Morelock Creek Placer

The Morelock Creek Placer is a gold 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

Satelite View

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: Morelock Creek Placer

Commodity

Primary: Gold
Tertiary: Tin

Location

State: Alaska
District: Melozitna

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Type: Surface

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year Last Production: 1945
Discovery Year: 1901
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: 2 LINES OF CHAIN-DRILL HOLES INDICATED AVERAGES OF .1227 LB. SN AND .00378 OZ. AU PER CUBIC YD.. SMALL CUTS FROM "REEFS" IN 1942 YIELDED 6.054 LB. SN CONCENTRATE AND 1.951 OZ. AU FROM 71.3 CU YD. OF MATERIAL EXCAVATED. GOLD ASSAYED 922.2 PARTS PER THOUSAND IN FINENESS. GRADE: 2.1 GLM3 AU.

Materials

Ore: Gold
Gangue: Magnetite
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Hematite
Gangue: Garnet
Unknown: Cassiterite

Comments

Comment (Deposit): THIS SITE NAME WAS CREATED BY THE REPORTER OR OTHER USGS EMPLOYEE BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SOME MAJOR GEOGRAPHIC FEATURE.

Comment (Location): USGS MF-371, LOC. 19. DEPOSIT FROM JUST ABOVE CONFLUENCE OF BONANZA AND HOMESTEAD CREEKS WITH MORELOCK CR. DOWNSTREAM FOR 3,200 FT.. COORDINATES GIVEN FOR PLACER CENTER. LAND STATUS VALUE CALCULATED 6-94 USING GIS OVERLAY ANALYSIS WITH BLM 1:2,500,000 SCALE OWNERSHIP STATUS MAP (1991).

Comment (Development): INTERMITTANT HAND MINING AND CONSIDERABLE PROSPECTING, 1901-40'S, BUT NO LARGE AREAS OF MINABLE GROUND HAVE BEEN FOUND. EXPLORATION BY PROSPECTORS, USBM, AND USGS. NO LODE FOUND.

Comment (Deposit): STREAM GRADIENT ABOUT 200 FT. PER MILE. TOTAL GOLD PRODUCTION BELIEVED TO NOT BE MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED OUNCES. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT

Comment (Deposit): GOLD AND CASSITERITE IN BASAL 2 FT. OF GRAVEL AND IN CREVICES ALONG JOINT PLANES IN BEDROCK. RICHEST DEPOSITS BETWEEN MOUTHS OF BONANZA AND HOMESTAKE CREEKS. GOLD AND CASSITERITE PLACERS BEGIN JUST ABOVE THE MOUTHS OF BONANZA AND HOMESTAKE CREEKS AND EXTEND APPROXIMATELY 3,200 FT. DOWN MORELOCK CREEK. TIN PLACERS ARE BELIEVED TO EXTEND ANOTHER MILE DOWNSTREAM. GOLD AND TIN ARE WIDELY BUT SPORADICALLY DISTRIBUTED IN THE CREEK FLAT AND IN THE BENCHES ON THE NE SIDE OF MORELOCK VALLEY, THE BEST PROSPECTS BEING IN THE CREEK FLAT. ALLUVIUM 2-20 FT THICK, AN AVERAGE OF 5-6 FT. OF GRAVEL BENEATH 2-3 FT. OF FROZEN SILT.

Comment (Workings): MUCK OVERBURDEN FROZEN.

Comment (Geology): THE REPETITION OF BEDS SUGGESTS THE PRESENCE OF A FAULT. TERTIARY GRANITIC ROCKS TO NE. ; MAJOR.UNITS: BEDROCK IS METAMORPHOSED ROCKS CONSISTING OF MASSIVE GREENSTONE, METACHERT, MASSIVE QUARTZITE, RECRYSTALIZED CHERTY DOLOMITE, LIMESTONE, MARBLE, PHYLLITE, AND SEVERAL KINDS OF SCHIST; MANY MILKY-QUARTZ VEINS WITH MINUTE PYRITE CRYSTALS. ; REG.COM: GOLD AND CASSITERITE THOUGHT TO BE DERIVED FROM QUARTZ VEINS CUTTING BEDROCK.

References

Reference (Deposit): USGS MF-371 (B-3), LOC. 19.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 239, P. 5-13.

Reference (Deposit): USBM RI 4322, P. 1-8.

Reference (Deposit): USGS OF 85-213, P. 37-38

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.