The Alpine is a mercury mine located in San Benito county, California at an elevation of 3,599 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: 3,599 Feet (1,097 Meters)
Commodity: Mercury
Lat, Long: 36.36556, -120.72250
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.
Alpine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Alpine
Secondary: Esmeralda
Secondary: Black Hawk
Commodity
Primary: Mercury
Location
State: California
County: San Benito
District: New Idria
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Type: Surface/Underground
Ownership
Owner Name: Leonard W. Knepper
Production
Year: 1960
Time Period: Thru 1960
Material type: HG
Description: Cp_Grade: ^5-100 Lb/Ton
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Discovery Year: 1910
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Pacific Mountain System
Physiographic Province: Pacific Border Province
Physiographic Section: California Coast Ranges
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: LENS
Structure
Not available
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silica Carbonate Alteration Of Serpentine
Rocks
Not available
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Cinnabar
Ore: Mercury
Comments
Comment (Deposit): SMALL DISCONNECTED LENSES AND ISOLATED BODIES
Comment (Reserve-Resource): THIS INFORMATION IS A 1946 ESTIMATE
Comment (Location): THE DISTRICT LIES AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE DIABLO RANGE OF THE CALIFORNIA COAST RANGES
Comment (Production): DISTRICT RANKS THIRD IN ALL TIME U.S. PRODUCTION AND OVER 20 MINES HAVE PRODUCED.
Comment (Development): ORIGINAL PROSPECTORS MISTOOK ORE MINERALS FOR SILVER ORE. AFTER THE ORIGINAL DISCOVERY OTHERS WERE SOON MADE BUT ONLY THE NEW IDRIA AND SAN CARLOS BECAME LARGE PRODUCERS. THE HIGH GRADE ORE WAS EXHAUSTED SHORTLY AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY EXCEPT FOR A FEW NEW DISCOVERIES AND IT BECAME NECESSARY TO MINE LOW GRADE ORE.
Comment (Geology): AREA IS A LARGE OVAL OF STRONGLY SHEARED SERPENTINE, RIMMED BY FRANCISCAN AND PANOCHE SANDSTONE. THE STRUCTURE IS AN ASSYMMETRIC ANTICLINE WITH OVERTURNED BEDS AND AN IRREGULAR THRUST FAULT (THE NEW IDRIA THRUST) ON THE NE FLANK NEAR THE FRANCISCAN - PANOCHE CONTACT. CONTACTS AROUND DOME ALMOST ALWAYS MARKED BY HIGH ANGLE FAULTS. FRANCISCAN ROCKS CONTAIN 3 DEPOSITS AND IS MOSTLY ARKOSIC SANDSTONE, WITH A LITTLE SHALE AND CGL INTERLAYERED WITH BASALTIC LAVAS AND CHERT LENSES. SERPENTINE FORMS THE CORE OF THE ANTICLINE AND OCCURS AS SLIVERS ALONG THE NEW IDRIA THRUST, WHERE IT HOSTS SEVERAL MERCURY DEPOSITS. THE PANOCHE FORMATION IS DOMINANTLY SHALES AND SANDSTONES. IT FORMS THE COUNTRY ROCK OF THE MAJOR MERCURY DEPOSITS IN THE DISTRICT. THE SYENITE INTRUDES SERPENTINE AND PANOCHE AND HAS NO BEARING ON THE ORES. THE NEW IDRIA THRUST IS CUT BY MANY TEAR FAULTS AND OTHER FAULTS WHICH PROVIDED DEPOSITIONAL SITES AND FLUID PATHWAYS FOR THE MERCURY ORES. THE ORE BODIES VARY GREATLY IN
Comment (Workings): DISTRICT ENCOMPASSES A 15 BY 9 MI RECTANGLE INCLUDING MINES WITH BOTH SURFACE AND UNDERGROUND WORKINGS.
Comment (Geology): SIZE; NEW IDRIA AND SAN CARLOS BODIES ARE MEASURED IN HUNDREDS OF FEET BUT MOST ARE LESS THAN 50 FT IN LARGEST DIMENSION. VERY LITTLE NON - METALLIC GANGUE ACCOMPANIES THE ORE MINERALS BUT CALCITE OR QUARTZ SOMETIMES OCCURS WITH THE CINNABAR. ALL OF THE ORES LIE WITHIN HYDROTHERMALLY ALTERED ROCK: INDURATED SEDIMENTS OF THE PANOCHE FORMATION AND SILICA - CARBONATE ROCK.
References
Reference (Deposit): HOLMES, G. W., JR., 1965, MERCURY IN CALIFORNIA: IN USBM IC 8252
Reference (Deposit): AVERILL, C.V., 1947, MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF SAN BENITO COUNTY, CALIF.: CJMG, V. 43, P. 41-60
Reference (Deposit): 5) BRADLEY, W.W., 1918, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA, CJMG BULL.78, 389 P.
Reference (Deposit): 6) RANSOME, A.L. AND KELLOGG, J.L., 1939, QUICKSILVER RESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA: CJMG, V. 35, P. 353-486
Reference (Production): USBM DATA
Reference (Deposit): ECKEL, E. B. AND MYERS, W. B., 1946, QUICKSILVER DEPOSITS OF THE NEW IDRIA DISTRICT, SAN BENITO AND FRESNO COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA: CALIF. JOUR. OF MINES AND GEOLOGY, V. 42, P. 81 - 124
Reference (Deposit): BAILEY, E. H., U.S.G.S., PERSONAL FILES
California Gold
"Where to Find Gold in California" looks at the density of modern placer mining claims along with historical gold mining locations and mining district descriptions to determine areas of high gold discovery potential in California. Read more: Where to Find Gold in California.
