Natural Arches (north of Bering Glacier)

The Natural Arches (north of Bering Glacier) is a copper mine located in Alaska.

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: Natural Arches (north of Bering Glacier)

Commodity

Primary: Copper

Location

State: Alaska
District: Yakataga

Land Status

Not available

Holdings

Not available

Workings

Not available

Ownership

Not available

Production

Not available

Deposit

Record Type: Site
Operation Category: Occurrence
Operation Type: Unknown
Years of Production:
Organization:
Significant:

Physiography

Not available

Mineral Deposit Model

Model Name: Basaltic Cu (BC name is Volcanic redbed Cu)

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Oxidation.

Rocks

Role: Host
Age Type: Host Rock
Age Young: Eocene
Age Old: Paleocene

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Copper
Ore: Malachite
Ore: Azurite
Gangue: Quartz

Comments

Comment (Geology): Age = Tertiary. The mineralization postdates the Early Tertiary age of the host volcanic rocks.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Brabb and Miller, 1962

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Reconnaissance surface observations have been completed at this locality (Brabb and Miller, 1962).

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = At this occurrence, native copper occurs in mafic volcanic rocks, and azurite and malachite occur in quartz veins that cut the volcanic rocks (Brabb and Miller, 1962). The volcanic rocks are part of the Lower Tertiary Orca Group (Hudson and Plafker, 1982).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Native copper in mafic volcanic rocks.

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = This occurrence is very close to the southern boundary of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

References

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1972, Metallic mineral resources map of the Bering Glacier quadrangle, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-373, 1 sheet, scale 1:250,000.

Reference (Deposit): Brabb, E.E., and Miller, D.J., 1962, Reconnaissance traverse across the eastern Chugach Mountains, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map I-341, scale 1:96,000.

Reference (Deposit): Cobb, E.H., 1979, Summary of references to mineral occurrences (other than mineral fuels and construction materials) in the Bering Glacier, Icy Bay, Middleton Island, and Yakutat quadrangles, Alaska: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 79-1246, 41 p.

Reference (Deposit): Hudson, T.L., and Plafker, George, 1982, Paleogene metamorphism of an accretionary flysch terrane, eastern Gulf of Alaska: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 93, p. 1280-1290.

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