Rock Glacier

The Rock 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: Rock Glacier

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Secondary: Iron

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: Skarn Cu

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Propylitization.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Ore: Pyrrhotite
Ore: Pyrite
Ore: Malachite
Gangue: Quartz
Gangue: Epidote
Gangue: Chlorite

Comments

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Commodity): Gangue = Carbonate

Comment (Geology): Age = K-Ar age of 37.9 Ma published by Gilbert and others (1990).

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = Similar to Rat Fork-Headwall and Rat Fork-Base prospects (MG058; MG059) in McGrath B-2 quadrangle.

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Copper skarn(?) (Cox and Singer, 1986; model 18b).

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = No assay data is available for the Rock Glacier occurrence.

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Gilbert and others, 1990

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = Pyrite-rich gossan zones were noted by Gilbert and others (1990) in a composite dike swarm, andesitic flows, and lappilli tuffs within the Windy Fork volcanic complex (Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997). Pyrite and pyrrhotite, which locally comprise up to 50 percent of the gossan-rich zones, are accompanied by carbonates, chlorite, epidote, and quartz. Individual gossan bodies are irregular in dimension, and reach maximum lengths of 40 meters Gangue mineralogy suggests formation by introduction of metasomatic fluids; i.e., skarns. Malachite staining was observed in some of the fractured hornfels in the gossan zones. No assay data is available for the Rock Glacier occurrence.

References

Reference (Deposit): Gilbert, W.G., Solie, D.N., Kline, J.T., and Dickey, D.B., 1990, Geologic map of the McGrath B-3 quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Professional Report 102, 2 sheets, scale 1:63,360.

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.

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