Salmon River

The Salmon River 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: Salmon River

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Silver

Location

State: Alaska
District: Kiana

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

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

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = This occurrence is located in Kobuk Valley National Park.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Chalcopyrite-bearing quartz veins in a graphite-chlorite phyllite.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Brosge and others, 1967; Degenhart and others, 1978

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Some evidence of placer exploration in the area was noted by Degenhart and others (1978). The U.S. Bureau of Mines investigated the area in the mid-1970's (Degenhart and others, 1978). They collected two rock samples and 12 stream silt samples. The area was also mapped and sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey (Brosge and others, 1967).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The area of this occurrence is underlain by north-trending, lower to mid-Paleozoic sedimentary and metamorphic rocks (Schmidt and Allegro, 1988). Stream float and bedrock consist of graphitic schist, chloritic schist, light-colored quartz-mica schist and abundant quartz. The mineral occurrence consists of chalcopyrite-bearing quartz veins in graphite-chlorite phyllite. The veins are from 3 inches to 3 feet thick and 100 to 250 feet long. Stringers and blebs of pyrite and chalcopyrite, along with some malachite occur in the quartz veins.? A sample of quartz stream float contained more than 20,000 ppm Cu, 6 ppm Ag, and 80 ppb Au. Another sample of chalcopyrite-bearing stream float contained 8,200 ppm Cu, 11 ppm Ag, and 5 ppb Au. Twelve stream silt samples were analyzed and no significant metal values were found (Degenhart and others, 1978). Rock samples collected in the mid-1960's contain from 60 ppm to 2% Cu, 12 to 94 ppm Pb, 6 to 11 ppm Ag, and 5 to 80 ppb Au (Brosge and others, 1967).

Comment (Geology): Age = Mid-Paleozoic

References

Reference (Deposit): Schmidt, J.M., and Allegro, G.L., 1988, Map showing mineral occurrences and indicators in the Baird Mountains quadrangle, northwestern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-1992, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Brosge, W.P., Reiser, H.N., and Tailleur, I.L., 1967, Copper analyses of selected samples, southwestern Brooks Range, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 274, 1 sheet.

Reference (Deposit): Grybeck, D.J., 1977, Known mineral deposits of the Brooks Range, Alaska: US Geological Survey Open-File Report 77-166C, 41 p., 1 sheet, scale 1:1,000,000.

Reference (Deposit): Degenhart, C.E., Griffis, R.J., McQuat, J.F., and Bigelow, C.G., 1978, Mineral studies of the western Brooks Range performed under contract to the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Contract #JO155089: U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 103-78, 529 p., 11 sheets.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1975, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in northern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 75-628, 106 p.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Baird Mountains quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-386, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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