Windy Fork Placer

The Windy Fork Placer is a zirconium, titanium, and niobium (columbium) 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: Windy Fork Placer

Commodity

Primary: Zirconium
Primary: Titanium
Primary: Niobium (Columbium)
Secondary: Uranium
Secondary: Thorium
Secondary: Iron
Secondary: Tin

Location

State: Alaska
District: McGrath

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: Diamond placer
Model Name: Alluvial placer Sn

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: None.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Chevkinite
Ore: Chevkinite
Ore: Thorite
Ore: Monazite
Ore: Cassiterite
Gangue: Zircon
Gangue: Ilmenite
Gangue: Eudialyte
Gangue: Allanite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Barker, 1991

Comment (Reserve-Resource): Reserves = Barker (1991) estimates that 13 million cubic meters average 9-11 kilograms per cubic meter of cerium-enriched, REE minerals. This inferred resource estimate is considered conservative.

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = Systematic surface sampling of the placer deposit was completed by Barker (1991) during 1988, during a cooperative strategic mineral assessment of the McGrath quadrangle with the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys. Placer concentrations averaging 7.5 percent titanium, 2.9 percent zirconium, 0.21 percent lanthanum, 0.28 percent cerium, and 460 ppm niobium occur throughout large areas of the placer deposit. Based on systematic bulk sampling, Barker (1991) estimates that the Windy fork placer deposit contains 13 million cubic meters that average 9-11 kilograms per cubic meter of cerium-enriched, REE minerals.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Similar to heavy mineral placer model (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 39d and 39e).

Comment (Deposit): Model Number = 39d,e

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = A specific Cox and Singer (1986) deposit model does not exist for this prospect.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Windy Fork Placer prospect is a significant accumulation of REE minerals, ilmenite, zircon, and other heavy minerals liberated from the peralkaline Windy Fork composite pluton and concentrated in a high energy glaciofluvial placer deposit (Solie, 1983; Gilbert and others, 1988; Barker, 1991; Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997). Although the Windy Fork pluton contains riebekite granite, biotite granite, and pyroxene syenite phases; it's average chemical composition is that of a peralkaline granite (Solie, 1983). The Windy Fork pluton is radioactive and scintillometer readings taken along traverses across the intrusion range from 650-to-800 cps, about 3 times the average background for granitic rocks. High energy glaciofluvial gravels with significant heavy mineral concentrations have accumulated in an elliptical, one square kilometer area near the confluence of Windy Fork and two second order tributary streams that dissect the Windy Fork pluton (Gilbert and others, 1988). Stream bed and fan deposits contain abundant chevkinite, eudialyte, ilmenite, monazite, tscheffkinite, and zircon and minor to trace allanite, cassiterite, and thorite (Barker, 1991). Natural streaks of black sand rich in magnetite and ilmenite are very common in bedload environments. Monazite and zircon are easily identified in the field. Placer concentrations averaging 7.5 percent titanium, 2.9 percent zirconium, 0.21 percent lanthanum, 0.28 percent cerium, and 460 ppm niobium occur throughout large areas of the placer deposit. Based on systematic bulk sampling, Barker (1991) estimates that the Windy Fork placer deposit contains 13 million cubic meters with an average grade of 9 to 11 kilograms per cubic meter of cerium-enriched, REE heavy minerals.

References

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Harris, E.E., and Gilbert, W.G., 1997, Geologic Map of the eastern McGrath quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 97-14, 34 pages, one sheet, scale 1:125,000.

Reference (Deposit): Barker, J.C., 1991, Investigation of rare-earth elements and zirconium in the Windy Fork peralkaline pluton, west-central Alaska: U.S. Bureau of Mines field report, 36 pages

Reference (Deposit): Solie, D.N., 1983, The Middle Fork plutonic complex, McGrath A-3 quadrangle, southwest Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 83-16, 22 pages.

Reference (Deposit): Gilbert, W.G., Solie, D.N., and Kline, J.T., 1988, Geologic map of the McGrath A-3 quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Professional Report 92, 2 sheets, 1:63,360 scale.

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