The Alta Mine is a silver and lead mine located in Santa Cruz county, Arizona at an elevation of 5,049 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: 5,049 Feet (1,539 Meters)
Commodity: Silver, Lead
Lat, Long: 31.46111, -110.71778
Map: View on Google Maps
Satelite View
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Alta Mine MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Alta Mine
Commodity
Primary: Silver
Primary: Lead
Secondary: Zinc
Secondary: Copper
Secondary: Gold
Tertiary: Fluorine-Fluorite
Location
State: Arizona
County: Santa Cruz
District: Harshaw District
Land Status
Land ownership: Private
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
Type: Underground
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Past Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Year First Production: 1877
Year Last Production: 1952
Discovery Year: 1875
Discovery Method: Ore-Mineral In Place
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: S
Physiography
General Physiographic Area: Intermontane Plateaus
Physiographic Province: Basin And Range Province
Physiographic Section: Sonoran Desert
Mineral Deposit Model
Not available
Orebody
Form: TABULAR
Structure
Type: R
Description: 300-400 Ft Thick Lava Flows Of Hardshell-Hardshaw Creek Area
Type: L
Description: Normal Faulting; Slickensides Indicate Post-Vein Movement
Alterations
Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Quartz-Fluorite Gouge Replaces Rhyolite; Surface Oxidation To Unknown Depths
Rocks
Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Name: Diorite
Role: Host
Age Type: Associated Rock Unit
Age Young: Late Jurassic
Analytical Data
Analytical Data: AT 250 FT DEPTH, HIGH GRADE ORE BODY 2-3 FT WIDE CONTAINS VALUES OF 37% PB WITH 2 OZ. AU, 1% CU, 15 OZ/TON AG
Materials
Ore: Embolite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Pyrargyrite
Ore: Specularite
Ore: Pyrite
Gangue: Limonite
Comments
Comment (Deposit): Discovery Year: 1870'S
Comment (Geology): RHYOLITE DIKE DIPS 40 NNE, AND WEATHERS YELLOWISH BROWN WITH LIMONITE STAIN; MINERALIZATION EXTENDS SOME 200 FT FROM DIKE INTO DIORITE COUNTRYROCK; RHYOLITE LOCALLY MUCH ALTERED TO SERICITE, EPIDOTE, CARBONATE, CHLORITE
Comment (Location): 1/3 MILE NNW OF HARDSHELL MNE, IN MOUTH OF SW TRIBUTARY OF HARDSHELL GULCH. ; INFO FROM LAND.ST :(1979)
Comment (Commodity): MINOR AMOUNTS OF CHALCOPYRITE
Comment (Production): PRODUCTION ESTIMATED AT 3500 TONS OF ORE (17,500 OZ. AG; 2,590,000 LBS PB)
Comment (Development): WORKED INTERMITTENTLY IN LATE 1870'S, EARLY 1880'S AND TO MINOR DEGREE IN 1900'S; OPERATORS INCLUDED MELBA MINING CO. (ACQUIRED PROPERTY IN 1897 AND WORKED FOR A FEW YEARS); MINE IS PATENTED
Comment (Deposit): MINERALIZATION OCCURS ALONG HANGING-WALL SIDE OF RHYOLITE DIKE EMPLACED IN FAULT FISSURE; LENSING ORE SHOOTS AT GREATER DEPTHS; HIGH GRADE SILVER HALIDES IN OXIDIZED SURFACE ZONE.
Comment (Workings): DEVELOPMENTS INCLUDED A SHAFT INCLINED TO N; SHAFT PRESENTLY CAVED IN AND WORKINGS ARE INACCESSIBLE; WORKINGS AT 250 FT EXPOSED 45 FT LONG, 3 FT WIDE ORE SHOOT OF LEAD; WORKINGS AT 300 FT EXPOSED 4 INCH VEIN OF PYRARGYRITE
References
Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S., 1972, MESOZOIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS AND ADJOINING AREAS, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: USGS PROFESSIONAL PAPER 658-E.
Reference (Deposit): USBM FILES, ALTA MINE.
Reference (Deposit): PHILLIPS, K.A., 1987, ARIZONA INDUSTRIAL MINERALS: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES MINERAL REPORT 4, 185 P.
Reference (Other Database): CIMRI
Reference (Deposit): MOORES, RICHARD C., 1972, THE GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF APORTION OF THE HARSHAW DISTRICT, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: M.S. THESIS, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, P. 73.
Reference (Deposit): SCHRADER, FRANK C.,1915, MINERAL DEPOSITS OF THE SANTA RITA AND PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS, ARIZONA: USGS BULLETIN 582, P. 264-265.
Reference (Deposit): KEITH, STANTON B., 1975, INDEX OF MINING AND PROPERTIES IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: ARIZONA BUREAU OF MINES BULLETIN 191, P. 56.
Reference (Deposit): ABGMT FILE DATA, STANTON B. KEITH.
Reference (Deposit): SIMONS, FRANK S., 1974, GEOLOGIC MAP AND SECTIONS OF THE NOGALES AND LOCHIEL QUADRANGLES, SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, ARIZONA: USGS MAP I-762, SCALE 1:48000.
Arizona Gold
"Where to Find Gold in Arizona" 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 Arizona. Read more: Where to Find Gold in Arizona.
