The Moonlight Mine is a uranium mine located in Humboldt county, Nevada at an elevation of 4,741 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
Elevation: 4,741 Feet (1,445 Meters)
Commodity: Uranium
Lat, Long: 41.79167, -118.15972
Map: View on Google Maps
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.
Moonlight Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Moonlight Mine
Secondary: King's River Area
Secondary: Platora Mine
Secondary: Moonlight and Forget-Me-Not Claims
Secondary: NBMG Sample Site 2414.
Commodity
Primary: Uranium
Tertiary: Copper
Tertiary: Silver
Tertiary: Molybdenum
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Tertiary: Barium-Barite
Tertiary: Manganese
Tertiary: Arsenic
Location
State: Nevada
County: Humboldt
District: Opalite Mining District
Land Status
Land ownership: BLM Administrative Area
Note: the land ownership field only identifies whether the area the mine is in is generally on public lands like Forest Service or BLM land, or if it is in an area that is generally private property. It does not definitively identify property status, nor does it indicate claim status or whether an area is open to prospecting. Always respect private property.
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Owner Name: Sweeney And Nachiondo
Years: 1984 -
Owner Name: Anaconda Exploration (Had A Lease On The Property 2-3 Years Ago.)
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Surface-Underground
Year First Production: 1955
Discovery Year: 1955
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Volcanogenic U
Orebody
Form: BLANKET
Structure
Type: R
Description: Rhyolite Dome Along Sw Ring Fracture Zone Of Mc Dermitt Caldera
Type: L
Description: N-Trending Normal Fault (Moonlight Fault). Uraniferous Vein Is Apparently Along A Major Ring Fracture Bounding The Mcdermitt Caldera. This Fracture Can Be -Traced For At Least 4 Miles To The North
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicification, Argillization And Potassic (Potash Feldspar And Sericite)
Rocks
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Host Rock Unit
Age Young: Miocene
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Miocene
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: TEMP. OF ORE DEPOSITION = 340 DEGREES C - +7 (FLUID INCLUSIONS) A RHYOLITIC FLOW IS ANOMALOUSLY RADIOACTIVE OVER ALARGE AREA AND CONTAINS UP TO 0.02% U3O8. ASSAYS OF ORE RANGED FROM 0.07 TO 0.22% U3O8. BACKGROUND RADIOACTIVITY = 30 CPS.
Analytical Data: HIGH = 2600 CPS. SELECT SAMPLES CONTAIN UP TO 0.17 % U308 AND 0.39 % EU. THE BRECCIA VEIN AVERAGES 0.04 % U308. ALTERED COUNTRY RO-CK IS ENRICHED WITH CHIP SAMPLES REPRESENTING LARGE VOLUMES OF- ROCK CONTAINING UP TO 77 PPM U308. BACKGROUND RADIOACTIVITY I-N COUNTRY ROCK IS 200-300 CPS (60-90 UR). THE BRECCIA VEIN RAN-GES FROM 4000-20000+CPS (1200-5800+ UR) FOR A DISTANCE OF ABOU-T 450 FT. ALTERED ROCK ADJACENT TO THE VEIN RANGES BETWEEN 500- AND 4000 CPS (150-1200 UR). SAMPLE 2414 FROM U-BEARING FAULT ZONE CONTAINS 10 % FE, 0.1 % MG, 0.15 % CA, 0.5 % TI, +5000 PPM MN, 5 PPM AG, 50-00 PPM AS, 50 PPM B, 2000 PPM BA, 1 PPM BE, 100 PPM C0, 70 PPM- CR, 150 PPM CU, 200 PPM M0, 30 PPM NI, 50 PPM PB, 150 PPM SB,- 30 PPM SC, 200 PPM SR, 100 PPM V, 100 PPM Y,300 PPM ZN, +1000- PPM ZR.
