Timberline

The Timberline is a copper, gold, and silver 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: Timberline

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Valdez Creek

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Prospect
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

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: The quartz veins are associated with chloritization of the adjacent diorite.

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Arsenopyrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Gold
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Pyrrhotite
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Probably Cretaceous or younger.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Smith, 1981

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Surface exploration consists of trenches and pits along the traces of the veins. A short adit was driven which encountered the down-dip extension of the Big Caribou and Little Caribou vein systems. Samples of the veins contain up to 0.33 ounce of gold per ton (Smith, 1981).

Comment (Production): Production Notes = A small mill was installed in about 1934; it consisted of a jaw crusher, ball mill, classifier, and amalgamating plates. Production was very small.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Polymetallic veins (Cox and Singer, 1986, model 22c)

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The country rock in the area of this site is spotted phyllite, cut by CHLORITIZED DIORITE of probable Cretaceous age. The deposit consists of five veins in shear zones in altered diorite. The largest vein, the Big Caribou, has been traced for 1,000 feet; it is up to 8 feet wide, and contains kidneys and lenses of quartz, arsenopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and chalcopyrite. Other veins include the Big Water Hole, Freda G., Valdez Creek 6, and Little Caribou. Veins comprise quartz bands up to 2 feet wide. Some of the sulfides also are disseminated in the diorite. The veins appear to be localized in a conjugate fracture system associated with east-trending fault zones. Samples of the veins contain up to 0.33 ounce of gold per ton (Smith, 1981).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = This was one of the very few lode gold producers in the Valdez Creek drainage.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, T.E., 1981, Geology of the Clearwater Mountains, south-central Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological "&" Geophysical Surveys Geologic Report 60, 72 p., 3 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1937, Mineral industry in Alaska in 1935: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 880-A, p. 1-95.

Reference (Deposit): Kaufman, M.A., 1964, Two new occurrences of ore minerals in the Denali area (Healy A-1 and Mt. Hayes B-6): Alaska Territorial Department of Mines Prospect Evaluation 67-4, 5 p.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1934, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1933: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 864-A, p. 1-94.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, P.S., 1936, Mineral industry of Alaska in 1934: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 868-A, p. 1-91.

Reference (Deposit): Smith, T.E., 1971, Geology, economic geochemistry, and placer gold resources of the western Clearwater Mountains, east-central Alaska: Reno, University of Nevada, Ph.D. dissertation, 440 p.

Reference (Deposit): Ross, C.P., 1933, The Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 849, p. 289-467.

Reference (Deposit): Tuck, Ralph, 1938, The Valdez Creek mining district, Alaska, in 1936: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 897-B, p. 109-131.

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