Casey Glacier Sphalerite

The Casey Glacier Sphalerite is a lead, zinc, silver, gold, and 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: Casey Glacier Sphalerite

Commodity

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

Location

State: Alaska
District: Hyder

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: N

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Polymetallic veins

Orebody

Form: SEE DEPOSIT DESCRIPTION COMMENTS

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Not available

Comments

Comment (Deposit): ALTHOUGH NO OUTCROP OF THE BANDED SULFIDES WAS FOUND, THE LOCATION OF THE BOULDER RUBBLECROP SUGGESTS THAT THEIR SOURCE IS BENEATH THE ICEFIELD AT THE SUMMIT BETWEEN FERGUSON AND CASEY GLACIERS (MAAS, 1995, P. 235).

Comment (Location): THE CASEY GLACIER SPHALERITE OCCURRENCE CONSISTS OF MINERALIZED BOULDERS OF FLOAT SCATTERED IN AN AREA OF ABOUT A QUARTER OF A SQUARE MILE (MAAS, 1995, P. 233, 235). THE OCCURRENCE IS IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SECTION 23 BETWEEN ELEVATIONS OF ABOUT 3500 AND 4100 FEET, ON A NORTH-FACING MOUNTAINSIDE SOUTH OF THE WEST FORK OF TEXAS CREEK. IT IS ABOUT 2.0 MILES EAST OF TEXAS LAKE. THE ABOVE COORDINATES ARE FOR THE APPROXIMATE CENTER OF THE AREA OF FLOAT BOULDERS. THE LOCATION IS ACCURATE TO WITHIN ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE.

Comment (Geology): LEAD-ISOTOPE STUDIES OF GALENA FROM THIS OCCURRENCE (MAAS AND OTHERS, 1995, P. 235) INDICATE THAT THE MINERALIZATION IS JURASSIC IN AGE, CONTEMPORANEOUS, AT LEAST IN PART, WITH ISLAND-ARC VOLCANISM IN HAZELTON TIME (ALLDRICK, 1993).

Comment (Deposit): THE COUNTRY ROCKS IN THE AREA OF THIS OCCURRENCE ARE PELITIC METASEDIMENTARY AND SUBORDINATE ANDESITIC METAVOLCANIC STRATA OF THE JURASSIC OR OLDER MESOZOIC HAZELTON GROUP, WHICH IS UNDERLAIN AND LOCALLY INTRUDED BY THE TRIASSIC TEXAS CREEK GRANODIORITE; AND THE EOCENE HYDER QUARTZ MONZONITE, WHICH INTRUDES THE HAZELTON AND TEXAS CREEK ROCKS (SMITH, 1977; KOCH, 1996). MAAS AND OTHERS (1995, P. 235, 246) DESCRIBE THE OCCURRENCE AS MINERALIZED FLOAT BOULDERS OF BRECCIATED HAZELTON ANDESITE CONTAINING MASSIVE BANDS AND VEINLETS OF SPHALERITE, GALENA, AND MINOR(?) PYRITE AND CHALCOPYRITE. THE SULFIDES CARRY SILVER AND A TRACE OF GOLD. INTENSE SILICA AND CARBONATE ALTERATION HAS ACCOMPANIED BRECCIATION AND MINERALIZATION. LEAD-ISOTOPE STUDIES OF GALENA FROM THIS OCCURRENCE (MAAS AND OTHERS, P. 235) INDICATE THAT THE MINERALIZATION IS JURASSIC IN AGE, CONTEMPORANEOUS, AT LEAST IN PART, WITH ISLAND-ARC VOLCANISM IN HAZELTON TIME (ALLDRICK, 1993).

References

Reference (Deposit): Smith, J.G., 1977, Geology of the Ketchikan D1 and Bradfield Canal A-1 quadrangles, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1425, 49 p.

Reference (Deposit): Alldrick, D. J., 1993, Geology and metallogeny of the Stewart mining camp, northwestern British Columbia: British Columbia Department of Mines and Petroleum Resources Bulletin no. 85, 105 p., 2 plates."

Reference (Deposit): Maas, K. M., Bittenbender, P. E., and Still, J. C., 1995, Mineral investigations in the Ketchikan mining district, southeastern Alaska: U. S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 11-95, 606 p.

Reference (Deposit): Koch, R. D., 1996, Reconnaissance geologic map of the Bradfield Canal quadrangle, southeastern Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 81-728A, 35 p.,1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

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