Farewell Mineral Licks

The Farewell Mineral Licks is a copper, manganese, and iron 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

Satelite View

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.

Site Name

Primary: Farewell Mineral Licks

Commodity

Primary: Copper
Primary: Manganese
Primary: Iron
Secondary: Sodium
Secondary: Potassium

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

Not available

Orebody

Not available

Structure

Not available

Alterations

Alteration Type: L
Alteration Text: Silicrete and ferricrete.

Rocks

Not available

Analytical Data

Not available

Materials

Gangue: Dolomite

Comments

Comment (Reference): Primary Reference = Bundtzen and others, 1997

Comment (Workings): Workings / Exploration = One soil sample taken at the Farewell Mineral Licks was anomalous in copper (250 ppm), manganese (8,500 ppm), potassium (6.50 percent) and sodium (12.00 percent).

Comment (Exploration): Status = Inactive

Comment (Deposit): Other Comments = See White Mountain Mercury Mine (MG025) and the Peggy Barbara (MG026) and Mary Margaret (MG027) prospects.

Comment (Geology): Ore Material = Iron oxides

Comment (Geology): Age = Quaternary, based on C14 age data summarized by Kline and Bundtzen (1986).

Comment (Deposit): Model Name = Unknown; possibly hot springs related.

Comment (Geology): Geologic Description = The Farewell Mineral Licks are a series of three subcircular areas of dark yellow-brown soils frequently utilized as mineral licks and roll areas by buffalo (Bison bison), moose (Alces alces), and other ungulates. Each 'lick' is approximately 40 meters in diameter, and composed of distinctive yellow-brown residual soils in Quaternary drift directly overlying the active strand of the Denali-Farewell fault, a major transcurrent fault that forms an arc across central Alaska and Yukon (Bundtzen, Harris, and Gilbert, 1997). A distinct silicrete rind covers soil at the site. Dolomite fragments were recognized in one soil sample. . One soil sample taken at the Farewell Mineral licks was anomalous in copper (250 ppm), manganese (8,500 ppm), potassium (6.50 percent), and sodium (12.00 percent). The manganese may be the result of decomposed dolomite. The remaining elements may be the result of a hydrothermal plumbing system within the Denali fault system.

References

Reference (Deposit): Kline, J.T., and Bundtzen, T.K., 1986, Two glacial records from west-central Alaska, in Hamilton, T.D., Reed, K.M., and Thorson, Robert, eds., Glaciation in Alaska: Alaska Geological Society Special Volume, p. 123-150.

Reference (Deposit): Bundtzen, T.K., Kline, J.T., and Clough, J.G., 1982, Preliminary geologic map of the McGrath B-2 quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Open-File report 149, 22 pages, one sheet, scale 1:63,360.

Reference (Deposit): Kline, J.T., and Pinney, D.S., 1997, Derivative map of geological materials and hazards in the eastern half, McGrath quadrangle, Alaska: Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys Report of Investigations 97-14b, one sheet, scale, 1:125,000.

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.

The Top Ten Gold Producing States

These ten states contributed the most to the gold production that built the West from 1848 through the 1930s. The Top Ten Gold Producing States.