Barometer

The Barometer is a mercury 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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MRDS mine locations are often very general, and in some cases are incorrect. Some mine remains have been covered or removed by modern industrial activity or by development of things like housing. The satellite view offers a quick glimpse as to whether the MRDS location corresponds to visible mine remains.

Site Name

Primary: Barometer

Commodity

Primary: Mercury
Secondary: Antimony

Location

State: Alaska
District: Aniak

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Almaden Hg

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silica-carbonate altered dikes.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Stibnite
Ore: Cinnabar
Gangue: Realgar
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Orpiment

Comments

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Cinnabar, stibnite, realgar, and possibly orpiment are in quartz gangue deposited irregularly along faulted joints, fractures, and bedding planes in Cretaceous graywacke and shale, near silica-carbonate altered dikes. There are several discrete ore zones.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = 122 ft adit, 80 ft of crosscuts, pits, and trenches. USBM samples yielded an average grade of .41 lb/ton mercury and maximum 16.5 lb/ton. (Webber and others, 1947)

Comment (Production): Production Notes = Total = 14 or 16 flasks of mercury (Miller and others, 1989)

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Cady and others, 1955, p. 110

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Epithermal vein, mercury-antimony

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Dillingham, Sleetmute, and Taylor Mountains quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-606, 92 p.

Reference (Deposit): Meyer, M.P., 1985, Mineral investigation of the Iditarod-George planning block, central Kuskokwim River area, Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 9-85, 232 p., 4 sheets, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Rytuba, J.J., 1986, Descriptive model of Almaden Hg, in Cox, D.P., and Singer, D.A., eds. Mineral Deposit Models: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1693, p. 180.

Reference (Deposit): Miller, M.L., Belkin, H.E., Blodgett, R.B., Bundtzen, T.K., Cady, J.W., Goldfarb, R.J., Gray, J.E., McGimsey, R.G., and Simpson, S.L., 1989, Pre-field study and mineral resource assessment of the Sleetmute quadrangle, southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 89-363, 115 p., 3 plates, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Sainsbury, C.L. and MacKevett, E.M., Jr., 1965, Quicksilver deposits of southwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1187, 89 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1976, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Dillingham, Sleetmute, and Taylor Mountain quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 76-606, 92 p.

Reference (Deposit): Malone, Kevin, 1962, Mercury occurrences in Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Circular 8131, 57 p.

Reference (Deposit): Webber, B.S., Bjorklund, S.C., Rutledge, F.A., Thomas, B.I., and Wright, W.S., 1947, Mercury deposits of southwestern Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations 4065, 57 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Sleetmute quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-368, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cady, W.M., Wallace, R.E., Hoare, J.M., and Webber, E.J., 1955, The central Kuskokwim region, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 268, 132 p.

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