The Darwin Group is a lead, zinc, and silver mine located in Inyo county, California.
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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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.
Darwin Group MRDS details
Site Name
Primary: Darwin Group
Secondary: Bernon
Secondary: Columbia
Secondary: Defiance Driver
Secondary: Essex
Secondary: Independence
Secondary: Lane
Secondary: Liberty
Secondary: Lucky Jim
Secondary: Promontory
Secondary: Rip Van Winkle
Secondary: Southwest and Thompson.
Commodity
Primary: Lead
Primary: Zinc
Primary: Silver
Secondary: Gold
Secondary: Tungsten
Secondary: Copper
Location
State: California
County: Inyo
District: Darwin
Land Status
Not available
Holdings
Not available
Workings
Not available
Ownership
Not available
Production
Not available
Deposit
Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Producer
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant: N
Deposit Size: M
Physiography
Not available
Mineral Deposit Model
Model Name: Polymetallic replacement
Orebody
Form: IRREGULAR
Structure
Type: R
Description: Thrust Fault, Igneous Intrusions
Type: L
Description: Faults, Folds
Alterations
Not available
Rocks
Name: Quartz Monzonite
Role: Associated
Age Type: Associated Rock
Age Young: Late Cretaceous
Analytical Data
Not available
Materials
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Tetrahedrite
Ore: Chalcopyrite
Ore: Sphalerite
Gangue: Fluorite
Gangue: Iron
Gangue: Jarosite
Gangue: Clay
Gangue: Gypsum
Gangue: Calcite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Jasper
Comments
Comment (Production): PRODUCTION RECORD NOT COMPLETE, 1941 - 1943 , 28,400 TONS OF ORE WAS MINED, 17,000 TONS WAS SHIPPED, AVERAGING 9 % PB, 4 % ZN. 1957 INFORMATION; PRODUCTION IN RECENT YEARS HAS BEEN 8,000 - 10,000 TONS PER MONTH, REDUCED TO 20 % OF ORIGINAL VOLUME BY MILLING AND FLOATATION. MILL HEADS HAVE AVERAGED 6 OZ. AG, 6.5 % PB, 6.4 % ZN, SOME GOLD. BEFORE ANACONDA OPERATIONS, ESTIMATED PRODUCTION IS $7,000,000 . COPPER AND TUNGSTEN AS BY - PRODUCTS. ANACONDA PRODUCES, 8,000 TONS PER MONTH.
Comment (Deposit): THREE TYPES OF ORE BODIES ARE RECOGNIZED: REPLACEMENTS OF SILICIFIED LIMESTONE, BEDDING REPLACEMENT, AND FISSURE FILLING.
Comment (Workings): UNDERGROUND WORKINGS TOTAL SEVERAL MILES IN LENGTH, NEW WORKINGS ARE ADVANCED AT RATE OF 7,000 FT/YEAR. 45 PATENTED CLAIMS AND 44 UNPATENTED CLAIMS
Comment (Commodity): CLOSED (TEMPORARILY) BY ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN 1957, BUT A VERY IMPORTANT DISTRICT IN RECENT YEARS, CHIEF PRODUCTION SINCE 1945 WAS LEAD, ZINC, AND SILVER WITH SOME COPPER. (MC KNIGHT, 1960?, UNPUBLISHED DATA.)
Comment (Geology): DEPOSITS ARE MESOTHERMAL REPLACEMENT BODIES IN LIME SILICATE CONTACT METAMORPHIC ROCK (PENNSYLVANIAN), ALONG AND NEAR STRIKE SLIP FAULTS, BELOW A MAJOR THRUST FAULT, AND ADJACENT TO IGNEOUS STOCK; PARTLY IN IRREGULAR PIPES. SMALL STOCK OF QUARTZ MONZONITE AND GRANODIORITE, SILL OF QUARTZ MONZONITE, DIKES OF APLITE, AGE PROBABLY CRETACEOUS. (MC KNIGHT, 1960?, UNPUBLISHED DATA.) ; GEOL.DESC: DEPOSITS; IN A THICK SERIES OF PALEOZOIC LIMESTONE, DOLOMITE, SHALE AND QUARTZITE WHICH IS FOLDED AND FAULTED. PRINCIPAL STRUCTURE IS NW - PITCHING ANTICLINAL FOLD, EAST FLANK OF FOLD IS INTRUDED BY DARWIN GRANODIORITE STOCK AND ASSOCIATED DIKES AND SILLS WHICH GRADE FROM GRANITE TO GABBRO. PERIPHERAL TO STOCK IS A 2500 FT. WIDE ZONE OF TACTITE. ALL MINERALIZATION RELATED TO STOCK. SEDIMENTARY SERIES INTRUDED ON THE WEST AND SOUTH BY COSO GRANITE BATHOLITE. LARGEST FAULT IS THE DARWIN TEAR FAULT, STRIKES N 60 - 75 W, DIPS STEEPLY SOUTH, TRACEABLE FOR 10 MILES.
References
Reference (Deposit): GOODWIN, J. C., 1957 , LEAD AND ZINC IN CALIFORNIA; CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOLOGY VOL. 53 , NO. 3 & 4 ; DIV. OF MINES, P. 466
Reference (Deposit): HALL, W. E. AND MACKEVETT, E. M., 1958 , ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE DARWIN QUADRANGLE, INYO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA; DIV. OF MINES SPEC. REPT. 51 , P. 25 - 30 .
Reference (Deposit): NORMAN, L. A. AND STEWART, R. M., 1951 , MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF INYO COUNTY; CALIF. JOUR. MINES AND GEOLOGY, VOL. 51 , NO. 1 ; DIV. OF MINES, P. 59 - 68 .
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.
