The Sun is a zinc, lead, 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
Elevation:
Commodity: Zinc, Lead, Copper, Gold, Silver
Lat, Long: 67.07, -155.04000
Map: View on Google Maps
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Sun MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Sun
Secondary: Picnic Creek
Secondary: Hot
Commodity
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Lead
Primary: Copper
Primary: Gold
Primary: Silver
Location
State: Alaska
District: Shungnak
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: Massive sulfide, kuroko
Orebody
Not available
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Arsenopyrite
Ore: Bornite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Enargite
Ore: Galena
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Muscovite
Gangue: Barite
Gangue: Actinolite
Gangue: Cymrite
Gangue: Tremolite
Comments
Comment (Exploration): Status = Active?
Comment (Geology): Age = Devonian, based on radiometric and fossil determinations.
Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Kuroko massive sulfide (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 28a)
Comment (Commodity): Gangue = ferrostilpnomelane
Comment (Commodity): Gangue = ferroan calcite
Comment (Commodity): Gangue = ferroan dolomite
Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Drilling and unpublished detailed mapping by industry until the late 1970's.
Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Zpedski, 1980
Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The deposit consists of stratiform, banded, massive to semi-massive sulfides in a series of elongate, SW-plunging, lenticular bodies along three distinct mineral horizons. An upper horizon is Ag-Pb-Zn rich, a middle horizon is Cu-rich, and a lower horizon is Cu-Zn rich. According to Zdepski (1980), the Sun prospect is in a 5000-foot-thick sequence of Devonian felsic to andesitic volcanic, volcaniclastics, and intercalated pelitic sedimentary rocks separated into upper and lower units by calcareous metabasite beds of variable thickness. The upper unit of metarhyolite and related rocks contains all of the identified massive sulfides; the lower unit is dominantly pelitic schist and metarhyolite.
Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = According to D. Heatwole (oral communication, 1979), the Sun deposit has a gross metal value of about $1.6 billion and the deposit is still open on two sides.
References
Reference (Deposit): Garland, R.E., Eakins, G.R., Trible, T.C., and McClintock, W.W., 1975, Geochemical analysis of rock and stream-sediment samples from Survey Pass A-4, A-5, A-6, B-4, B-5, and B-6 quadrangles: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File Report 67, 4 p, 4 sheets, scale 1:63,360.
Reference (Deposit): Sicherman, H.A., Russell, R.H., and Fikkan, P.R., 1976, The geology and mineralization of the Ambler district, Alaska: Spokane, Wash., Bear Creek Mining Company, 22 p.
Reference (Deposit): Marrs, C.D., 1978, Geology of the Sun massive sulfide deposit, Ambler district, Alaska [abs.]: Northwest Mining Association, 84th Annual Convention, Spokane, Washington, Nov. 29-Dec. 2, 1978.
Reference (Deposit): Smith, T.E., Profett, J.M., Heatwole, D.A., and Seklemian, R.W., 1977, Geologic setting of base metal massive sulfide deposits, Ambler district, northwest Alaska [abs.]: Alaska Geological Society Symposium, 6th, Anchorage, April 1977, Abstracts with Program, p. 41-42.
Reference (Deposit): Zdepski, J.M., 1980, Stratigraphy, mineralogy and zonal relations of the Sun massive-sulfide deposit, Ambler district, northwest Alaska: University of Alaska, Fairbanks, M.Sc. thesis, 93 p.
Reference (Deposit): Smith, T.E., Profett, J.M., and Heatwole, D.A., 1979, Ambler schist belt of northwest Alaska--host terrane for volcanogenic base metal massive sulfide deposits of mid-Paleozoic age [abs.]: Geoscience Forum, 7th, Whitehorse,. Yukon Territory, December 1979, Abstracts, p. 6.
Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., and Nelson, S.W., 1981, Mineral deposit map of the Survey Pass quadrangle, Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1176-F, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.
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