Materials
Ore: Carnotite
Ore: Torbernite
Ore: Uraninite
Gangue: Galena
Gangue: Fluorite
Unknown: Pyrite
Comments
Comment (Geology): BRECCIA ZONE WHICH LOCALIZES ORE PARALLELS FLOW FOLIATION PLANES WITHIN THE DOME. URANIUM MINERALIZATION OCCURS IN A SILICIFIED BRECCIA ZONE IN THE HANGING WALL OF A NORTH-TRENDING FAULT WHICH DISPLACES TERTIARY RHYOLITIC ASH-FLOW TUFFS, OVERLYING A JURASSIC QUARTZ MONZONITE TO GRANODIORITE INTRUSIVE.
Comment (Workings): ONE SMALL ADIT ABOUT 25 FT LONG (THE MOST SOUTHERLY OF THE WORKINGS). SMALL INCLINE SHAFT-NO TIMBER, WATER IN BOTT-OM, MAYBE 50 FT DEEP. THIRD AND LARGEST OF THE WORKINGS (ALSO -MOST NORTHERLY) IS A TIMBERED INCLINED SHAFT WHICH MAY BE 100 -FT DEEP ON APPROX 45 DEGREE DECLINE. SHAFT NOT USABLE. REMAINS- OF ORE BIN STILL STANDING. WORKINGS ARE SUNK DOWN DIP ON MINE-RALIZED FAULT ZONE.
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1950'S ?
Comment (Deposit): IN THE HANGING WALL ABOVE THE MINE IS A SEQUENCE OF BIOTITIC RHYOLITE TO QUARTZ LATITE ASH FLOW TUFFS NEARLY 500 F-T THICK. ABOVE THIS LIES ONE OR MORE PERALKALINE ASH FLOWS COM-PRISING UP TO 700 FT OF SECTION
Comment (Production): ABOUT 2000 LBS U PRODUCED 1953-1955, GRADING 0.07 TO 0.22 % U308
Comment (Development): NOTICE PASTED IN CABIN THAT ASSESSMENT WORK FOR 1982 HAD BEEN DONE.
Comment (Location): MOUTH OF CALAVERA CANYON; W. FLANK DOUBLE H. MTNS
Comment (Deposit): SEVERAL CARLOADS OF ORE WERE SHIPPED BY PLATORA URANIUM CORPORATION (AT A LOSS). ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT; 2 UNPUB REPT; 3 FIELD OBSERV
Comment (Location): Deleted duplicate record (MAS 0320130092 = 10037003) gave coordinates (NAD27) as 41-47-19, -118-9-30. Main Entrance, 10 m.
References
Reference (Deposit): CASTOR, S. B., 1980, FIELD EXAMINATION REPORT OF URANIUM OCCURENCE.
Reference (Deposit): RYTUBA, J. J. AND GLANZMAN, R. K., 1978, USGS OFR 78-926.
Reference (Deposit): JONES, R. B., 1984, FIELD EXAMINATION 8-15-84 AND SAMPLE ANALYSIS.
Reference (Deposit): RYTUBA, J.J., 1976, GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE MC DERMITT CALDERA, NEVADA-OREGON; U.S.G.S. OPEN FILE REPORT 76-535.
Reference (Deposit): TAYLOR, A. O., AND POWERS, J. F., 1955; USAEC REPORT TEM-874-A.
Reference (Deposit): SHARP, B. J., 1955; USAEC REPORT RME-2032, 14 PP.
Reference (Deposit): WILLDEN, R., 1964, GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DEPOSITS OF HUMBOLDT CO., NEV; NEV. BUREAU OF MINES BULL. 59, pl. 3.
Pages: pl. 3.
Reference (Deposit): GARSIDE, L.J., 1973, RADIOACTIVE MINERAL OCCURRENCES IN NEVADA; NEV. BUREAU OF MINES BULL. 81, p. 58.
Reference (Deposit): MINOBRAS: NEV IND MIN (1973) P 20.
Pages: p. 20.
Reference (Production): RYTUBA, J.J., 1976.
Nevada Gold
Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.
