Pika Canyon

The Pika Canyon is a 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: Pika Canyon

Commodity

Primary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Fortymile

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: Porphyry Cu-Mo

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: The alteration at Pika Canyon is patchy and somewhat irregular, but generally occurs in somewhat concentric zones of potassic, phyllic, and propylitic alteration (Gill, 1977, p. 86).

Rocks

Name: Diorite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Sphalerite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Active?

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Pika Canyon prospect is sometimes called Pitka Canyon, but Pitka is a misspelling of the name.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Porphyry Cu deposit (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 21a)

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The geology at Pika Canyon consists of three main units: Precambrian or early Paleozoic gneiss and schist, Paleozoic phyllite and schist, and Tertiary mafic to felsic volcanic rocks. Many NE-trending faults as well as intense folding dominate the area (Gill, 1977). ? During 1974-1976, soil, rock chip, and stream-sediment sampling were conducted on the prospect by Cities Services Mineral Corp., as well as a ground magnetic survey on a 200- by 500-foot grid (Gill, 1977, p. 2). The soil samples showed anomalous values for copper, zoned in a pattern typical of porphyry-copper deposits in the southwest U.S. (Gill, 1977, p. 87). Pyrite, chalcopyrite, and possibly sphalerite were found in float samples (Gill, 1977). ? the alteration at Pika Canyon is patchy and somewhat irregular, but generally occurs in somewhat concentric zones of potassic, phyllic, and propylitic alteration (Gill, 1977, p. 86).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Gill, 1977

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = During 1974-1976, soil, rock chip, and stream-sediment sampling were conducted on the prospect, as well as a ground magnetic survey on a 200- by 500-foot grid (Gill, 1977, p. 2).

References

Reference (Deposit): Singer, D.A., Csejtey, Bela, Jr., and Miller, R.J., 1978, Map and discussion of the metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral resources of the Talkeetna Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-file Report 78-588-Q, 33 p., 1 plate, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Eberlein, G.D., Chapman, R.M., Foster, H.L., and Gassaway, J.S., 1977, Map and table describing known metalliferous and selected nonmetalliferous mineral deposits in central Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-168-D, 132 p., 1 map, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Gill, R., 1977, Geology and mineral deposits of the southwest quarter of the Tanacross D-1 quadrangle, Alaska: Golden, Colorado School of Mines, M.Sc. thesis, 129 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., and Eberlein, G.D., 1980, Summaries of data on and lists of references to metallic and selected nonmetallic mineral deposits in the Big Delta and Tanacross quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 80-1086, 77 p.

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