Unnamed Thorium Occurrence

The Unnamed Thorium Occurrence is a mine located in Gunnison county, Colorado at an elevation of 7,598 feet.

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: Unnamed Thorium Occurrence

Commodity

Tertiary: Thorium
Tertiary: REE

Location

State: Colorado
County: Gunnison
District: Gunnison Area

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Deposit Type: Vein
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1955
Discovery Method: Other
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S

Physiography

General Physiographic Area: Rocky Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Southern Rocky Mountains

Mineral Deposit Model

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Type: R
Description: Gunnison Uplift, West Elk Centers

Alterations

Not available

Rocks

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Neoproterozoic

Analytical Data

Analytical Data: HEAVY RAE EXCEPT GD, DY, YB, AND Y.
Analytical Data: 0.0015 % BE. ALSO AT LOWER LIMITS OF DETECTION (10 TO 500 PPM) WERE LIGHT RAE EXCEPT LA, CE, AND ND
Analytical Data: LT 0.01 % BI, CO, AND CR
Analytical Data: 0.015 % YB
Analytical Data: 0.03 % MN
Analytical Data: 0.07 % MG, DY, AND GD
Analytical Data: 0.15 % CU
Analytical Data: 0.3 % LA, ND, Y, AND ZR
Analytical Data: 0.7 % AL, BA, AND CE
Analytical Data: 1.5 % TI
Analytical Data: 3 % CA
Analytical Data: 7 % P, SI, AND FE
Analytical Data: PHYSICAL AND OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF HAND-PICKED GRAINS: REDDISH BROWN COLOR, CONCHOIDAL FRACTURE, RESINOUS LUSTER, HARDNESS 3 TO 4, 3.7 TO 4.3 SPECIFIC GRAVITY, 1.66 TO 1.69 AVERAGE INDEX OF REFRACTION, MODERATE BIREFRINGENCE. SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHIC ANALYSIS SHOWED GT 10 % TH

Materials

Ore: Rhabdophane

Comments

Comment (Location): EXACT LOCATION WITHIN SECTION IS UNKNOWN. SITE PROBABLY LIES WITHIN 0.5 MILE OF HIERRO, WHICH IS ON US HWY 50 ALONG GUNNISON RIVER. ELEV AND LAT-LONG GIVEN ARE FOR CENTER OF SEC. 24.

Comment (Development): MINERAL WAS CONCENTRATED FROM HEAVY-MINERAL FRACTION AND ANALYZED BY X-RAY POWDER DIFFRACTION AND BY SEMIQUANTITATIVE SPECTROGRAPHY.

Comment (Deposit): FOLIATION OF SCHISTOSE COUNTRY ROCKS TRENDS GENERALLY WNW-ESE, DIPPING NE. SCHIST CONTAINS IRREGULARLY ELONGATE BODIES AND DIKES OF GRANITIC ROCKS OF BEAVER CREEK BROADLY CONCORDANT TO METAMPORPHIC FOLIATION. GENERALLY NW-TRENDING LEUCOGRANITE DIKES CUT METAMORPHICS AND BEAVER CREEK GRANTIC ROCKS. TREND OF VEIN UNKNOWN BUT PROBABLY CONCORDANT TO LOCAL FOLIATION TREND. DOOLEY AND HATHAWAY (1961) DESCRIBE VEIN MATERIAL AND SURROUNDING ROCK AS OXIDIZED AND FRIABLE. RELATIVELY FRESH MATERIAL CONTAINED K FELDSPAR (CHIEFLY MICROCLINE) AND SUBORDINATE QUARTZ. HEAVY-MINERAL FRACTION CONTAINED TH-BEARING MINERAL, FE-BEARING OPAQUE MINERALS, AND MINOR AMPHIBOLE AND RUTILE. ANALYSIS SUGGEST SIMILARITY OF TH MINERAL WITH RHABDOPHANE, (CE, Y, LA, DY) P04. H20, BUT LOW RAE CONTENT COMPARED TO TH AND CA CONTRASTS WITH MODERATE TO HIGH RAE CONTEST OF RHABDOPHANE AND MONZITE. MINERAL DID SHOW MONAZITE-LIKE STRUCTURE ON IGNITION AT 800 TO 900 C.

References

Reference (Deposit): DOOLEY, J.R., JR., AND HATHAWAY, J.C., 1961, TWO OCCURRENCES OF THORIUM-BEARING MINERALS WITH RHABDOPHANE-LIKE STRUCTURE: USGS PROF. PAPER 424-C, P. C339-C341.

Reference (Deposit): HEDLUND, D.C., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE BIG MESA QUADRANGLE, GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO: USGS MAP GQ-1153.

Colorado Mining Photos

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