Silver Bell

The Silver Bell is a zinc, lead, and copper mine located in Alaska.

About the MRDS Data:

All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. The locations and other information in this database have not been verified for accuracy. It should be assumed that all mines are on private property.

Mine Info

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Site Name

Primary: Silver Bell

Commodity

Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Hyder

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Galena
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Buddington, 1929

Comment (Geology): Age = Lead-isotope studies of galena from the Silver Bell occurrence (Maas and others, 1995, p. 229-248) indicate that the deposit is Eocene in age, contemporaneous with emplacement of the Hyder Quartz Monzonite.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rocks in the area of the Silver Bell prospect are pelitic metasedimentary and subordinate andesitic metavolcanic strata of the Jurassic or older Mesozoic Hazelton Group, which is underlain and locally intruded by the Triassic Texas Creek Granodiorite; and the Eocene Hyder Quartz Monzonite, which intrudes the Hazelton and Texas Creek rocks (Smith, 1977; Koch, 1996).? the deposit (Buddington, 1929, p. 44, 97) is a quartz fissure vein about 2 feet thick in brecciated argillite and graywacke; the mineralized breccia zone is nearly parallel to the bedding. The quartz carries inclusions of the country rock and generally sparsely disseminated pyrite, chalcopyrite, and a little galena and sphalerite. Part of the vein is a solid mass as much as 13 inches thick of galena and minor tetrahedrite.? Lead-isotope studies of galena from the Silver Bell occurrence (Maas and others, 1995, p. 229-248) indicate that the deposit is Eocene in age, contemporaneous with emplacement of the Hyder Quartz Monzonite.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Polymetallic veins

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Prospect originally staked in 1925. Vein was exposed for a length of 50 feet at the time of Buddington's visit in 1929 (p. 97).

References

Reference (Deposit): Buddington, A.F., 1929, Geology of Hyder and vicinity, southeastern Alaska, with a reconnaissance of Chickamin River: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 807, 124 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, J.G., 1977, Geology of the Ketchikan D-1 and Bradfield Canal A-1 quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1425, 49 p.

Reference (Deposit): Elliott, R.L., and Koch, R.D., 1981, Mines, prospects, and selected metalliferous mineral occurrences in the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-728-B, 23 p., 1 sheet, scales 1:250,000 and 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Maas, K.M., Bittenbender, P E., and Still, J.C., 1995, Mineral investigations in the Ketchikan mining district, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 11-95, 606 p.

Reference (Deposit): Koch, R.D., 1996, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-728-A, 35 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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