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Willow Creek

Prospect in Alaska, United States with commodities Antimony, Gold, Tin, Tungsten
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10308903
MRDS ID A015500
Record type Site
Current site name Willow Creek
Related records 10232790, 10002993

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -147.45296, 65.06268 (WGS84)
Relative position Cobb (1972, MF-413), loc. 88; NE1/4 sec. 25, T. 3 N., R. 1 E., of the Fairbanks Meridian. This prospect is situated in the bed of Willow Creek, about 100 yards from its mouth. Willow Creek is a tributary of Cleary Creek.
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Geographic areas

Country State
United States Alaska

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Antimony Primary
Gold Secondary
Tin Secondary
Tungsten Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Cassiterite Ore
Gold Ore
Scheelite Ore
Stibnite Ore

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 180
USGS model code 27d
Deposit model name Simple Sb (veins, pods, etc)

Nearby scientific data

(1) -147.45296, 65.06268
ListMap

Comments on the geologic information

  • Geologic Description = This antimony prospect was uncovered during placer mining operations and was described by Henry Joesting in a report to the Alaska Territorial Department of Mines in 1942. The antimony ore occurs as stibnite in a zone of white quartz and gouge that strikes east-west, across the valley of Willow Creek (Joesting, 1942; ATDM PE 49-7). In the hydraulic cut, where the overburden and gravel have been removed, high-grade ore could be traced continuously from the west side of the cut to the creek, a distance of about 75 feet. Ore is also found on the east side of the cut, about 100 feet from the creek. Between these two showings of ore, the zone consists mainly of quartz and gouge, with minor amounts of stibnite and pyrite, and occasionally arsenopyrite. Some pieces of high-grade stibnite found on the surface measured about a foot across. Most of the ore is fine-grained and massive with a minor portion made up of coarse bladed crystals. The higher grade portions contained 56 percent antimony. Small amounts of pyrite and arsenopyrite occur in the lower grade material. The bedrock is mainly a soft, badly weathered mica schist, containing considerable clay. The schist strikes east-west and dips steeply north. Several thin limestone beds were noted. A few of these beds, about 100 feet upstream from the stibnite, contain sphalerite and pyrite. Numerous small veins and lenses of quartz were also noted in the bedrock. Most veins are glassy, but some contain small amounts of pyrite, arsenopyrite, and sphalerite.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic

Comments on exploration

  • Status = Inactive

Mining district

District name Fairbanks

Comments on the workings information

  • Workings / Exploration = The vein was exposed by a hydraulic cut during placer mining operations.

Reference information

Links to other databases

Agency Database name Acronym Record ID Notes
USGS Alaska Resource Data File ARDF LG109
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS A015500
USGS Mineral Resources Data System MRDS D002661

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1904, Gold placers of the Fairbanks district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 225, p. 64-73.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1905, The gold placers of the Fortymile, Birch Creek, and Fairbanks regions, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 251, 89 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1908, The Fairbanks and Rampart quadrangles, Yukon-Tanana region, Alaska, with a section on the Rampart placers, by F.L. Hess, and a paper on the water supply of the Fairbanks region, by C.C. Covert: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 337, 102 p.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., 1910, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 442, 432 p.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., and Parker, G.L., 1911, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 480, 325 p.

  • Deposit

    Ellsworth, C.E., and Davenport, R.W., 1913, Placer mining in the Yukon-Tanana region: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 542, 303 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., and Katz, F.J., 1913, Detailed description of the Fairbanks district, in Prindle, L. M., A geologic reconnaissance of the Fairbanks quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 525, p. 59-152.

  • Deposit

    Eakin, H.M., 1915, Placer mining in Seward Peninsula: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 622-I, p. 366-373.

  • Deposit

    Brooks, A.H., 1916, Antimony deposits of Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 649, 67 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1917, The mining industry in the territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1915: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 142, 66 p.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1937: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 910-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1939, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1938: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 917-A, p. 1-113.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Antimony and tungsten deposits in Fairbanks and adjacent areas: Alaska Department of Mines MR 194-11, 25 p.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Preliminary report on an antimony prospect on Willow Creek, Fairbanks District: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Prospect Evaluation 49-7, 2 p.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Strategic mineral occurences in interior Alaska: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Pamphlet 1, 46 p.

  • Deposit

    Killeen, P.L., and Mertie, J.B., 1951, Antimony ore in the Fairbanks District, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 51-46, 43 p.

  • Deposit

    Chapin, Theodore, 1914, Lode mining near Fairbanks, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 592-J, p. 321-355.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Livengood quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-413, 2 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

  • Deposit

    Cobb, E.H., 1975, Mineral resources of Alaska, in Yount, M.E., ed., U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Program, 1975: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 722, p. 37.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Antimony and tungsten deposits in the Fairbanks and adjacent districts: Alaska Department of Mines Miscellaneous Report 194-11, 25 p.

  • Deposit

    Joesting, H.R., 1942, Preliminary report on an antimony prospect on Willow Creek, Fairbanks district: Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Prospect Evaluation 49-7, 2 p.

  • Deposit

    Prindle, L.M., 1906, Yukon placer fields: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 284, p. 109-127.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1941, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1939: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 926-A, p. 1-106.

  • Deposit

    Smith, P.S., 1942, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1940: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 933-A, p. 1-102.

  • Deposit

    Smith, S.S., 1917, The mining industry in the territory of Alaska during the calendar year 1915: U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 142, 66 p.

Comments on the references

  • Primary Reference = Joesting, 1942 (ATDM PE 49-7)

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Model Name = Stibnite-quartz vein (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 27d).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 04-MAY-1999 C.J. Freeman, J.R. Guidetti Schaefer Avalon Development Corporation