Merrill's Silver

The Merrill's Silver is a lead, silver, and zinc 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: Merrill's Silver
Secondary: Sunshine Mt. Silver

Commodity

Primary: Lead
Primary: Silver
Primary: Zinc
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Juneau (Skagway subdistrict)

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

Not available

Rocks

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Mississippian
Age Old: Devonian

Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 33.000000+-1.000000
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Age Old: Late Silurian

Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age in Years: 29.300000+-1.000000
Age Young: Pennsylvanian
Age Old: Late Silurian

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Galena
Ore: Sphalerite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = According to Still and others (1991), this prospect is in an area penetrated by overgrown logging roads, with few outcrops. It was discovered by Merrill Palmer in 1980.

Comment (Geology): Age = The Devonian to Mississippian age of the carbonate rocks that host the deposit (Gilbert and others, 1987) establishes a maximum age for the mineralization. However, the quartz-sulfide veins are probably of Tertiary age, based on the 29.3 + 1 to 33.0 + 1 m.y. age of nearby intrusive bodies (Gilbert and others, 1987).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Probably inactive

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Silver-bearing quartz-sulfide veins in dolomite and argillite (Cox and Singer, 1986; 22c).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Still and others (1991) describe this as a silver prospect that consists of silver-bearing, galena-sphalerite-quartz veins in dolomite and argillite. They collected rock samples that contained up to 610.3 ppm silver, 15.7% lead, 5.8% zinc, 0.471 ppm gold, and 1,640 ppm copper. Sample descriptions include: 'quartz vein with sphalerite, galena pyrite, and malachite(?)', 'quartz-gossan breccia with galena' and 'quartz-calcite breccia with galena and sphalerite'. The Devonian to Mississippian age of the carbonate host rocks (Gilbert and others, 1987) establishes a maximum age for the mineralization. However, the quartz-sulfide veins are probably of Tertiary age based on the 29.3 + 1 to 33.0 + 1 m.y. age of nearby intrusive bodies (Gilbert and others, 1987).

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Still and others, 1984

Comment (Geology): Age = Chron age is for nearby intrusive bodies. Host rock is Mississippian - Devonian.

References

Reference (Deposit): Gilbert, W.G., and Redman, E.C., 1989, Lode deposits, prospects, and occurrences of the Porcupine mining area, southeast Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 17-89, 1 sheet, scale 1:39,600.

Reference (Deposit): Still, J.C., 1991, Bureau of Mines mineral investigations in the Juneau mining district, Alaska, 1984 - 1988, v. 2, Detailed mine, prospect, and mineral occurrence descriptions, section A, Haines-Klukwan-Porcupine subarea: U.S. Bureau of Mines of Mines Special Publication, 214 p.

Reference (Deposit): Still, J.C., Hoekzema, R.B., Bundtzen, T.K., Gilbert, W.G., Wier, K.R., Burns, L.E., and Fechner, S.A., 1991, Economic geology of Haines-Klukwan-Porcupine area, southeastern Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 91-4, 156 p., 5 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): MacKevett, E.M., Jr., Robertson, E.C., and Winkler, G.R., 1974, Geology of the Skagway B-3 and B-4 quadrangles, southern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 832, 33 p.

Reference (Deposit): Still, J.C., Weir, K.R., Gilbert, W.G., and Redman, E.C., 1984, Stream-sediment, float, and bedrock sampling in the Porcupine mining area, southeast Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 173-84, 19 p.

Reference (Deposit): Wells, D.E., Pittman, T.L., Brew, D.A. and Douglass, S.L., 1986, Map and description of the mineral deposits in the Juneau, Taku River, Atlin, and part of the Skagway quadrangles, Alaska; U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-717, 332 p.

Reference (Deposit): Still, J.C., Gilbert, W.G., and Forbes, R.B., 1987, Final report of stream sediment, float, and bedrock sampling in the Porcupine mining area, southeast Alaska, 1983-1985: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 36-87, 35 p., 8 sheets.

Reference (Deposit): Gilbert, W.G., Burns, L.E., Redman, E.C., and Forbes, R.B., 1987, Preliminary bedrock geology and geochemistry of the Skagway B-3 Quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 87-2, 2 sheets, scale 1:36,200.

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