placers of the adjacent regions: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314, p. 104-125.

  • Deposit

    Paige, Sidney, and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Geologic reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 327, 71 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1910, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1909: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 426 p.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1923, The Alaska mining industry in 1921: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 739, p. 1-50.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H. and Capps, S.R., 1924, Mineral industry in Alaska, 1922: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 755, p. 1-56.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1926, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1924: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 783-A, p. 1-39.

  • Deposit

    Moffit, F.H., 1927, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1925: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-A, p. 1-39.

  • Deposit

    Landes, K.K., 1927, Geology of the Knik-Matanuska District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 792-B, p. 51-72.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1929, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1926: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 797, p. 1-50.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1927: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 810-A, p. 1-64.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1930, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1928: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 813-A, p. 1-72.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1938, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-A, p. 1-107.

  • Deposit

    Richter, D.H., 1967, Geological and geochemical investigations in the Metal Creek area, Chugach Mountains: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 25, 17 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:63,360.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1973, Placer deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1374, 213 p.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1975, Tungsten occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Investigations Resource Map MR-66, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    MacKevett, E.M., Jr., and Holloway, C.D., 1977, Map showing metalliferous and selected non-metalliferous mineral deposits in the eastern part of southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-169-A, 99 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials in the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1095, 184 p.

  • Deposit

    Paige, Sidney, and Knopf, Adolph, 1907, Reconnaissance in the Matanuska and Talkeetna basins, Alaska, with notes on the placers of the adjacent regions: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 314-F, p. 104-125.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1911, The mining industry in 1910, in Brooks, A.K., and others, Mineral resources of Alaska, report on progress of investigations in 1910: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480-B p. 21-43.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Anchorage quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-409, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Richter, 1967

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Placer Au (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39a)
Deposit Other Comments = Small scale placer mining for gold should be economically feasible along Metal Creek south from Paradise Creek to junction with Glacier Fork. This area was previously explored and mined by Douglas Sumner and James Andrulli of Eagle River, Alaska. Abundance of scheelite in concentrates is enough to warrant prospecting of the area between Metal Creek and Glacier Fork (Richter, 1967).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 30-JUL-1998 D.P. Bickerstaff; S.W. Huss U.S. Geological Survey